Ezekiel Straw was born in Salisbury and graduated from the first class of Lowell High School. He furthered his education at Phillips Andover Academy, demonstrating a strong aptitude for mathematics. Early in his career, Straw worked as an assistant civil engineer for the Nashua & Lowell Railway and the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. He later transitioned into leadership roles, managing the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company and founding the community's first Unitarian Society. Straw's professional expertise and leadership capabilities were recognized when he was appointed to the staff of Governor Onslow Stearns and later served as the Republican governor of New Hampshire for two terms.

Ezekiel Straw's political identity is marked by a distinctive blend of industrial advocacy and community-focused initiatives. He champions economic development through manufacturing while simultaneously investing in public infrastructure, revealing a calculated approach to balancing private interests with communal welfare. Straw's rhetorical style emphasizes local benefits derived from industrial growth, often framing economic policies in the context of community enhancement. His legislative record demonstrates a surprising alignment with opposing factions on certain environmental regulations, showcasing an ideologically agile stance that prioritizes regional industrial interests.