Open Society Foundations Names Leigh Chapman as New Director for Democracy-Building Work in U.S.
NEW YORK—The Open Society Foundations announced today that Leigh M. Chapman, the former acting Secretary of State of Pennsylvania, will join Open Society-U.S. as director, pro-democracy alliance and structural reform.
In this new role, Chapman will lead Open Society’s work to strengthen U.S. democracy by shoring up and reforming democratic institutions, expanding and protecting voting rights, and building a multi-racial, pro-democracy majority.
“Leigh’s deep knowledge and competence in election administration and civil rights will advance Open Society’s core mission of working to protect and fortify our political processes and our democracy,” said Laleh Ispahani, co-director, Open Society–U.S. “We’re excited at the gravitas, capacity, and creativity Leigh will bring to our team and mission.”
"Our country is at a critical inflection point with regard to safeguarding our democratic institutions," said Chapman. "That is why I am thrilled to join Open Society Foundations’ team in supporting our national and state partners in leading a pro-democracy strategy."
In 2022, Chapman ably managed an election process which saw record voter turnout. She worked across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with county and local officials from both political parties to make sure voting systems worked, that mail-in ballots were counted, and that voters were armed with facts about their rights to counter election disinformation.
“In my post-election tour of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Leigh received praise from both Republican and Democratic county election officials for her leadership and her careful and competent stewardship of the election process,” said former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. “The Open Society Foundations are lucky to have her.”
Chapman brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this new role. Previously, she worked as senior director of the voting rights program at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and served as the executive director of Deliver My Vote.
“Leigh M. Chapman is among the brightest and most competent public officials I have come across,” said Michael Steele, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and chair of the Republican National Committee from 2009-2011. “The 2022 election was expected to be chaotic, but Leigh reassured voters, countered disinformation and attempts to undermine the election, and delivered on her promise that every vote would be counted.”
Earlier in her career, she was a senior policy advisor at Let America Vote, and the director of policy for the Pennsylvania Department of State, where she managed the department’s policy and regulatory development process.
Leigh began her civil rights career at Advancement Project where she served as a staff attorney in the Voter Protection Program and supported organizations on the ground in Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.