Category: Club events

Journalist Jeff Schapiro congratulated local Democrats on their impressive victories in the the fall elections, but was careful to warn them not to get “too cocky.” Schapiro, a scholar from the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, regaled attendees at the club’s annual holiday luncheon with anecdotes about his long experience as an observer of Old Dominion politics and his expectations for the success of Abigail Spanberger as Virginia’s first woman governor. More than 80 people attended the gala event at the Old House Vineyard in Culpeper County and saw a new slate of club officers be elected for the 2026 calendar year.

Jeff Schapiro, one of Virginia’s most experienced and knowledgeable political observers, will address Lake of the Woods Democrats  at their annual Holiday Luncheon on December 11.

The festive year-end event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. at the Kearney Pub at Old House Vineyards, 18351 Corkys Lane in Culpeper. Tickets for the luncheon cost $25 per person and can be purchased online. More information is available on this web page. Reservations must be made and payment received no later than Dec. 1.

Earlier this year, Schapiro joined the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia as a Center Scholar. The non-partisan Center for Politics promotes the value of politics and the importance of civic engagement. It operates on the principle that “government works better when politics works better, and politics works better when citizens are informed and involved participants.” The center was founded in 1998 by professor and political analyst Larry Sabato.

For nearly 45 years Schapiro was a political reporter for United Press International, Virginia Business magazine,  and The Richmond Times-Dispatch,  earning him a statewide reputation as one of the Commonwealth’s most respected journalists.  His years on the beat — as a reporter and a columnist — parallel Virginia’s emergence as a competitive state prized by both political parties as well as the nationalization of its politics.

In 2015 Schapiro was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture. He is also a member of the Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association Hall of Fame.

Schapiro has spoken about Virginia politics at colleges and universities across the Commonwealth and before civic, professional and business organizations. He has appeared on C-SPAN, BBC, NPR and American cable news outlets and podcasts.

Since 2001, he has appeared Friday mornings on Virginia public radio, most recently on Roanoke-based Radio IQ, In partnership with commentator Michael Pope he appears regularly on Virginia Public Radio.

Schapiro is a native of New York City and a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a bachelor’s degree in history.

He and his wife, Clare, a food and culture writer for several Virginia newspapers and magazines, were married in Richmond in 1988 by Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas. They are the parents of an adult son.

UVa’s Center for Politics

Pope & Schapiro Radio Program

William B. Taykor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine brought a message of hope and optimism to the LOW Democratic Club’s annual Flag Day Picnic on June 21.

The senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, who had recently returned from Ukraine, reported that Russian invaders had made very little progress in their unlawful war. He credited support from the United States and Europe for helping the Ukrainians protect their sovereign territory.

The picnic inside the LOW Community Center was well attended by a convivial crowd who enjoyed a delicious fried chicken dinner and conversation.

Also on hand was Forrest Miller, our Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, who asked for the club’s help in turning the 63rd House District blue again.

William B. Taylor, former ambassador to Ukraine will be guest speaker at the club’s annual Flag Day Picnic on Saturday, June 21.

This much-anticipated annual event will take place inside Marion Pronk Hall in the LOW Community Center from 5 to 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person, which includes a chicken dinner with lots of sides — mac & cheese, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw and dessert. Tickets may be purchased using a credit or debit card by clicking the “Pay Now” button below. Tickets must be purchased no later than June 14.

Ambassador Taylor is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Prior to the Atlantic Council, Taylor was vice president, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

From 2006 to 2009, Taylor served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and as the chargé d’affaires ad interim from 2019 to 2020 at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv.

Beyond Ukraine, Taylor served as the special coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the U.S. Department of State from 2011 to 2013, where he oversaw assistance and support to the Middle East during the Arab Spring — including support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. Prior to his tenure in the Middle East Transitions Team and Kyiv, Taylor served as the U.S. government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet from Jerusalem. From 2004 to 2005, Taylor served in Baghdad as director of the Iraq Reconstruction Office; from 2002 to 2003 he served in Kabul as coordinator of U.S. government and international assistance to Afghanistan; and from 1992 to 2002, he served in Washington as coordinator of U.S. government assistance to former Soviet Union countries and Eastern Europe.

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany.

Click here for more information about Ambassador Taylor