Schools

School Board Candidate Espy Glassman Withdraws From Race

Falls Church resident earned Democratic endorsement at controversial May meeting.

, a Democratic endorsee for Fairfax County School Board, has dropped out of the race.

Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) chair Rex Simmons said on Friday that Espy Glassman withdrew for "personal and family reasons."

She received one of the Fairfax County Democrat Committee's  in May, 

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Espy Glassman did not return phone calls. She is the Education Chair of the NAACP, a member of Advanced Academics Advisory Committee and a former legislative chair of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs.

At the May meeting, incumbent Ilryong Moon was the only candidate to get a majority of ballot votes in the first round. A second ballot vote, which was taken after 60 members had left the meeting, left Glassman with 136 votes, Ted Velkoff with 129, Ryan McElveen with 122 and Greg Brandon with 117 –  all still short of a majority, and still too close, some members said, to declare support for two more candidates.

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 Group members spent hours debating whether they should endorse candidates for the two bids that remained, or, reschedule the endorsement for a later date. Eventually, members voted to award the endorsements to the top two vote-getters from the second ballot vote: Velkoff and Glassman.

Simmons said the group will endorse another candidate in place of Glassman. Potential candidates wishing to seek an at-large seat must file for candidacy by Aug. 23.

Simmons said there is a full FCDC meeting scheduled for July 26, where "we will have some sort of vote and a process yet to be decided." He said the process will be publicized on the FCDC website.


The campaign manager for Jeannie Armstrong, a recent unendorsed entry into the race, said Friday that with Glassman's withdrawal, Armstrong will seek a Democratic endorsement.

Brandon, who had entered the race but was not endorsed by the Democrats in May, said he formally withdrew from the race, and closed his campaign account, last week.

"I have no intention of re-entering," Brandon said. "I've committed to working with the Fairfax County Council of PTAS and continuing my work with the Fairfax Education Coalition."

Maria Allen of Reston, an at-large candidate who is still in the race unendorsed, says part of the reason she stayed in the race was he dissatisfaction with the process and the candidates that were endorsed.

"I remained in the race because i didn't feel the candidate were well qualified," Allen said Friday.  "If they choose a good, qualified candidate, I will likely support that candidate."

McElveen, another candidate who was not endorsed, could not be reached for comment.


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