Further to advice provided to DA Australia members 5 weeks ago, DA Australia is holding national officer elections at our 2025 AGM which takes place Saturday May 3 from 10am AET.
2025 DA Australia National Officer Elections
A Nominations and Elections Committee was appointed to recruit candidates for the following DA Australia leadership positions:
Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer
Legal Counsel
DPCA Voting Representative (5 positions)
Many thanks to our 2025 Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC), John Chabowski (Vic), Kate Eaton (NSW), Lisa Lombardi (QLD) and Susan Wolfe (Vic), for their service. Further to provisions in the DA Australia By Laws, the NEC provided the following preliminary list of nominees to the DA Australia ExCom on Saturday April 5:
Chairperson - Jasper Lee
Vice Chairperson - Tara Hardiman
Secretary - Susan Mackenzie
Treasurer - Amy Saha
Legal Counsel - none
DPCA Voting Representative - Elizabeth Cage, Carmelan Polce, Michael Ramos
The following additional candidates were added by the Executive Committee:
DPCA Voting Representative - Susan Mackenzie, Paul LaFreniere
The following additional candidates were nominated or self-nominated prior to the final deadline of Saturday April 19, 2025:
DPCA Voting Representative - Judy Grobstein
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN ON IN THIS POST TO VIEW THE STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE NOMINEES.
Voting in national officer elections will take place via both early, electronic ballot AND at the AGM via electronic ballot. There will be no nominations taken from the floor for any office for which there are nominees. Electronic ballots will be distributed to DA Australia members no later than Wednesday April 23, 2025. Early, electronic ballots must be submitted no later than 10am on Friday May 2, 2025.
Ballots may also be cast during the AGM on Saturday May 3, 2025.
As there are no nominees for the office of Legal Counsel, the Teller of Elections will take nominations for this position from the floor of the Annual General Meeting. Voting will commence thereafter.
Please send any questions to [email protected].
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
Chair Candidates -
JASPER LEE
I am the Chair of Democrats Abroad Australia, one of the largest country committees in Democrats Abroad and largest in the Asia Pacific region. In 2024, I became Chair in very unusual circumstances in which multiple members of the previous executive committee had vacated their offices early. Having little in the way of an existing plan, I put my hand up to serve alongside a dedicated team of volunteers. I achieved a turnaround of incredibly strong GOTV results by using techniques new to DAA and looking towards domestic counterparts to use the best practices of the modern 2024 campaign in the digital ad space.
During the 2024 DNC Chair race, I pitched an idea to candidates to increase collaboration between Democrats Abroad and our domestic partners, the College Democrats and other state parties, to get more students studying abroad to vote. In its infancy, a team of experienced political operatives, including many who have never worked with Democrats Abroad in the past, assembled to get to work on this invaluable effort. Now I am seeking a full term to continue to innovate and improve so Democrats can win again.
I am the youngest leader of a country committee in the history of Democrats Abroad.
Vice Chair Candidates -
TARA HARDIMAN
I chose to run for Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad Australia in 2024 and seek re-election to be part of the solution in standing for democracy, rule of law and shaping the nation’s future. A lifelong Democrat, I pursued education in the field of international affairs, with a B.A. from Georgetown and M.A. from George Washington University, and chose a career in this field through U.S. Government service. I retired after approximately 40 years and moved to Australia where DAA offered me the opportunity to use my strategic thinking and writing skills in furtherance of progress on issues that matter.
My first order of business upon the 2024 election was to immediately write and begin implementing DAA’s 2024 Strategy to deliver the votes of Americans Abroad in Australia. I organized and contributed directly to Get-Out-The-Vote efforts by completing training in and volunteering for Voter Assistance and phone-banking, as well as actively organizing GOTV, DAA visibility, and voter outreach efforts. To strengthen DAA’s strategic voter engagement framework and expand voter outreach, I took on tasks such as updating online resources unique to voting in Australia like returning ballots, keeping voters apprised of key developments and opportunities for action through newsletter messaging and event postings. In addition to facilitating volunteer activity in Victoria, Western Australia, and NSW, I participated on the founding DAA’s Virtual Meet-Up team, engaging American voters across Australia.
