A varied field of eight Democrats is seeking their party’s nomination for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District seat, which has been filled so ably for the past four years by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who has stepped aside to run for governor.
Seventh District voters, which include those in Lake of the Woods, will make their selection in a primary scheduled for June 18.
Virginia Delegate Briana Sewell of Prince William County
Retired Army colonel and national security advisor Eugene Vindman
There should be opportunities before the June primary to meet the candidates and decide who is best qualified to carry on the responsive representation we in the 7th District have come to expect.
An enthusiastic crowd gave a rousing reception to Sen. Creigh Deeds and educator Ernestine Reid, featured speakers at a fund-raising event at the Lake of the Woods Community Center on Sept. 16. Donations at the event benefitted the campaign of Jason Ford, candidate for the Virginia Senate from District 28, which includes Lake of the Woods. Sandy Harrington, a non-partisan candidate for the Orange County School Board also spoke at the event.
Capt. Jason C. Smith, a non-partisan candidate for sheriff of Orange County will be the guest speaker at the Oct. 11 meeting of the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club.
Capt. Jason Smith
The meeting will take place on the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse.The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. after a meet-and-greet session starting at 1 p.m.
Smith is a life-long resident of Orange County, who grew up on his family’s farm in the Lahore area. He attended Orange County Public Schools and graduated with honors from Orange County High School in 2000. He graduated from Old Dominion University summa cum laude with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology in 2003.
Upon graduation from college he was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. After receiving the top overall award in his basic training class, Smith spent the next 20 years being promoted from patrol deputy to patrol sergeant to investigations to captain of operations. As captain he is also in charge of patrol, school resource officers and Animal Control.
During his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, Smith has coordinated Orange County’s Citizens’ Police Academies and Youth Academies as well as raised money and wrote grant proposals for program funning. He created the office’s first agency-approved Department of Criminal Justice Service training courses. He instructed deputies county employees an school staff in active shooter response and lockdown procedures. In addition, he assisted in the implementation of a new records management system and new radio system for the Sheriff’s Office.
Smith and his wife, Kristen have two children and live in a home built in the 1850s by his great-great-grandfather.
Smith faces off against two opponents, Aaron Adams and Stephen LaLuna, both of whom describe themselves as “constitutional conservatives” with emphasis on prioritizing gun rights.
Adams originally hails from Waynesboro, moved to Orange County in 2018 and currently works in the courts division of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. According to his campaign website, LaLuna was born and raised in Barboursville and has worked in several local law enforcement divisions, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange Police Department and the Gordonsville Police Department.
The meeting is open to the public without regard to political affiliation.
Let’s turn out for Sara Ratcliffe, our candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates from District 62, and Jason Ford, our candidate for State Senate from District 28, with a festive regional rally and fundraiser on Aug. 26 in Orange.*
Rep. Abigail Spanberger will be the featured speaker for this event.
Other invited speakers include Sen. Tim Kaine, former Rep. Elaine Luria and DPVA first vice president Gaylene Kanoyton
This event is sponsored by the Democratic Committees of Culpeper, Greene, Madison and Orange counties and the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club.
Sandy J. Harrington of Locust Grove, a candidate for the Orange County School Board from District 5, will address members of the LOW Democratic Club on Wednesday, July 12.
Sandy J. Harrington
Harrington’s campaign web site describes her professional qualifications as “20 years of K-12 public school administration including budget, fiscal services, child nutrition services, transportation, maintenance and operations.”
The club meeting, which convenes at 1 p.m. with a social session followed by the program at 1:30 p.m,. takes place in the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse. Nicole Pappas, who has a bakery business, has volunteered to provide some special desserts for the meeting.
Since the School Board election is non-partisan, the club will not be making a formal endorsement, but individuals who wishes to support her campaign can being a check made out to “Vote Sandy School Board,” or mail a check to P.O. Box 1214, Locust Grove, VA 22508.
The School Board election will take place November 7. In District 5, which includes Lake of the Woods, incumbent Jim Hopkins, who was first elected in 2007, is being opposed by Gary MacFadden and Harrington.
Fundraising events to benefit the campaign of Jason Ford for State Senate will be held August 26 in the town of Orange and September 16 at the LOW Community Center. Watch for details concerning these two important events.
