The DA France Brittany Election Board is pleased to announce the candidates for DAFR Brittany Chapter leadership!

Members of the DA France Brittany Chapter area will receive a ballot by email. Electronic voting will end on March 15 at Midnight.

For questions, please contact the Brittany Election Board at [email protected].

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These are the positions that are up for election: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Comms Officer, GOTV Coordinator, and Member at Large

 

Candidate Statements

Candidate(s) for Chair

Greg Sadlek

It has been a privilege to serve as chair of the Brittany Chapter of the Democrats Abroad for the past two years, and I hereby submit my name for reelection.

Thanks to the diligence and creativity of Brittany’s chapter leaders and volunteers, over the past two years we built a dynamic organization, creating subchapters in Rennes and Nantes and sponsoring eight different events in such cities as Rennes, Nantes, Angers, Brest, and Quimper.  We aggressively supported Democratic candidates nationwide by fundraising for Democrats Abroad, providing voter assistance events, and telephone banking.

Despite our best efforts, the November elections did not turn out the way we hoped.  But this is not the time to despair.  On the contrary, given the extremely destructive agenda of Trump and his Republican followers, we must work harder than ever to ensure that Democratic majorities are elected to the US Congress in 2026, and we must also support Democrats running for statewide and local offices.  If reelected, I plan to work with Democrats Abroad France and our local team to continue our forward momentum by recruiting even more volunteers, engaging in sustained get-out-the-vote activities, and promoting our mission via frequent communication and membership gatherings.

 

Candidate(s) for Vice Chair

Martha Le Cars

I am a charter member of the Brittany Chapter of Democrats Abroad France having attended my first political meeting for the chapter formation. I have twice previously been a member of the Brittany Chapter Executive committee. In 2018 as a Member at Large and subsequently chapter Secretary for two years starting in 2020. I have the time and energy to be more involved in the Brittany Chapter after a pause of two years and am submitting my name for the post of Vice Chair. 

As most of you, I am extremely upset by the actions of the current U.S. administration in the past month and anxious for the permanent damage to our democracy and global relations with our international allies that they could cause in the coming years. Rather than fall into despair, it is more important now than ever to stay organized and get out our message of positive actions to impact the 2026 mid-term elections. 

On a personal side, I vote in the state of New York and have lived in Nantes since 2012. I have substantial volunteer experience in both environmental and women's organizations both in the US and in France having served on several boards of directors in both countries. 

 

Candidate(s) for Secretary

Candidate(s) for Communications Coordinator

Tanya de Menou

My name is Tanya de Menou, and I am running as a communications candidate for the Democrats Abroad Brittany Chapter. At the beginning of 2024, I was elected as the get-out-the-vote coordinator for the 2024 presidential elections. I attended voter assistance training sessions on how to help Americans to vote. Afterward, I actively recruited several retired Americans and students to register to vote and helped them send their ballots by mail. 

During the year, I was appointed subchapter leader for the Nantes area. The Nantes area is one of the cities with the most registered Americans, and I launched our first event for Labor Day. Our most recent event was the Valentine's Day Potluck where we openly discussed ongoing issues with our new administration. This is the type of support we want to keep creating for people to feel open to discussing political issues.

My professional background is in digital marketing and website creation, which I think would be ideal for my future position as a communications officer. I want to continuously inform American citizens and keep them updated on how they can make a difference in France and back home in the USA.  

Thank you for your vote.

 

Members at Large (in alphabetical order)

 

Alan Campagnon

Hello. I would like to nominate myself for the above-referenced position. I am currently serving in that capacity. Previously I served as chapter chair and as vice chair.

Thank you for your consideration. 

Theresa Conroy

I am a former newspaper reporter (Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer) and Certified Yoga Therapist. I immigrated to Rennes with my husband Don Russell in September 2022. I am running in 2025 for a post as Member at Large with the Brittany chapter of Democrats Abroad.

I spent 26 years as a reporter. I know how to gather and process information, as well as how to transform that information into clear and concise copy. In retirement I have continued a different type of reporting—exploring life in France. I write about that on our Substack, YoFrance.Substack.com. 

I have served as a union organizer and a shop steward for the Newspaper Guild of America, and worked as a Private Investigator. I was the first woman President of the Pen&Pencil Club, the oldest press club in the US. 

My Yoga practice guides me to strive toward integrity, dependability, honesty, curiosity and equanimity.  I’m also a Certified Beer Judge. That practice guides me to strive toward relaxing with a Belgian ale after a hard day’s work. 

I hope you will consider my candidacy favorably. 

Stephen Gates

As candidate for a Member at Large position at Democrats Abroad Brittany, I would utilize my knowledge of organizing and mobilizing American expatriates especially in Nantes to vote for Democrat candidates. Over the past three election cycles, I have helped American expatriates across Europe register, receive and return their ballots through the CallHub website of DA. I received training to help American expatriates vote both through phonebanking, but also in person. During the last election cycle, I worked with Tanya to organize our Labor day DA Brittany event at La Maison des Etats-Unis. Moreover, I reached out to many American expatriate students present in Nantes to help them to vote as well.

While I recognize the difficulties in identifying and mobilizing American expatriates to vote, I feel confident that we assist more of them to vote. We can also explore new ways to recruit members for DA here in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire.

Ruth Miller

My name is Ruth Miller and I am asking for your vote. I am a candidate for one of the member-at-large positions in the Democrats Abroad Brittany Chapter. In 2024 I helped start and was the subchapter leader for Rennes (Brittany). I co-hosted five events in Rennes (Valentine, April fundraiser, 4th of July picnic, Halloween party and Thanksgiving dinner) and I helped the Nantes subchapter with a Labor Day event in September 2024. I began and will soon finish written procedures addressing the responsibilities of the Rennes subchapter to help future leaders build on my work.

I also received training and participated in two days of voter assistance helping register voters, checking that their registrations had been received, helping voters apply for back up ballots and distributing information related to voting. I also helped resolve voting related issues some voters were experiencing.

As subchapter leader I helped recruit new volunteers including the new Rennes subchapter leader and two other member-at-large candidates. I love the work I did and I intend to carry on with equal fervor in a variety of capacities as one of the Brittany Chapter's members at large.

Thank you for your consideration and your vote.