Reluctant candidate leading in Marysville

Published 11:22 pm Tuesday, August 21, 2007

In the race for a seat on the Marysville School Board, incumbent Sherri Crenshaw and newcomer Lisa Vares were advancing to November’s election after Tuesday’s primary.

Crenshaw’s name appeared on the primary ballot, though she decided not to run for a four-year term, citing personal reasons.

Crenshaw missed the June 14 withdrawal deadline to have her name removed from the ballot.

In Tuesday’s count, Crenshaw earned 46 percent of votes and Vares earned 29 percent of votes.

County auditor Carolyn Diepenbrock said nothing can be done about Crenshaw advancing to November’s election.

“Even though she may not want the position, her name is still on the ballot,” Diepenbrock said. “She missed her time to withdraw.”

Should Crenshaw win the November election and still want to turn the position down, the school board can choose not to appoint someone to fill the seat, Diepenbrock said.

Crenshaw said Tuesday she was surprised by the primary results and now plans to continue in the race. If she wins in November, she will likely take the seat, she said.

“I wasn’t extremely interested in the whole campaign process,” Crenshaw said. “But if the public wants me to run, then I can’t pull out. I think I owe it to them to do that.”

Until November, however, Crenshaw said she’ll just sit back and watch the election play out rather than campaign for the seat.

“Honestly, the whole campaign process is overwhelming to me,” she said. “I just like doing what I do for the kids.”

In the race for a seat on the Everett School Board, Carol Andrews and Susan P.M. Kaftanski appeared to be advancing to the November election.

Andrews and Kaftanski earned 33 percent and 28 percent of votes, respectively.

The position on the five-member board is unpaid, though board members are eligible for monthly compensation, which they can choose to waive.

The seat is being vacated by Ron Yates, who decided not to run for re-election after 19 years on the board. Everett School District has 18,500 students.

This is the first time either candidate has run for office. Voting will take place on Nov. 6.

Andrews, 51, is a certified public accountant in Mill Creek. She’s served eight years as the treasurer for the district’s Citizens’ Action Committee, which runs bond and levy campaigns.

Andrews was on a camping trip in the San Juan Islands when she heard the results of the election.

“I’m in the middle of the woods,” Andrews said. “I’m really kind of in shock here.”

Since she planned to see how the primary turned out before starting to campaign, Andrews said it was time for the door belling to begin.

“I haven’t thought in detail about what I’ll be doing,” she said. “I really look forward to campaigning. Thank you to the voters for their support so far.”

Kaftanski, 50, is the owner of House Call Veterinary Services in Everett.

She could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

In the race for a seat on the Edmonds School Board, incumbent Gary Noble earned nearly 60 percent of votes and appeared to be advancing to the November election. Jon Howeiler will likely join Noble on the ballot, after earning 15 percent of votes.

Reporter Jasa Santos: 425-339-3465 or jsantos@heraldnet.com.