{{Short description|American politician (1969–2017)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Daniel P. Gordon Jr. | image = | caption = | state_house = Rhode Island | district = 71st | term_start = January 4, 2011 | term_end = January 4, 2013 | preceded = John J. Loughlin, Jr. | succeeded = Dennis Canario | birth_date = {{birth date|1969|04|12}} | birth_place = Bristol, Pennsylvania, US | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|3|25|1969|4|12}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170329/former-ri-rep-dan-gordon-dies-at-age-47|title = Former R.I. Rep. Dan Gordon dies at age 47}}</ref> | death_place = | birth_name = | party = Republican (until 2011)<br>Libertarian (2011–2017) | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = Marine Corps Institute | profession = | service_years = 1987–1991 | branch = United States Marine Corps | rank = | unit = | battles = | awards = }}
'''Daniel Peter Gordon Jr.''' (April 12, 1969 – March 25, 2017) was an American politician and construction contractor. Gordon was a Libertarian member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Gordon was elected as a Republican Representative in November 2010 for the 71st District, defeating Democratic candidate George S. Alzaibak.
In September 2011 he was expelled from the Republican caucus for allegedly making derogatory comments about other Republicans online.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/rhode-island-lawmaker-expelled-from-gop-caucus |title=Rep. Gordon expelled from GOP caucus |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=August 29, 2012 |publisher=wpri.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928052243/http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/rhode-island-lawmaker-expelled-from-gop-caucus |archive-date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> Gordon changed his party affiliation from Republican to Libertarian, becoming the only Libertarian Party member in any United States legislature during that time.
==Background== Gordon was born in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Marine Corps.<ref name=WoodMortuary />
==Rhode Island House of Representatives== ===2010 Election=== Gordon decided to run as a Republican for Rhode Island's 71st house district, based in Jamestown, Portsmouth, and Little Compton, when Republican State Representative John J. Loughlin, Jr. retired from that position to run for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, which had been vacated by retiring Democrat U.S. Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy.
Gordon became the Republican nominee and narrowly defeated Democratic nominee George Alzaibak 50.4–49.6%, a difference of just 47 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=695250 |title=RI State House 71 Race |date=Nov 2, 2010 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=2013-10-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ri.gov/election/results/2010/general_election/races/216.html|title=State of Rhode Island Election Results : Representative in General Assembly District 71|publisher=Ri.gov|access-date=2013-10-14}}</ref>
===Controversies=== In March 2011, he received media attention over a controversial comment on an online article reporting that Tiverton High School started the school's first Gay-Straight Alliance. His comment read "And this is why if I have anything to say about it, Tiverton will lose school funding to local charter schools. It doesn't matter if gay or straight, if sexual meet-up groups are being promoted in our schools rather than improving test scores, that school is failing. Is it really more important for our children to get 'sexed-up', than learning advanced math?".<ref>{{cite web|last=Amaral |first=Keith |url=http://tiverton.patch.com/articles/tiverton-high-school-senior-starts-schools-first-gay-straight-alliance |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216154253/http://tiverton.patch.com/articles/tiverton-high-school-senior-starts-schools-first-gay-straight-alliance |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-16 |title=Tiverton High School Senior Starts School's First Gay-Straight Alliance – Schools – Tiverton-Little Compton, RI Patch |publisher=Tiverton.patch.com |date=2011-03-28 |access-date=2013-10-14 }}</ref><ref name=mcgee>{{cite web |last=McGee |first=Sandy |url=http://portsmouth.patch.com/articles/state-rep-dan-gordon-arrested-as-fugitive-from-justice-held-at-aci |title=State Rep. Dan Gordon Arrested As 'Fugitive From Justice,' Held at ACI – Government – Portsmouth, RI Patch |publisher=Portsmouth.patch.com |date=2011-09-18 |access-date=2013-10-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003014121/http://portsmouth.patch.com/articles/state-rep-dan-gordon-arrested-as-fugitive-from-justice-held-at-aci |archive-date=2012-10-03 }}</ref>
On September 16, 2011, Gordon was arrested on a Massachusetts warrant for failure to appear in court.<ref name="mcgee" /> This arose from an incident in 2008 in which, allegedly, a Massachusetts state trooper attempted to stop Gordon for driving erratically and Gordon fled in his car, eventually being apprehended on a dead-end street. Gordon was charged with leaving the lane of travel, failing to stop for the police, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, and driving on a suspended license. He then failed to appear in court in 2008. These charges were dismissed after Gordon paid $1000 and spent a year on probation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Kevin |title=Irascible RI Rep. Dan Gordon gets probation, fine on Mass. charges |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/archive/2011/10/17/irascible-ri-rep-dan-gordon/38154745007/ |website=wickedlocal.com |access-date=15 March 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=RI rep. to pay $1k in court fees; charge dropped |url=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2011/10/17/news/rhode-island-lawmaker-to-pay-1000-in-court-fees-charge-dropped/ |access-date=15 March 2026 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Bangor Daily News |date=17 October 2011}}</ref>
===2012 Election=== Gordon ran for re-election in the November 6, 2012 election as a Libertarian, but failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot.<ref>[http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/11/29/november-2012-ballot-access-news-print-edition/] Winger, Richard. "Incumbent Legislator Tries to Run for Re-election as a Libertarian"] ''Ballot Access News'' November 29, 2012 (Volume 28, Number 6)</ref> He ran as a write-in candidate, but lost the election to Democrat Dennis Canario by a wide margin, thus leaving no Libertarians in any state legislature in the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 71 |url=https://www.ri.gov/election/results/2012/general_election/races/213.html |website=RI.gov |publisher=State of Rhode Island |access-date=15 March 2026}}</ref>
==Death== Gordon died on March 25, 2017.<ref name=WoodMortuary>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewoodmortuary.com/obituaries/Daniel-Gordon-3/|title=Daniel Peter Gordon Jr. – View Obituary & Service Information|website=TheWoodMortuary.com}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Daniel P.}} Category:1969 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Category:People from Bristol, Pennsylvania Category:Military personnel from Pennsylvania Category:Rhode Island Libertarians Category:Libertarian Party (United States) officeholders Category:21st-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly