Marin Municipal Water District: Tiburon’s Russell will easily keep seat, winning sixth term

Tiburon resident Larry Russell, who has represented the peninsula on the Marin Municipal Water District board for two decades, easily fended off his two challengers to win a sixth term.

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Russell had about 62% of the vote as of the latest results in the Nov. 5 election, posted early Nov. 8, on track for another four years on the five-member board. His Division 5 includes Tiburon, Belvedere and Strawberry, parts of Corte Madera and Larkspur as well as San Quentin.

Far behind are the two challengers, Dave Keatley and Dawn Matheson, both of San Anselmo, respectively at about 24% and 14%.

While Tiburon and Strawberry voters backed the candidates with similar levels of support, Belvedere voters were less keen on Russell, offering 57% of the vote and boosting Keatley at 32%.

Russell, 77, has lived in Tiburon since 1992. He earned bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and consults with water districts across the U.S. and globally on the best practices for improving and maintaining water quality.

“I live and breathe water,” he said during the campaign, adding that he also places a premium on fiscal prudence. He noted he was the only person on the five-member board to vote against steep four-year rate hikes in 2023 because, he said, it wasn’t fair or equitable, especially to lower-income residents.

Russell says he’s dedicated to the district’s water-conservation efforts, protecting the watershed and securing an adequate supply of high-quality drinking water.

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