The ‘Queen Bee’ Of New Hampshire Politics Passes Away

CONCORD, NH — The first female state Senator to represent the city of Concord has passed away. Mary Louise Hancock was 97. The New Hampshire Democratic Party announced her passing on Dec. 4, 2017.

"Mary Louise Hancock was a giant of New Hampshire politics,” according to NHDP Chairman Ray Buckley. “More than a Senator and a glass-ceiling shattering woman, she was the embodiment of what it meant to be a New Hampshire Democrat. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones today. She will be dearly missed and long remembered."

Hancock was born in Franklin in July 1920. Hancock was elected to the state Senate (District 15) in 1976. She served a single term but paved the way for other women including Susan McLane, a Republican, who served between 1981 and 1994, and Sylvia Larsen, a Democrat who served from 1994 to 2014. The seat is currently held by Dan Feltes, a Concord attorney and Democrat.

Along with being a state Senator, she was also the state planning director for 16 years, the first woman in America to hold such an office. Her home on Washington Street has been a go-to stop for presidential primary candidates seeking the Democrat’s nomination for three decades, which earned her the nickname of being the "Queen Bee" of New Hampshire politics.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, who proclaimed July 5, Mary Louise Hancock Day, mourn her passing.

“Mary Louise Hancock was a role model for me, and for so many other women who’ve stepped up to run for office,” she said. “A steadfast advocate for equal rights, affordable housing, and domestic abuse survivors, Mary Louise Hancock led with action and taught us all about the importance of being engaged and participating in our government to shape a country, and community, that supports every working family. Her sage counsel was sought after by generations of Democrats, whether running for local office or the Oval Office. One of my favorite memories as Governor was to be able to declare Mary Louise Hancock Day in New Hampshire. Now, as we mourn her passing and celebrate her legacy, we’ll keep her in our hearts every day. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends during this difficult time.”

U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, agreed.

“Mary Louise Hancock was a trailblazer for women leaders in New Hampshire," she stated in an email. "A 1979 Concord Monitor editorial said, ‘She's a diamond in a coal field of politics. ... She's a mover and a shaker who knows the innards of bureaucracy like the palm of her hand.’ Those words could not have been truer. Mary Louise was a person one could always turn to for sage advice. Though I’m deeply saddened by her passing, her enduring legacy will live on in the lives of those she has touched. I extend my most sincere condolences to her family and many friends at this time.”

Caption: Gov. Bill Richardson D-N.M., and long-time Democratic political activist Mary Louise Hancock speak at her home in Concord, N.H., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006. Credit: AP Photo/Jim Cole.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information, including funeral arrangements, become available.