Forrest Miller, a retired U.S. Army veteran from Spotsylvania County has announced that he will seek to represent the 63 District, which includes Lake of the Woods, in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Assuming his nomination by the state party, Miller will oppose incumbent Republican Delegate Phillip A. Scott in the November 4, general election. No other Democrat has undertaken a campaign for the seat. The deadline for filing was April 3.
Miller was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2000 and attended basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. In May 2009, he graduated from the Warrant Officer Candidate Course and later retired in 2021 as a chief warrant officer 3.
During his military career he served tours as the trip site director, White House Communications Agency; Commander’s Communication Team director, U.S. Northern Command/NORAD, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and network operations director, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
He served combat tours in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star medal. He also deployed to numerous locations such as the United Nations General Assembly, New York City and the multiple G8 Summits around the world in support of the President of the United States while stationed at the White House Communication Agency.
Miller holds a Masters in Network and Communication Management, a Bachelors of Science in Technical Management and an Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration.
He is married to Jamie Miller, who is a veteran and former law enforcement officer. The couple have two children, who attend Spotsylvania County Public Schools.
“As recently as last year, I would have told you that I was a moderate Republican,” Miller wrote on his web site. “However, today that is no longer the case. I just could not follow where that party was going any longer.
“In my military career, I learned how important values such as honor, respect, integrity, and selfless-service are. I believe that these are fundamental character traits that make us Americans and are hard to find in today’s Republican leadership,” he said.
Battlefields at risk
Shannon Doherty, education manager for Historic Germanna, represented the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition at the LOW Democratic Club on Feb. 13, giving a very informative presentation on issues facing Orange County as a result of the planned Wilderness Crossing development on Route 3.
Ms. Doherty attempted to show a video describing the threats from the development, but could not due to technical issues. She has provided the video below to supplement her presentation.
Renew your membership
Membership dues for the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club are $35 per person for the calendar year. Your 2025 membership is due for renewal now.
This fee covers expenses of running club events and donations to the campaigns of Democratic candidates supported by club members.
Dues may be paid conveniently online by clicking the “Pay Now” button below or by mailing a check for $35 to The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club, P.O. Box 1351, Locust Grove, VA 22508. If you prefer, you can bring your check to any LOW Democrats’ meeting or event and give it to the treasurer directly.
Holiday fun
The club’s annual Holiday Luncheon took place on December 4 at the LOW Clubhouse. The gathering of friends and fellow Democrats helped to finish the year on a cheerful note.
Sen. Kaine visits LOW
On Monday, Oct. 21, Sen. Tim Kaine was the club’s guest at a meeting at the LOW Clubhouse. He fielded questions from a standing-room-only audience about health insurance, term limits, federal funding of programs for crime victims, Social Security, Supreme Court ethics and a variety of other topics. Sen. Kaine is running for his third term as U.S. senator.