As of 8:04 p.m. Nov. 3, with 7,362 votes counted, Chris Nation leads in the Marysville School District Director District 1 race with 4,363 votes for 59.26 percent of the vote, while his opponent Heather Thweatt has received 2,956 votes for 40.15 percent of the vote as of press time.

“I’m disappointed, but not surprised,” Thweatt said. “I knew this was likely some time ago. Chris was able to outspend me and spend more time campaigning in the area, since he works locally.”

Thweatt nonetheless wished Nation the best, presuming that the vote continues to go in his favor.

“This is about what’s best for the kids,” Thweatt said. “It was never about me. I’ll remain involved in the school district, continue to serve on the committees I’ve been on and keep working at the level of activity I’ve been at. This district has great students.”

As of Nov. 4, Nation remained cautious about presuming a victory, since all the mail-in ballots had yet to be counted.

“I thank my supporters for trusting me to make these decisions,” Nation said. “I plan to work with the community as partners to make the system better.”

Nation acknowledged that recent discussions about proposed school start and stop times, as well as recurring discussions about the high school Small Learning Communities, have inspired strong emotions.

“My goal is to calm things down,” Nation said. “Our priority should be to provide the best education for our kids that we can with the dollars that we have, rather than disrupt the system. I’m still in shock and awe that the race is done. I’m glad it’s over, so that we can focus on the future and take steps in a direction that will benefit everyone.”