Two candidates backed by MPC faculty are poised to win seats on the board.

Monterey Peninsula College Area 2 Trustee candidate Yuri Anderson ran a textbook campaign—as in she literally used a book, The Political Campaign Desk Reference by Michael McNamara—and it appears to have worked in her challenge to incumbent Margaret-Anne Coppernoll.

“I’ve never run for office or worked on a political campaign before,” Anderson says.

She says she bought the book and read it cover to cover, wrote a detailed campaign plan and then carried it out with precision over the last few months.

Around 90 volunteers helped her knock on 4,500 doors—mostly in Marina, the largest portion of Area 2, which also includes parts of Seaside—and attempt to call every phone number in the city they had on record, approximately 3,500.

“Many numbers were disconnected, but we tried,” Anderson says.

The hard work paid off: She was in the lead over the long-time incumbent on election night. The next morning, Nov. 7, with just over 37 percent of the votes counted, Anderson held 61 percent to Coppernoll’s 39 percent. (Monterey County Elections officials say they will not update results again until Friday, Nov. 9.)

Just over the border in Area 1, made up of Sand City and a large swath of Seaside, Natalia Molina was leading over former Seaside mayor Felix Bachofner, 57.5 percent to 45.5 percent.

Like Anderson, Molina—also a first-time candidate—was assisted by around 100 volunteers who canvassed about 2,500 Seaside homes. Bachofner, who had greater name recognition, says work issues and a lingering cold in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 election hampered his efforts to get out the vote.

Both women found willing volunteers in MPC students and current and former instructors, thanks to a push by the Monterey Peninsula College Teachers Association. Instructors also donated to both candidates' campaigns.

The union has been frustrated with the current board for steadfastly supporting President Walt Tribley, who faculty has seen as an opponent in negotiations for a new contract. (Some progress was made this week, and there may soon be an agreement on a new contract with some pay increases for faculty.) And more change is on the way with Tribley retiring in 2019.

If the two are confirmed as the winners, they could possibly be sworn in by Dec. 12, bringing significant change to the board. Molina may be the board's first Latina in its history.

Molina says interacting with voters was extremely positive and an experience she won't soon forget.

"In general people had very positive things to say about MPC," she says. "A number of voters did comment there was a need for a new direction."