Lake of the Woods Democratic Club
Col. Eugene Vindman, candidate for the Democratic nomination to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, spoke to a large and enthusiastic crowd at the Feb. 8 meeting of the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club. Vindman was welcomed by Club Chair Karen Newman.
The speaker at the first meeting of the year of the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club will be Col. Eugene Vindman, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the House of Representatives from the 7th District.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. in Classroom 1 of the LOW Community Center.
Vindman was born in Soviet Ukraine and immigrated to the United States at the age of three in 1979. After attending public school in the U.S, he joined the military after graduation from Binghamton University, where he was enrolled in ROTC. He has spent 25 years in the military in positions which had increasing responsibilities. He has served all over the world as a paratrooper, an infantry man, and after graduating from law school, as an officer in the JAG Corps.
In 2016, he was assigned to the Pentagon and later joined the national security council as a legal advisor. Eventually, he became the NSC senior ethics official in the White House. He, along with his brother Alexander, reported Donald Trump‘s attempt to extort Ukraine, resulting in part to Trump‘s first impeachment. Repercussions from this cost him his military career.
Vindman’s new mission is to represent the people of Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. Come hear his vision and be prepared to ask questions.
Other candidates for the 7th District Democratic nomination are Margaret Franklin, Elizabeth Guzman, Clifford Heinzer, and Briana Sewell. The party’s nominee will be chosen in the June 18 primary.
Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, will speak on the effects of disinformation on the electoral process at the Lake of the Woods Community Center on Saturday, November 18.
The event is sponsored by the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club, and is open to all without regard to political affiliation. The program will begin at 3 p.m. in Marion Pronk Hall at the LOW Community Center. Light refreshments will be available.
Farnsworth’s most recent book is about the use of disinformation in politics.
Dr. Farnsworth is a recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is the author or co-author of eight books and many articles in scholarly and popular publications.
One of the few political scientists who focus on Virginia politics, Dr. Farnsworth’s research has direct policy implications for both politicians and the news media. He handles hundreds of media contacts a year on local, state and international matters, and appears in or on such outlets as C-SPAN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and PBS News Hour.
He holds a Ph.D. degree and a master’s degree from Georgetown University and bachelor’s degrees from both the University of Missouri and Dartmouth College.
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.
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.
JoAnne Speiden, president of the Virginia Electoral Board Association, will speak to the April 12 meeting of the LOW Democratic Club, answering questions about election procedures and the role of the Electoral Board in keeping elections fair and legal.
The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will take place at a new location — the lower level of the LOW Clubhouse. (Please note the change.) A 30-minute social period will proceed the presentation.
The Virginia Electoral Board Association is a non-partisan association of the 133 independent electoral boards in the Commonwealth.
Speiden has previously served as secretary of the Orange County Electoral Board. She was born in Alexandria and spent her career as a physical education teacher of disabled students in Charlottesville schools. She has lived in Orange County for 16 years.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in U.S. government and education and a master’s degree in special education.
She has served in various offices in VEBA, including district director, second vice president, first vice president and now president.
She is eminently qualified to answer questions about the changes in local representation brought on by redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census, which moved Lake of the Woods from the old 30th State House District to the newly drawn 63rd House District and from the old 17th Senate District to the newly drawn 28th Senate District.