Jon Bowerbank, who pumped nearly $1 million of his own money into the Democratic contest for lieutenant governor, is pulling out and backing perceived front-runner Jody Wagner. Bowerbank, a member of the Russell County Board of Supervisors, said yesterday that responsibilities to his family and business prevent him from pressing on to the June 9 primary.

On an education tour of Virginia, Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Jon Bowerbank learned that progress sometimes is measured in big words. Erica Coleman, a University of Richmond graduate mentoring underprivileged children at a learning center, said she knew she had made progress when a fourth-grader, reading at the second-grade level, began referring to reading as “tedious” rather than “boring.“

The three men seeking the Democratic nomination for governor stopped in South Richmond last night to discuss jobs, education, health care and their support for restoration of felons’ voting rights. More than 150 local residents, city politicians and campaign operatives gathered at the Southside Community Services Center on Hull Street for a forum sponsored by the Richmond Crusade for Voters. The predominantly black voter-mobilization group traditionally has supported Democratic candidates.

Pat Edmonson will not be a Democratic candidate for the nomination to run for lieutenant governor. The little-known Virginia Beach School Board member failed to file the required 10,000 signatures with the State Board of Elections Friday to get her name on the ballot. Friday was the deadline for filing to be a candidate in the June 9 primary.

A Democratic political strategist is making the race for lieutenant governor and making education the centerpiece of his campaign.