Armstrong files appeal against Democratic endorsement process

Jeannie Armstrong, who failed to secure an endorsement from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee by a two-vote margin, has filed an appeal, charging procedural irregularities and the lack of ballot security. During an FCDC meeting July 26, Ryan McElveen got 99 votes, while Armstrong got 97.

“Our campaign has been overwhelmed with e-mails and phone calls from Democrats sharing their concerns, stories of potential impropriety witnessed during the election, and more, and asked that our campaign do whatever we could to ensure that every vote was counted fairly and accurately and without the appearance of fraud or mismanagement,” states an Aug. 1 email from Armstrong.

Her appeal of the FCDC election results was filed with the three Democratic congressional district chairs in Fairfax County and the Virginia Democratic Party.

“As we go forward with this process, I want to be abundantly clear about one thing,” Armstrong wrote: “I do not believe that my opponent in the endorsement race personally played any role in creating problems that plagued the endorsement election and led to the disenfranchisement of voters, or the likely casting of multiple ballots by the same individuals.”

“At the end of the day, the voters will have the opportunity to determine who truly has the interests of our students at heart,” McElveen says. “Though I disagree with this appeal, I stand ready to abide by the decision of the Eighth, 10th, and 11th District Democratic Committees, just as I have abided by the Democratic process throughout this extensive endorsement procedure.”