Quentin Bradshaw

    

The Right Honorable Quentin Bradshaw MP
Bradshaw's official portrait, 2018
Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2022
Monarch	William II
President	Isaac Dillon
Preceded by	Isaac Dillon
Deputy President of Superior
In office October 6th, 2015 – January 7, 2022
Monarch	William II
President	Jennifer Granholm
Preceded by	James Carlson
Succeeded by	Anietta Johnson
Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office November 28, 2021
Deputy	Elizabeth Whitmer
Preceded by	Jennifer Granholm
Member of the House of Delegates for Bayfield (New Hanover's 5th district)
Incumbent
Assumed office April 7th, 2007
Preceded by	Lauren Casterland
Mayor of Bayfield
In office November 12th, 2004 – April 7th, 2007
Preceded by	Yvette Carter
Succeeded by	Roger Lieberman
Personal details
Born	(1965-01-28) January 28, 1965 New Brandenburg, New Hanover, Superior
Political party	Liberal Democratic
Spouse(s)	Ophelia Kinnely (m. 1991)
Children	5, including Beau and Joe
Education	University of Minnesota

Quentin Frederick Bradshaw (born January 28th, 1965) is a Superian politician and lobbyist serving as Leader of the Opposition since 2022 and previosuly served as Deputy President of Superior from 2015 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Bradshaw serves as a member of the House of Delegates, representing the city of Bayfield and surrounding areas since 2007. Before becoming a member of parliament, Bradshaw served as Mayor of Bayfield from 2004 to 2007 and was a political lobbyist. He is a cousin to the chairperson of the Constitution and Unionist Party Glenn Bradshaw.

Born in New Brandenburg, Bradshaw would graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in political science. After graduating university, Bradshaw would work as a political lobbyist in Saint Anthony, being employed by the liberal lobbying group Superians for Change. As a lobbyist, Bradshaw lobbied parliamentarians into supporting socially liberal and moderately progressive legislation. Bradshaw would become known for his successful lobbying efforts in Saint Anthony. Bradshaw would officially enter politics in 2004, running and being elected as Mayor of Bayfield, New Hanover as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. As Mayor of Bayfield, Bradshaw would improve the city's declining infrastructure and population, providing funding for both road and housing improvements. He would also provide grater funding for local education, overseeing the construction of the city's first community colleges. In 2007, Bradshaw would run for a seat in the House of Delegates, replacing retiring Reform incumbent Lauren Casterland.

As a member of the House of Delegates, Bradshaw would gain a reputation for his multi-partisanship, being known for working with members of the Harper government and other members of the opposition. Despite that, Bradshaw would continue to support socially liberal and moderately progressive legislation, supporting the Acceptance Act, which would have allowed states to legalize same-sex marriages, and the Funding Act of 2013, which would have increase funding for federal welfare programs. In 2010, after incumbent Liberal Democratic leader Owen Grady announced his intentions to retire, Bradshaw would be an early supporter of Jennifer Granholm, and would endorse and campaign for her after her leadership bid announcement in early 2011. After Granholm's and the Liberal Democrats victory in the 2015 federal election, Bradshaw would be appointed Deputy President of Superior. As Deputy President, Bradshaw acts as the second senior official in the Granholm government and is a member of the Cabinet. As of March of 2021, Bradshaw is the most popular member of the Granholm government, holding an approval rating of 67%, which is largely attributed to his multi-partisan reputation.

Over the course of the Courtgate scandal, Bradshaw himself had maintained relatively high approval ratings and was largely unscathed by the scandal. On November 25, Granholm appointed him to serve as acting Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party after she announced her resignation during her 2021 Thanksgiving Presidential Address which Bradshaw confirmed and accepted on social media. After Granholm's resignation as accepted on November 28, Bradshaw was formally sworn in to serve as acting party leader and will lead the LDP and Progressive Bloc into the 2022 federal election. Bradshaw voiced his intent to run for a full-term at the party leadership election. After the election concluded on January 3, Bradshaw was re-elected, but the LDP suffered the worst defeat since 2003 and Bradshaw became the new Leader of the Opposition four days later at the start of the next session. During the 2022 LDP leadership election, Bradshaw was the frontrunner and would win on March 12, but he faced a tougher battle against progressive Michael Reeves and would appoint him to a unity commission to help draft Build Back Better, Bradshaw's plan for Superior and the opposition alternative to Dillon's Plan for the Future.

Politically, Bradshaw identifies as a social liberal and progressive. Bradshaw is a supporter of same-sex marriages and abortion, but does not support allowing abortions up until birth. Bradshaw is also a supporter of environmental protections, considering himself a "climate-lover". He supports the implementation of climate control measures so long as they do "minimal damage to the Superian economy". Bradshaw opposes instantly implementing a $15 minimum wage, instead supporting increasing the minimum wage at different intervals to allow businesses time to adjust. Bradshaw is opposed to educational reform, particularly in history and mathematics, being a supporter of Common Core. Bradshaw is also an opponent to efforts to repeal welfare programs established by the Liberal Democratic government. Bradshaw also supports the creation of a public health insurance option that would operate along side a private health insurance industry. On foreign policy, Bradshaw is open to reconciliation with the United Commonwealth, but is skeptical of the nation's intentions. Bradshaw is a supporter of the Conference of American States and Superior's involvement in NATO.

