FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2011 CONTACT: The Dawn Group 512.705.7001 vince@jeanniearmstrong.

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Armstrong Withdraws Challenge, Exits School Board Race

BURKEJeannie Armstrong, a candidate for Fairfax County School Board At Large, on Thursday announced she was withdrawing her challenge of the Fairfax County Democratic Partys endorsement process and exiting the race. Following an endorsement vote late last month, Armstrong had appealed the results of the vote under the Virginia Democratic Party Plan citing the potential for mismanagement created by rules the Party promulgated for the endorsement meeting. I've made the difficult decision to end my campaign for the Fairfax County School Board. I believe that it is critical that we come together and move forward in this campaign united, and work together to elect Democrats, Armstrong said. I still believe there were problems with the endorsement process, Armstrong said. Nevertheless, she said she would support the other Democratic endorsees in the school board race. I believe that Democratic candidates are more committed to closing the achievement gap once and for all, reforming our discipline policy, ensuring fiscal responsibility and that our teachers are well-paid and treated with respect. This race and our public schools mean a great deal to me, and I will continue to work toward positive solutions to the problems that drove me to run for this position, she continued. She also announced she would covert her campaign into a political action committee to help bolster minority turnout for Democrats across Fairfax County. As an African American woman who grew up and went to school in the early, post-Voting Rights Act years in the South, making sure minority voters turn out to vote and exercise their franchise is something that is very important to me. That is why I am forming a PAC that will focus on minority voter turnout. I intend to make that my focus through this election cycle, Armstrong said. --30--