As of Tuesday there were 12 school board seats up for grabs in the November election with not enough candidates to fill them. San Diego’s Republican Party is asking its members to step up and try to win the seats by default.
The party sent an email to supporters this week urging them to clinch the seats for conservatives.
"File and there's a great chance that all your friends and family will have to call you 'Honorable' from now on just for putting your name in," the email says.
But Tony Krvaric, chairman of the party, said the last-minute recruitment is about more than stacking the deck.
"America is built on everybody having a fair shot out of the shoot and then people determine their future from there," Krvaric said. "But that starts with everyone having a good opportunity for an education. That's where we're coming from."
Krvaric said, if elected, Republican candidates would support charter schools and move away from labor agreements with unions for construction work.
San Diego County Democratic Party Chairwoman Francine Busby said she, too, plans to put forward candidates for many of the open seats.
The open positions include two in the Cajon Valley Union, Coronado Unified and Vallecitos school districts; three in the Julian Union High School District; and one each in the Jamul-Dulzura Union, Spencer Valley and Warner Unified school districts.
Wednesday is the last day candidates can file to run for the unclaimed seats.