Early life, education, and career

Quentin Frederick Bradshaw was born on January 28th, 1965 to Mark and Karen Bradshaw in New Brandenburg, New Hanover. Bradshaw's father, Mark, was a electrician, while Bradshaw's mother, Karen, was a licensed therapist, specifically working with children. He would be born the youngest out of three children, having two older brothers. Bradshaw and his family would grow up and live in a middle-class household in the urban areas of New Brandenburg. While growing up, Bradshaw would suffer from a speech impediment, something that he would learn to control during his teenage years.

Bradshaw would begin his educational career at the age of four, attending New Brandenburg Public Elementary School from kindergarten up until the fifth grade. Bradshaw would promote to middle school in 1976, attending Specter Middle School. In 1979, Bradshaw would begin attending Alexander Ludendorff Public High School. While at high school, Bradshaw would play for his school's football team, developing an interest in the sport during his middle school years. Though not politically active, Bradshaw would become a member of the youth wing of the Liberal Democratic Party, following in the footsteps of his father. Throughout his pre-university education, Bradshaw would excel in almost every subject, with teacher's noting his fondness for Superian and Anglo-American history and culture. Bradshaw would graduate from high school in 1983 and would be accepted into the prestigious University of Minnesota, working towards a degree in political science. While at university, Bradshaw would become more politically involved, supporting Liberal Democratic candidates in the Saint Anthony area. He would also continue playing football at university, playing as his team's quarterback. During his final year at university, Bradshaw would meet and eventually begin dating Ophelia Kinnely. Bradshaw would graduate university in 1987.

Lobbying career

In 1989, two years after graduating from the University of Minnesota, Bradshaw would begin working for the liberal lobbying group Superians for Change. He would immediately get to work lobbying parliamentarians into supporting socially liberal and moderately progressive legislation. During his career as a lobbyist, Bradshaw would establish a close working relationship with a number of left-leaning politicians, including future President Germaine L. Grazter, who he would establish a close friendship with.

In 1990, Bradshaw would be influential in the passing of the Past Mistakes Act, which recognized the wrongs committed by the Superian federal government against the Native Americans of Superior, particularly Lakota, and increased the number of federally-recognized indigenous tribes in the nation, being able to convince over twenty Liberal Democratic parliamentarians in supporting the act. In 1993, he would also have a hand in the passage of the Firearms Regulation Act, which is considered to be the first attempt at gun control and regulation in Superior. In 1996, Bradshaw would be elected as head of Superians for Change, largely because of his previous successes. Bradshaw would serve as head of the lobbying group until 2004, where he would announce his retirement in preparation of entering politics.

Mayor of Bayfield

Election

In 2004, Bradshaw would announce his candidacy for the mayorship of Bayfield as a Liberal Democrat. Due to his past as a political lobbyist, Bradshaw would earn the support of a number of local state and federal politicians, including House Delegate Lauren Casterland and Governor Frederick Hess. He would easily win the Liberal Democratic primary and would advance to the general election, where he would be easily elected in the traditionally Liberal Democratic stronghold.

Member of Parliament

Elections

Bradshaw announced his intention to run for parliament in the 2007 Superian federal election after long-time incumbent MP Lauren Casterland had chosen to retire and not pursue another term in the House of Delegates. Having been Bayfield's mayor, Bradshaw entered the race with high name recognition and a pre-established base of support and easily secured the Liberal Democratic nomination. Come election day, Bradshaw won the race by securing 44.7% of the popular vote in a race where he faced off against three other candidates that won sizable percentages of the popular vote. In the subsequent elections of 2011 and 2015 he would win by margins of 45.3% and 47.1% respectively. Since the formation of the Progressive Bloc in 2015, Bradshaw has won by comfortable margins of over 50% since then.

Leader of the Opposition

Election

Main article: 2022 Liberal Democratic Party of Superior leadership election

Bradshaw was made Leader of the Opposition on January 7, 2022, following the inauguration of the 41st Parliament of Superior following the 2022 election that ended in a United Conservative victory. Bradshaw was made the Leader of the Opposition after being appointed as Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party following Granholm's resignation during Thanksgiving in November 2021, however a formal party leadership election was to take place in the following year per Granholm and Bradshaw's request. During the election, Bradshaw maintained a lead in the polls with his main opponent being progressive MP Michael Reeves. Reeves positioned himself as a progressive anti-establishment outsider who was running to change the party and adopt a "people-driven bold vision" of the future and framed Bradshaw as being the face of a failing status-quo that had lead to the party's loss in 2022. Bradshaw by contrast focused on his years of political experience, support for several progressive policies, and tenure as deputy president while also highlighting Reeves' limited time in national politics with him being first being elected to parliament in 2019.

