• Our Mission
• What We Believe
• What We Do
• Organizational Structure
• Standing Committees
• Democratic Party History At A Glance
• The Democratic Donkey

The Lee District Democratic Committee values inclusion.  We invite all Democrats, regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation or disability to join us.

Our Mission*

• registration of voters
• perfect the Democratic organization within the county
• encourage the expression of positions to elected officials on
  policy issues
• do all within their power to aid in the victory of the Democratic
  Party’s nominees in all elections

* from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) bylaws [Article I, Section 3]

What We Believe

  the Democratic Party Platform

The National Platform is an official statement of the Party’s position on a wide variety of issues. A new Platform is adopted every four years by the Democratic National Convention.The most recent platform is from the 2008 Convention in Denver, August 25-28.

 What We Do

Virginia has elections every year and each year the Lee District Dems register new voters, organizes all the precincts in the District, protects the vote at the polls, supplies campaigns with important resources, makes sure our voters know who is on the ballot, how they stand on the issues, where to vote, how to vote absentee, and we get our voters out to vote on election day. That’s how we win. That’s how we move Fairfax County forward, and your contributions of time and money help make that happen. Click each headline below for more information …

• Voter Registration
  Everyone who votes in Virginia must be registered first. And registering new voters is a critical part of winning every election. Each year, we organize voter registration drives to locate new voters or voters who have moved recently and are not yet registered to vote in their household. We get them registered to vote and make sure they know where and when to vote on Election Day.
  
• Precinct Organizing
  The precinct is the basic building block for all elections and getting volunteers connected and talking to their neighbors is the most effective way to increase turn out and win elections. Each year we train local precinct captains and other volunteers on how to organize their precincts, recruit and manage volunteers, talk to their neighbors and get them out to vote.
  
• Election Protection
  Each year our election protection team organizes volunteer poll watchers and lawyers in targeted precincts to help people exercise their right to vote and prevent many common forms of voter suppression. In 2010 we ran into wrongful ID checks, missing and provisional ballot confusion, unfair absentee and provisional ballot rejections, electronic poll book problems, and misleading robocalls (targeting African American precincts). Our election protection volunteers helped make sure votes were counted that otherwise might have been suppressed.
  
• Voter Education
  We work with campaigns to deliver materials to inform voters, who is on their ballot, what they are running for, how they stand on the issues, where and when they can hear the candidates speak, important dates and deadlines for registering to vote and election day voting, where their polling location is, how to get a ride to their poll, laws and rules governing elections, how to vote absentee, how to avoid voter suppression and more.
  
• Absentee Ballot Program
  Each year, many people are unable to make it to their local polling location on election day because they are long distance commuters, physically handicapped, students away at college, out of town on business or vacation, or deployed military. Fairfax County Democratic Committee’s absentee ballot program ensures these people are able to exercise their right to vote by mail-in ballots or early-in-person voting at a Government Center near their home or work.
  
• Summer Intern Program
  Each Summer, FCDC sponsors an internship program for about 30 to 50 High School and College students. They help us get organized by contacting voters, improving our contact data, helping with mailers, making campaign buttons, working at events, like rallies, parades, fairs, and festivals. The interns meet elected officials, go on field trips to the US Capital and pick up good job experience that can pay off when they get out of school.

Organizational Structure

All of our meetings are open, and we look forward to meeting you.  You don’t have to be a member to attend or participate.  For meeting dates and information, click here.

• Democratic National Committee
• Democratic Party of Virginia
• Congressional District Committee(11 Congressional Districts in VA; 3 in Fairfax County - 8, 10, 11; 2 in Lee District – 8, 11)
• 8th District (D-Jim Moran)
• 11th District (D-Gerry Connolly)
• Fairfax County Democratic Committee (smallest, officially recognized entity in the Democratic Party structure: city/county)
  
• Lee District Democratic Committee – LeeDems.org
• Voting Precincts
• Blocks

The Lee District Democratic Committee (LDDC) is a component of the the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). Membership is generally for a two-year term (members can join any time within a biennium, and must renew their membership each biennium).  Members of the FCDC within each of the nine Board of Supervisors Districts comprise a Magisterial District Committee, e.g. Lee District Democratic Committee (according to the state Party plan, all local committees reorganize, i.e. elect new officers and committee chairmen, between the first and second Saturdays of December in odd years).  Each Magisterial District Committee has members that represent their respective precincts, generally between 2 and 4 Committee members.  The FCDC has several Standing Committees which have representatives from each Magisterial District Committee and these Standing Committees meet regularly.

Standing Committees (updated February 2011), Lee District representatives – click here

Lee District is composed of 23 precincts (Bush Hill, Cameron, Clermont, Crestwood, Fairfield, Franconia, Garfield, Greenspring, Groveton, Hayfield, Huntley, Hybla Valley, Island Creek, Kingstowne, Lane, Lynbrook, Mount Eagle, Pinewood, Pioneer, Rose Hill, Van Dorn, Villages, Virginia Hills).

2011 redistricting: merged Wilton precinct into Virginia Hills and Mt. Eagle precincts; Groveton precinct split into Groveton and Hybla Valley, Fairfield precinct split into Fairfield and Pinewood precincts.

Across these 23 precincts, Lee District is represented by two United States Congressional Districts (the 8th and 11th), four Virginia Senate Districts (the 30th, 35th, 36th and 39th; 35th added in 2010 redistricting), and three Virginia Delegate Districts (the 39th, 43rd, and 44th; 45th detached from Lee in 2011 redistricting ).

Democratic Party History at a Glance
thanks to the Prince William County Democratic Committee

Over two centuries ago, a Virginia farmer united with others of similar political thought and a revolution was born.  The entire world heard the cry of the new nation that resulted. That Virginian was Thomas Jefferson; the country was The United States of America; and the political party he would later found was the Democratic Party (about the DNC).  Even from infancy, the Democratic Party has been committed to the ideal of government for the people, not government for government’s sake.  A primary concern of the Democratic Party has always been the struggle for social equality.

The Democratic Donkey

 

“Let the people rule ” was Andrew Jackson’s rallying call during his bid for the presidency in 1828.  His opponents, horrified at his slogan, labeled him a “jackass” for his populist views.  Jackson (biography of Andrew Jackson) foiled the mud-slinging by adopting the donkey on campaign posters.  Although never officially adopted, the donkey has been the accepted symbol of the Democratic Party since the mid 1800′s. more about the donkey …

Wikipedia: donkey

The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E. africanus. In the western United States, a small donkey is sometimes called a burro (from the Spanish word for the animal).

A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny, and offspring less than one year old, a foal (male: colt, female filly).

While different species of the Equidae family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile. Nonetheless, horse/donkey hybrids are popular for their durability and vigor. A mule is the offspring of a jack (male donkey) and a mare (female horse). The much rarer successful mating of a male horse and a female donkey produces a hinny.

content updated 5 August 2011