MONROE — A husband and wife are taking the unusual step of running for the same seat on the Monroe School Board.
Nancy Truitt Pierce and Joel Selling filed for the board’s seat No. 2. They are two of four candidates who will be on the primary ballot.
Truitt Pierce and Selling say they have different approaches to how they want to solve the district’s problems. One thing they have in common, however, is that they each want incumbent Debra Kolrud out.
“Monroe will have a good candidate to choose from,” Truitt Pierce, 60, said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
“I am running with my best friend to improve the Monroe School District,” said Selling, also 60.
Candidates for the school board are elected from districts in Monroe. Since Truitt Pierce and Selling live in the same house, they could only run for the same seat.
They are facing off against Kolrud, 53, and Scott Furrer, 54. Kolrud, a retired business owner, has been a member of the board since 2007. This is the first time Furrer, an electrical contractor, has run for public office.
Truitt Pierce and Selling described Kolrud as divisive. Kolrud said opposing opinions on the board should be viewed as an asset.
“Why have five directors if you only need one voice?” she said.
Having a married couple opposing each other for the same seat is rare in the political system, said Matt Barreto, professor of political science for the University of Washington.
There are some advantages to a joint campaign, such as saving money. The drawback is that they could split their vote, Barreto said.
Kolrud also may be negatively affected by having two candidates going specifically against her, he said.
If both advance, everything would change because they would be running against each other instead of against the incumbent, Barreto said.
“That would be a bizarre and interesting election to see,” he said.
There are no rules that prohibit a married couple from running against each other, said Garth Fell, elections manager for Snohomish County Auditor Office.
Fell said he is not aware of any other married couple opposing each other since he’s started in the office.
Truitt Pierce owns a consulting business and served as a trustee of Everett Community College.* Selling is a stay-at-home dad and serves as commissioner for the East County Parks and Recreation district. They say Kolrud has alienated herself with fellow board members. Because of long meetings, the school district takes too much time to solve issues, they say.
“You don’t need to be divisive,” Truitt Pierce said. “There are ways the board needs to work.”
Furrer, also believes the school board has difficulty in finding consensus, but he does not believe it is Kolrud’s fault. It’s the fault of all those on the board.
“It’s not about one person at all,” Furrer, said. “We may need to replace everybody.”
Kolrud said she stands by decisions she’s made in the past. She said she has voted with the majority of the board 70 percent of the time. She said she wouldn’t change her opinion to fit in with the majority.
“I don’t drink that Kool-Aid. You are voted to represent your community not the whole school board,” Kolrud, said.
The couple have decided to run a joint campaign and start it at the same time. They said their home conversations have become fun.
They don’t think that will change if both advance to the general election.
“We’ll be thrilled,” Selling said.
* Correction, June 17, 2011: Monroe School Board candidate Nancy Truitt Pierce served as an Everett Community College trustee until 2009. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said she was still a trustee.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
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