USA Fencing Election 2026: Seven Candidates, Two At-Large Seats

Published

USA Fencing closed its petition window on March 31, 2026, and the ballot for the 2026 Board of Directors election is now set: seven candidates for two At-Large seats. The National Office authenticated one petition, and the Election Committee confirmed each candidate's qualifications.

USA Fencing closed its petition window on March 31, 2026, and the ballot for the 2026 Board of Directors election is now set: seven candidates for two At-Large seats. The National Office authenticated one petition, and the Election Committee confirmed each candidate's qualifications.

Who is on the ballot

Listed alphabetically, as published by USA Fencing:

Two candidates from the Nominating Committee's initial slate withdrew: Tim Ringel (Metropolitan NYC) and Damien Lehfeldt (Virginia).

Separately, the Board appointed Jeremy Sirota to an At-Large seat in February. His term also begins Sept. 1, 2026.

How the petition path worked this cycle

Candidates could reach the ballot two ways: through the Nominating Committee's slate, or by petition. One petition was authenticated by the National Office this cycle, which is how Jason Liu joined the field. The Election Committee then reviewed every candidate against the eligibility requirements before the ballot was declared final.

Candidate materials

Candidates may post a one-page biography and a one-minute video on the Election 2026 page before voting opens, so members can read and hear directly from each person rather than relying on secondhand summaries.

Conflict of interest review

The Ethics Committee published conflict-of-interest review levels for each candidate: Level 6 for Jason Liu; Level 5 for Abdel Salem OLY-EGY; Level 3 for Greg Husisian and Caterina Rovati; and no conflicts for Bruno Cheron, Nona Lim and Heather Shankwiler. USA Fencing's own page carries the full conflict-of-interest review, and members weighing a vote should read it there rather than relying on the level numbers alone.

Voting dates and eligibility

Voting runs May 13–31, 2026, through a link sent by email. Eligible voters are individual members age 18 and older, in good standing 60 days before voting opens and again on the date balloting opens. The Bylaws specify ranked preferential voting, and the two candidates with the highest preference results take four-year terms starting Sept. 1, 2026. More details live on USA Fencing's election hub at usafencing.org/election2026.

Why a Board election matters to a saber family

Board seats decide the policies that shape a saber season: national event structure, points and eligibility rules, membership fees, referee development and safe-sport requirements. Those decisions land in the calendar and the budget of every competitive family. If you want to see how this cycle finished, read the 2026 election results, and for how the vote itself was run — secret ballots, turnout and the audit log — see our closer look at the 2026 election.

Training with Saber Nation

Governance news aside, the season is won on the strip. Saber Nation is a saber-only club at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. Group lessons meet Monday and Wednesday, 4:45 PM to 6:15 PM, and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Reach us through the contact page to book a trial class, and follow the rest of our coverage on the USA Fencing news hub.

Source: USA Fencing, "USA Fencing Election 2026: Ballot Finalized With Seven Candidates for Two At-Large Board Seats," April 2026 — https://www.usafencing.org/news/2026/april/21/usa-fencing-election-2026-ballot-finalized-with-seven-candidates-for-two-at-large-board-seats

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