BORDEAUX CHAPTER
Re Elections 2009 :
The Election will take place on Sunday , 25th October 2009,
around 17 hours (exact time TBA) just before the Triple
Birthday Celebration. You can vote in person, or by mail.
(Candidate statements below) .
The incumbent Secretary, Elizabeth Eshom, and Treasurer,
Elizabeth Strouse, are not running for second terms and
prefer to participate on the Executive Committee as
Emeritus Members.
Should you prefer to vote by mail, a pdf ballot form i is
provided – you can vote for the proposed ticket, or write in
any name you prefer, or run yourself, for any position.
If you vote by mail, remember to include a photocopy of the
first page of your passport. No ballot can be counted without
it.
Should you vote in person, remember to bring your
American passport with you.
Mail must arrive by Saturday 24th of October, at the home
of the Elections Officer : Linda Martin, 8, rue de l’Ecole
normale, 33200 Bordeaux
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
Candidate for Chair (incumbent)
Trudy Bolter –
Lifelong Democrat and daughter of a longtime government
antitrust lawyer, an ardent New Deal « trustbuster », I am
emerita professor at Sciences Po Bordeaux and a cinema
researcher specializing in American film. I founded the
Bordeaux Chapter of Democrats Abroad France in 2007
with the help of Elizabeth Strouse and Elizabeth Eshom. My
personal motivation was to do whatever I could to get rid of
the corrupt, illegal and totally destructive Bush
Administration and once more see the face of the America I
have always loved, despite marriage to a Brit, and forty
years of life in Bordeaux. We had thrilling candidates
(Hilary, then Barack) in 2007 and won a huge battle-but the
war is still on against reactionaries dumbing down the
discourse, promoting unreasoning hatred and trying to
block our advance towards a more just society offering
prosperity (or at least protection) for all. Barack can do it –
but not alone. We will need to work hard in 2010, and I hope
to continue to help mobilize American voters in and around
Borfdeaux to make sure that the Democrat Party wins in a
big way.
Candidate for Secretary-
Linda Thomases-Lafourcade
My name is Linda Thomases, although I am married to a
frenchman and go by the name Lafourcade. I have been
living in France since 1985 and in Bordeaux since 1987, but
my American roots run deep. I was raised in a Liberal
Democratic household and politics were part of our daily
bread. In high school I worked as a volunteer in the
Congressional race of Al Lowenstein, which he won in 1968.
In University I was an outspoken protestor against the
Vietnam war.
I have always voted Democrat. My bi-national children both
voted for the first time in 2008, and kept copies of their
absentee ballots, as vital souvenirs. The next generations are
our greatest legacy, and maintaining a strong Democratic
Party is a way of protecting their heritage.
I’m good with computers, and in the past I have helped out
the Bordeaux chapter with various secretarial tasks and
would love to continue to do this officially, as Secretary and
member of the Ex Com. I’ve been active in parent teacher’s
associations, and expat organizations, but my specialty is
victory bashes - when Bill Clinton was elected I organized an
inauguration party that made it to the front page of the Sud-
Ouest newspaper, and I was more than thrilled to hold the
inauguration party for Barack Obama at my home.

Candidate for Treasurer-
Marilyn Campbell
Let me introduce myself. I am a native New Yorker, born
and raised in New Jersey but spent most of my adult life in
and around Manhattan. I am a retired nurse and have
worked both in the clinical area and research until my
husband and I came to France. My family affiliation,
politically speaking, was Republican but I soon saw the error
of my ways and converted to a Democrat about the time I
was eligible to vote. I have been intermittently involved in the
political scene over the years and continue to be involved in
France. In my younger days I marched on Washington DC
against the war in Vietnam. I lived in the UK for 4 years and
registered with Democrats Abroad in London. In France, I
registered with the Toulouse group and then Bordeaux. I
have considerable experience in financial management,
personally and career-wise, hence the reason for my interest
in the position of chapter treasurer.