I advocated strongly for DAA’s enhanced use of technology to reach voters. I participated actively in DAA’s first effort to use TextBlasting to remind members to vote last year. With the DAA strategic groundwork enhanced in 2024, my leadership focus is on strengthening our community to effectively organize, innovate, and mobilize to get out the vote and to continue the fight for freedom, opportunity, fairness, and dignity wherever these ideals are challenged. I have focused this year on member and voter outreach, engagement and expansion by keeping members informed through newsletters and event postings, providing resources on opportunities to take positive and constructive action, promoting in-person meet-ups and local community action, facilitating the addition of a book club feature to the Virtual meet-up series, and highlighting DAA among DA activism efforts.
GOTV is still important for some key races this year, and I have tailored outreach to members in those specific states. I maintain my commitment to harness technology. I am committed to ensuring our social media and outreach advertising efforts are efficiently maximized. I remain committed to the things we all value, championing issues such as protecting voting rights, protecting and restoring reproductive rights and strengthening health care, combatting climate change to advance a clean-energy future, ensuring equality and non-discrimination for all, sustaining a strong economy, and securing America’s leadership on the world stage.
I bring a mature, experienced, seasoned, strategic, and female perspective to DAA leadership.
I am willing to bring to bring a diversity and inclusion mindset to the team and organization.
Legal Counsel Candidates -
THERE ARE NO CANDIDATES. NOMINATIONS WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE FLOOR OF THE AGM.
DPCA Voting Representatives Candidates -
ELIZABETH CAGE
I have been active with Democrats Abroad, off and on, for 20 years, in the Democratic Party for longer, and on the executive for several years. I wish to continue in the role and working to include more Americans living outside the capital cities in DAA’s activities.
I live in regional Far North Queensland.
JUDY GROBSTEIN
I have been involved in supporting the Democratic Party for many years, having lived in DC for 14 years. I then moved to San Francisco, volunteering at the Hillary Clinton campaign office. I wish to get more involved with DAA as I am passionate about changing the current situation.
PAUL LAFRENIERE
I’ve been involved with Democrats Abroad Australia (DAA) since 2003, after moving to Sydney from San Francisco in 1998. I have proudly served as DAA Treasurer for many years. I’m passionate about protecting the rights of all Americans and committed to driving positive change. I wish to continue contributing to DAA’s mission and ensuring our voices are heard from abroad.
SUSAN MACKENZIE
I have lived in Australia for 25 years and have been a dual resident for 5. My professional background is in financial services, specifically in governance and risk roles. Currently retired, I have the time and capacity to devote to Democrats Abroad. Particularly in the current climate in the US, I believe it is of paramount importance that the needs and rights of ex-pats of Americans are represented.
CARMELAN POLCE
I wish to place myself into nomination as a DPCA Voting Representative. As the founder of DA Australia I have an ongoing commitment to keeping our organization as strong and engaged as possible. I will be attending the 2025 Global Meeting in Washington DC in June and I will do my best to represent DA Australia and make the concerns and interests of the members heard. I will do everything I can to support the national officers of DA Australia and ensure they have the help and resources they need to succeed in their positions. I will support my fellow DAA DPCA voting members in the fulfilment of their roles.
I am a female and a senior.
MICHAEL RAMOS
I am running as a candidate for DPCA Voting Representative. A proud member of Democrats Abroad since 2015, I have held several leadership roles in various task forces, caucuses, and committees. Currently, I serve as the Chair of the Dems Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus. I can commit to the DPCA Voting Representative role and vote on issues pertinent to our party and faithfully represent DAA, just as I have done for the past two years.
Our country committee is the most influential within all of Asia-Pacific given our large population of Democrats Abroad members living here, and I will continue to work in our best interests within our Party. As a former Congressional staffer for four Members of Congress and as a former campaign staffer on 6 Congressional campaigns, I understand both policy and advocacy initiatives. Any member of Democrats Abroad Australia is welcome to contact him for a deeper conversation. I can be reached at [email protected].
I am a Hispanic American of Mexican heritage, Asian American of Filipino heritage, veteran of the Marine Corps and service-connected disabled veteran.
END OF CANDIDATES STATEMENTS
Thank you
DA Australia 2025 Nominations and Elections Committee
DA Australia Executive Committee