Carmento Floyd, the wife of WSU President Elson S. Floyd, has decided to run as a write-in candidate for Pullman City Council.

Floyd is running from Ward 3 against current councilmember Patricia Wright, who has served on the council since 2008.

The city is divided into three wards, with two councilmembers representing each ward. There is also one councilmember-at-large.

Floyd said she decided to run for council when she filled out her voting ballot. She had wanted to run a couple of years ago and finally decided to do it, he said.

“I just want to serve this area, but clearly this ward,” Floyd said. “I thought I could be involved more.”

Wright said she was surprised by how late in the race Floyd decided run.

“I know ballots had been mailed over a week previously,” Wright said. “It was about 10 days until the official election day. At that point there’s no time to do really any kind of campaigning or raising funds to campaign.”

Floyd said although there wasn’t time for an official campaign, she has called everyone she knows and asked them to spread the word about her candidacy.

If she is elected, Floyd said she would like to see more transparency between the government, city council and the community.

“I don’t think we do a good job as citizens of letting (the government) know what our needs are,” Floyd said. “I hope I will be open enough that people can come and say, ‘These are what our needs are.’ I think a lot of times we talk among ourselves, but we don’t say things to people that can make a difference.”

Wright said she is on the council to represent the people, as well.

“I like to think that I have no personal agenda for serving on the city council,” Wright said. “I’m there because I want to represent my constituents and make the best decision for them as well as serving the city as a whole.”

Floyd said she thinks Wright has done a good job as a councilmember.

“I don’t want to say I would better serve (the city),” Floyd said. “I just want to say that I am very interested in serving it, and I think I have a good pulse of what’s going on in this area.”

Wright said because she has served on the council for four years, she is more equipped than Floyd to understand how things work there.

“I am up to date and knowledgeable with the issues the city is dealing with and the budget constraints we’re facing,” Wright said. “I can tell you there is an enormous learning curve when you first come on the city council.”

The last chance to vote for city council, and the rest of the Whitman County elections, is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. That is also the last day to postmark the ballot.