Dan Innis

Academic career

Prior to his tenure at the University of New Hampshire as a professor and dean, Innis served as the dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Health at the University of Maine in Orono. He also served Ohio University as the Associate Dean of the College of Business, Chair of the Marketing Department, and was a professor in the Marketing Department.

Political campaigns

Innis is a past finance chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party.

2014

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire, 2014#District 1

Innis was a Republican candidate in the 2014 election for the United States House of Representatives in New Hampshire for the 1st congressional district. He lost the primary to former Congressman Frank Guinta, who went on to win the general election against Democratic incumbent Carol Shea-Porter.

2016

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire, 2016#District 1

In October 2015, Innis announced he would again run for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st district. Before suspending his campaign, he was slated to face incumbent Frank Guinta and Jamieson Gradert in the Republican primary on September 13, 2016. Guinta was thought to be vulnerable due to a campaign finance controversy in which he accepted a campaign donation from his parents far exceeding the contribution limit for individuals.

In December 2015, Innis asked his supporters to make year-end contributions to a Manchester drug treatment center, Hope for New Hampshire, instead of to his campaign.

Innis suspended his congressional campaign in March 2016, citing family priorities and business interests.

On May 26, 2016, Innis announced he would be running for New Hampshire Senate District 24 which comprises the towns of Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, New Castle, North Hampton, Newton, Rye, Seabrook, Stratham and South Hampton. On September 13, 2016, Innis won the Republican nomination in a four-way race for State Senate in NH District 24. He beat Democratic State Rep. Tom Sherman for the seat in the general election on November 8.

2018

Sherman challenged Innis again in a rematch for the seat in the general election on November 6. This time, Innis was defeated.

2022

Innis relocated to New Hampshire’s 7th State Senate District prior to seeking re-election to the chamber in 2022. On November 8, Innis was elected, defeating Democratic anthropologist Richard Lobban.

2026

In July 2025, Innis announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire.

Memberships

Innis is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Psi, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the American Marketing Association, the Academy of Marketing Science, the Association for Consumer Research, the Council of Logistics Management, and the American Psychological Association. Innis is a national board member of the Log Cabin Republicans. He is also a member of the New Hampshire Republican Party, the New Castle Historical Society, The Music Hall in Portsmouth, the New Castle Republican Town Committee, and the Rye New Hampshire Republicans.

Personal life

He has three children, all of whom are UNH students or alumni. He is gay.

Electoral history

References

References

1. "The New Hampshire State Senate".
2. "Daniel E. Innis, PhD {{!}} Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics".
3. "UNH Speakers Bureau: Daniel Innis". University of New Hampshire.
4. (July 13, 2015). "Innis resigns as state GOP finance chair, files papers for congressional candidacy". WMUR.
5. (December 7, 2015). "Why Frank Guinta May Not Survive a Campaign Finance Violation". The Atlantic.
6. (December 29, 2015). "Dan Innis Asks Donors To Give To Drug Recovery Center Instead of His Campaign". New Hampshire Public Radio.
7. (March 25, 2016). "Innis suspends congressional campaign, says family, business interests come first". WMUR.
8. DiStaso, John. (May 26, 2016). "New Hampshire Primary Source: Stiles to retire from state Senate, Innis to seek seat".
9. "Innis wins District 24 Republican primary". Seacoast Media Group.
10. Sullivan, Max. "Dan Innis wins state Senate seat". seacoastonline.com.
11. Sullivan, Max. "Sherman Defeats Innis for Senate District 24 seat". seacoastonline.com.
12. "2022 New Hampshire State Senate - District 7 Election Results". The State Journal Register.
13. Mitropoulos, Arielle. (July 16, 2025). "First on WMUR: GOP State Sen. Dan Innis announces run for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire". [[WMUR-TV]].
14. Cullen, Fergus. (April 11, 2014). "Dan Innis: School to Business to Congress?". New Hampshire Journal.
15. (October 9, 2013). "Republican Dan Innis announces run for Congress in N.H.'s 1st District". Concord Monitor.
16. (February 21, 2015). "Seacoast Local: Crafting a Uniquely New Hampshire Business". The Freecoast.
17. Dinan, Elizabeth. "Veteran Portsmouth innkeepers to open New Castle inn". seacoastonline.com.
18. (27 September 2018). "Gay Republican Dan Innis says he's changing hearts and minds in the GOP". NBC News.