In Second Shot, McElveen Wins Fairfax County Democrat Endorsement By Just Two Votes

The last time appeared before the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, a  left him just seven votes shy of an endorsement for an at-large seat on the Fairfax County School Board.

On Tuesday, McElveen landed on the other side of that scenario, pulling ahead of candidate Jeannie Armstrong by just two votes to earn the committee's third endorsement for the at-large seats.

Of the 197 members of the FCDC who voted Tuesday at the special meeting at Fairfax High School, 99 voted for McElveen and 97 for Armstrong, with one vote for no endorsement. More than 500 members voted at the first endorsement meeting.

Armstrong said she would not run for an at-large school board seat without the FCDC endorsement.

The vote for the third and final FCDC endorsement came after former endorsee  earlier this month, citing

Prior to the vote to endorse, the committee passed a measure to change the endorsement voting process, simplifying the multiple-vote process that led to May's endorsement of three at-large candidates, two of whom did not get the majority traditionally required.

 FCDC chair Rex Simmons said. "And I'm not stupid. We've simplified the process."

The FCDC now endorses through a single vote. The candidate with the most votes wins the endorsement.

 close on the heels of Espy Glassman's withdrawal, and ran a quick, intense, phone-call heavy campaign. Some FCDC members reported having received up to three robocalls in the past week.

Armstrong, a social worker from Burke close to retirement, was the more experienced of the two candidates, said Bailey Elementary PTA president Christine Adams.

"She brings experience that [McElveen] doesn't have," Adams said. "We had a friend in Jeannie because she got our school. I'll invite [McElveen] to come see our school, and attempt to educate him."

But McElveen, 25, sees his youth as an advantage. He said he would be more accessible to students and more able to represent their interests. He also has teachers in the family, including his father and fiancee, and says he understands the challenges they face, especially in times of tight budgets.

"My main goal is to take on those of our opponents who talk about no-tax pledges when we have students and teachers suffering in our classrooms," McElveen said.

McElveen joins and as the Democratic endorsees for the school board's at-large seats.