Arlington School Board Candidate Withdraws From Race

ARLINGTON, VA — A candidate for Arlington School Board has dropped out of the race, citing family health issues.

Erin Freas-Smith was seeking the Democratic endorsement for the school board. But on Wednesday, Freas-Smith announced she has come to the “difficult decision to withdraw” from the race.

“Campaigning for public office is a challenging process that requires the sacrifice of family time and attention,” Freas-Smith said in a statement. “With recent health complications, this sacrifice is not possible at this time without undue stress on my children and partner.”

Although she will not be running for Arlington School Board, Freas-Smith said she remains “committed to working for the best possible education for all Arlington students, in particular the ones who are so often not given the resources and attention they need.”

Freas-Smith, who lives in Cherrydale, is a mother of three children who attend Arlington Public Schools and has spent many years working in PTAs.

The other candidates seeking the Democratic endorsement for Arlington School Board are Angelo Cocchiaro and Miranda Turner. They are vying to succeed Reid Goldstein, the current school board chair, who announced he is not running for re-election.

Voting in the Arlington County Democratic Committee endorsement process for one of the three candidates will be held in May at three locations: May 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Drew Elementary School; May 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Campbell Elementary School; and May 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Washington-Liberty High School.