Trevor Potter ’82, founder and president of Campaign Legal Center, will deliver the keynote address at the Ele(Q)t Project for LGBTQ+ Leadership symposium March 5 at the University of Virginia School of Law. 

Potter is a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and was general counsel to John McCain’s 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns. He was an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold Act, a campaign-finance reform bill passed in 2002, and he also served as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert’s super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.

The nonpartisan symposium-style event is an afternoon-long series of candidate forums, panels, discussions and workshops in Caplin Pavilion focused on motivating and training young LGBTQ leaders to run for political office. Potter will deliver the keynote address at 6:30 p.m.

“We’re aiming to increase LGBTQ+ representation in all levels of government and in all political parties,” said Chance McCraw, chair of the Ele(Q)t Project.

The project’s goal is to include speakers who currently hold elected office and those who have significant political, campaigning or election law experience. 

The event is open to the public and parking is available in D2 lots.

Schedule

Register

Noon

Lunch


Noon-1:15 p.m.

Candidate Forum

  • Joe Cobb, Vice Mayor, Roanoke, Va.
  • Satana Deberry, District Attorney, Durham County, N.C.
  • Donna Price, Albemarle County (Va.) Board of Supervisors
  • John David Smith, Mayor, Winchester, Va.

1:30-2:45 p.m.

Campaign Workshop

  • Reggie Greer, Director of Constituent Engagement, Victory Institute

3-4:15 p.m.

Campaign Team Panel

  • José Cunningham, Chairman, Washington, D.C., Republican Party
  • Roddy Flynn, Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania’s 5th District
  • Mike Mings, Director, Human Rights Campaign Political Action Committee

4:30-5:45 p.m.

Judges Panel

  • John Arrowood, Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals
  • Shannon Baldwin, Judge, Harris County (Texas) Criminal Court at Law No. 4
  • Sara Martinez, Judge, Dallas County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5, Place 1

6-6:30 p.m.

Dinner


6:30-7:30 p.m.

Keynote Address 

  • Trevor Potter ’82, Founder and President, Campaign Legal Center; Former Chairman, Federal Election Commission

7:30-8:30 p.m.

Reception With Dessert and Refreshments

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.

Media Contact