2 weeks Ago By ELLA HUTCHERSON [email protected]
All nine Corvallis City Council seats are on the ballot this year; six of them contested, with 14 candidates going toe-to-toe for those seats. There’s 17 candidates total, a higher number than usual — perhaps the largest volume in the last decade. At a minimum, four new faces will be joining council, as Ward 3’s Hyatt Lytle, Ward 4’s Gabe Shepherd, Ward 6’s Laurie Chaplen and Ward 8’s Tracey Yee are not seeking reelection.
What is known is that Ward 4 will see unopposed Sunrise Corvallis slate member Ava Olson — who is 21 years old and a student at Oregon State University — take the baton. Ward 8 will be passed on to Planning Commission Vice Chair Carolyn Mayers, who is also running unopposed. The only other unopposed race is for Ward 5, which will continue to be in the hands of incumbent Charlyn Ellis, who has of late been embroiled in a lawsuit against the city.
It is not yet entirely clear if or how the election may impact these proceedings. Four incumbents seek reelection in contested races — Ward 1’s Jan Napack, Ward 2’s Briae Lewis, Ward 7’s Paul Shaffer and Ward 9’s Tony Cadena. Ward 7 is a three-way race, as is Ward 6 — though in that case, all three are newcomers.
Ward 6 and Ward 7, therefore, are subject to ranked choice voting rules. If no candidate for Ward 6 or Ward 7 receives more than 50% of the vote, the Benton County Elections Office will then tally second-choice votes for each of those races. Of the 12 newcomers running for council, six are from the Sunrise Corvallis slate , which is a self-identified “grassroots” group with shared focuses on climate change, housing and homelessness justice and safe streets.
Five of these six candidates are in their 20s. As of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 25,353 ballots had been accepted in Benton County.
There are 61,914 eligible voters total. Watch this space for updates of the Corvallis City Council races. Jan Napack Incumbent Jan Napack , who has been a city councilor since 2019, is running against 20-year-old Sunrise Corvallis slate member and cook Beckett Hunt .
Beckett Hunt is running for the Ward 1 on the Corvallis City Council against Jan Napack. Briae Lewis Incumbent Briae Lewis is seeking a second term on City Council. She is running against Sunrise Corvallis slate member and prep cook Dylan de Honor .
Dylan de Honor is running for Ward 2 against Briae Lewis. Jim Moorefield Former city councilor and retired executive director of Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services Jim Moorefield is running against outdoor recreation instructor and previous city of Corvallis water resources specialist Mark Taratoot . Mark Taratoot is running for Ward 3 against Jim Moorefield.
Brennan Colberg Ward 6 is a three-way race with no incumbent. Richard Masella Brennan Colberg is a software engineer and new dad. Richard Masella is a stay-at-home dad and former brewer.
And Alison Bowden is a member of the Sunrise Corvallis slate and a technology systems manager. Alison Bowden is running for Corvallis City Council Ward 6 against Brennan Colberg and Richard Masella. Paul Shaffer Ward 7 is also a three-way race.
Paul Shaffer , who has served on council since winning in a 2019 special election, is the incumbent. Roy Rheuben Roy Rheuben is a Sunrise Corvallis slate member and OSU master’s student, and Andrea Bibee is a civil rights worker. Andrea Bibee Tony Cadena Incumbent Tony Cadena is seeking a second term on city council.
His opponent is Sunrise Corvallis slate member and lifelong activist Karen-Jean Canan . Karen-Jean Canan is running for Ward 9 against Tony Cadena. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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