Phoenix,  – Jason Williams, one of the leading candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona (PPAA) has exclusively endorsed his candidacy in the August Democratic primary election.  The endorsement was officially made yesterday, when the board of directors for the reproductive health advocacy group chose to give Williams their only endorsement in the race for state schools chief.

“Planned Parenthood’s endorsement is significant to me personally and to my campaign,” said Williams.  “As one of the strongest advocacy organizations for women’s reproductive health, I am grateful that Planned Parenthood has recognized my commitment to protect the rights of young women.  When I am Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will work to ensure every child has access to a quality public education, including access to medically-accurate, age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education and services.”

According to literature from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, their fundamental goal is “to elect candidates at all levels of government who are pro-choice and pro-family planning and who support medically accurate sexuality education for Arizona’s youth.”

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona (PPAA) is the non-partisan, political arm of Planned Parenthood in Arizona.  Planned Parenthood Advocates promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights by educating voters, public officials and candidates for office.  For more than 75 years, Planned Parenthood has provided family planning services and responsible sexuality education to people across Arizona.  Today, their advocacy and grassroots organizing efforts remain focused on safeguarding reproductive choice and supporting pro-family, pro-choice public policy throughout our state.

Williams secured the Democratic Party nomination in 2006 for Superintendent of Public Instruction with a majority of votes in 14 of 15 counties.  In the general election against the Republican incumbent, Williams received more votes than any other non-incumbent Democrat in the closest of all the statewide races.

Since then, Williams has continued his work to ensure every child in Arizona has access to a quality public education.  He currently serves as a Managing Partner for BlueDynamic and was the founder of AZ School Works.  In addition to working with the Roosevelt School District, Williams is a faculty member for Arizona State University’s Beat the Odds Institute Parent Liaison Academy, meets weekly to mentor an eighth grade student through Arizona Quest for Kids, and serves on several education-related Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees, including College Depot, Communities in Schools, Genesis City, and Phoenix Collegiate Academy.

For more information about Jason Williams, visit www.WilliamsForArizona.com.  To learn about Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, visit www.advocatesaz.org.