Tenure

In March 2022, the Education Protection Act was proposed in the House of Delegates by president Isaac Dillon himself which would ban critical race theory from all schools and academic institutions in Superior on the grounds of eliminating "racially-driven political radicalism" from school curriculums and teaching. Bradshaw opposed the act and gave a speech during the first major debate on the bill where he famously said that Dillon and the conservatives were "too busy chasing vaguely defined ghosts to care about working people". During the debate, Constitutional Unionist leader and deputy president Anietta Johnson defended the act by saying that the bill would protect Superians from "left-wing racist indoctrination" and "cultural Landonist propaganda" when Bradshaw responded "Can you define any examples of the former or even defy what the latter means" to which Johnson had famously given a vague non-direct answer that was highly criticized in most of the news media. After the act was passed, Bradshaw lead a protest against the bill alongside the Association of Superian Teachers and Educators, the country's largest teachers' union, where he denounced the act as pushing for censorship of higher education.

In April 2022 after the 1866 Initiative was formally implemented as a formal federal advisory committee and Education Secretary Lydia Bachmann began supporting efforts to make schools adopt the policies of the initiative and push for "patriotic education", Bradshaw helped lead a protest and supported the legal efforts against it such as supporting a fundraiser for the Anglo-American Civil Liberties Union in their lawsuit against the Dillon administration, AACLU v. Bachmann, which struck down the Education Protection Act by the High Court as unconstitutional due to the vague definition of critical race theory given by the act. Another legal victory for Bradshaw was Department of Eduction v. New Hanover where Bradshaw encouraged the New Hanover state government to not implement the 1866 Initiative and sue the Department of Education in response. Making its way to the High Court, the 2023 court ruling saw the 1866 Initiative be struck down as unconstitutional on the grounds that its definition of patriotic education and alleged political bias in academia was too vague and would lead to suppression of free speech and expression in academia if practical policy was to be implemented. These wins were celebrated by Bradshaw and he was personally credited for building enough support and momentum to lead to these victories, however he would personally credit the AACLU and New Hanover state government along with his supporters for the wins saying "this was a people-driven effort and the people should be credited as such" during an interview with local news outlets.

In July 2022, the Healthcare Reform Act of 2022 was passed which pushed for a 10% reduction in the funding for the Public Health Program and to allocate said funds to infrastructure. Bradshaw lead the opposition to the bill and was highlighted by media outlets for aggressive defense of the PHP, accusing the Dillon Administration and the conservative allies in parliament of sabotaging the program and accused the funding reductions of threatening the health and wellbeing of ordinary Superians. The bill would be defeated in the High Council with Bradshaw celebrating it as a win for "the health of the nation" while warning that the bill was likely to be reintroduced and accused the Dillon Administration of playing politics with the nation's healthcare system. The bill would be reintroduced in February 2023 with an 8% funding reduction proposed instead. Once again Bradshaw lead the opposition and after the bill narrowly passed Parliament, he lead a protest in Saint Anthony that saw over 4,000 demonstrators attend where he denounced the National Coalition for "threatening to undermine our nation's health for cynical gains and ideological delusions". His comments would be highlighted by several media outlets as they were a departure from the typical civility-minded rhetoric Bradshaw has spoken with, but he would defend his remarks.

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Quentin Bradshaw

Personal life

Marriage, family, and interests

During his final year of university, Bradshaw met and befriended Ophelia Kinnely. The two eventually formed a romantic relationship with each other, getting married in Saint Anthony. The couple has five children, Beau (1990), Savannah (1992), Joe (1994), Allison (1995), and Mark (1999). Bradshaw's eldest son, Beau, is a professional Anglo-American football player, playing for the Las Vegas Wildcats since 2019 as a wide receiver.

Bradshaw is a longtime sports fan, being a passionate Anglo-American football fan. He is a fanatical supporter of the New Brandenburg Commanders. According to a 2020 interview, Bradshaw felt conflicted when his son signed with the Las Vegas Wildcats, feeling both "proud of my son for becoming what I once dreamed of and terribly distraught that he betrayed his family by signing for a team that wasn't the Commanders". Bradshaw has on occasion been seen wearing Wildcat gear, which he joking apologized for on a number of occasions. His passion for sports has translated onto his political career, as Bradshaw was rated "professional sports #1 ally in parliament", supporting a number of legislation aimed at encouraging sports in Superior.

Bradshaw and his family are practicing Lutherans, converting to the faith in 1989. Before then, Bradshaw had considered himself non-religious, but after attending a Lutheran service, he became fascinated by religion. Despite his English background, Bradshaw is fluent in German, which he learned while growing up in German-speaking New Brandenburg. He is also somewhat knowledgeable in Spanish, as demonstrated during his visit to the Sierran constituent nation of Bajaría as Deputy President in late 2021.

Quentin Bradshaw is the brother of Glenn Bradshaw, chair of the right-wing Constitutional Unionist Party since 2020 and a former Member of Parliament from Nebraska. Given the major ideological differences between the two parties and the CUP's history of controversial statements and policy decisions, especially under current leader Anietta Johnson, it's become a notable trait and fact of Bradshaw's personal life. In interviews, both brothers have told the public that despite major policy disagreements, they remain in contact with one another and rarely bring politics up due to a mutual commitment towards family.

Electoral history

Main article: Electoral history of Quentin Bradshaw

See also

• Deputy President of Superior