Mercer Island School Board Candidate Leaving Race

MERCER ISLAND, WA - School board candidate Diana Lein is leaving the Position 4 Mercer Island School District Director race, she said Monday. Lein told Patch.com that she is leaving the race to care for her elderly parents whose health is in decline.

Lein emerged from the August primary in second place behind Deborah Schneider Lurie (Linhui Hao finished third in the race). Lein earned about 2,100 votes to Lurie's 3,100.

Although Lein may stop campaigning for the race, her name will likely still appear on the ballot. May 22 was the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the election. However, Lein is supporting Lurie for the Position 4 seat.

"I have known Deborah Lurie for 11 plus years and she has my full support," Lein said in an email Monday.

Ballots for the November election will begin hitting mailboxes in mid-October. Election day is Nov. 7, but results will not be certified until Nov. 28.

Image via Diana Lein