Election expert to speak

Dave Leichtman, director of global elections for Microsoft Corp., will be guest speaker at the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club’s January 9 meeting.

The meeting will begin with a gathering period at 1 p.m. in Classroom I at the LOW Community Center. The program will start at 1:30 p.m.

Leichtman’s experience has given him a informed perspective on the state of democracy throughout the the world and expertise on the accuracy and security of elections in the United States.

As part of Microsoft’s Democracy Forward program, Leichtman leads nonpartisan civic engagement efforts and works with election officials and those upholding democracy worldwide to address tech, security, and AI needs. He also leads the company’s internal U.S. and international election strategy.

According to its website, the goal of the Democracy Forward program is “to preserve, protect, and advance the fundamentals of democracy by safeguarding open and secure democratic processes, promoting a healthy information ecosystem, and advocating for corporate civic responsibility.”

Leichtman has held this and similar roles for 10 years at Microsoft. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at several U.S. political technology firms. He also served as state leadership of Virginia Democrats for over a decade. Dave holds a B.S. degree in physics and computer science from the College of William and Mary and an M.S. degree in particle physics from the University of Washington. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.


Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Program


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.

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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.


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