A former professional football player who made a strong showing in this week’s Puyallup School Board primary despite suspending his campaign said Friday that he won’t actively run for the seat in the November general election.
Dane Looker said he’s focusing on a bid for the state House of Representatives, and that he doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to campaign for two offices at once.
But the 35-year-old also said he doesn’t feel it’s right to step away from the School Board election altogether.
“If I’m elected, I’ll serve,” he said.
His School Board candidacy has been a point of some confusion. He suspended his campaign July 11, but in an email to The News Tribune last week, he wrote that his decision didn’t reach enough Puyallup voters and “as a result many have already cast (their) vote in support of me.” At the time, he said he wasn’t sure whether he would actively campaign if he advanced past the primary, but would decide after the election.
The primary results aren’t yet official, but the latest numbers put him and Therese Ngo Pasquier well ahead of the third candidate, former teacher Michael D. Powell.
Pasquier, who works as Tacoma Philharmonic’s development director and is a longtime school district volunteer, had 7,153 votes, or 41.28 percent, as of Friday.
Looker had 7,015 votes, or 40.48 percent, and Powell was trailing with 3,160 votes, or 18.24 percent. The primary election will be certified Aug. 31.
Pasquier, 45, said she’s focused on sharing with voters what she’ll bring to the School Board. She plans to knock on doors, meet with community groups and post signs.
“We’re going to be doing all we can to get it out there that I’m committed to this community and that it would be a real honor to serve the community,” she said.
She said she and her supporters are taking Looker’s candidacy seriously, whether he actively campaigns or not.
The filing period was June 6-10, and the last day to withdraw was June 16. Looker said he wasn’t planning to run for state Legislature when he filed for School Board, but the decision of Washington’s secretary of state to retire set off a chain reaction of political moves that resulted in some community leaders asking Looker to consider a state House bid.
He’s running for Rep. Bruce Dammeier’s seat, which will be on the ballot in 2012.
Looker said he inquired about withdrawing from the School Board election, but the deadline had passed. He said he wants to serve the community and feels he can best do that from the state Legislature.
Looker is a former Puyallup High School football standout who went on to play seven seasons for the St. Louis Rams.
Whoever ultimately wins the Position 2 School Board seat will help choose the district’s new superintendent. Tony Apostle, who’s been superintendent since 2004, is retiring at the end of the upcoming school year.
The incumbent in Position 2, Cindy Poysnick, isn’t seeking re-election.
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058 sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/street
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