BEND, OR -- Gena Goodman-Campbell is running for Bend City Council because she wants to preserve what makes Bend special for future generations. She isn't new to politics; she ran against Representative Knute Buehler for Bend's House Seat in 2016. That campaign taught her a lot, "I knocked on thousands of doors all over Bend, every neighborhood; had hundreds of conversations with people in every corner of Bend. So, I heard a lot about what concerns people have and the challenges that people are experiencing, and have had a lot of time to think about solutions to those challenges."

Goodman-Campbell is the public lands coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, starting her ONDA career by working to protect the 30,000-acre Badlands. "I'm passionate about the place where we live, our mountains and our deserts and our rivers. I love being outside and I really want to pass that along to my daughter and the next generation and make sure that they can enjoy those valuable resources in the same way that we do."

She tells KBND News she thinks of herself as an experienced collaborator, and says she wants to help find common ground when it comes to complex issues, "I think we need to be more creative in creating more solutions, more options for affordable housing, and also affordable childcare, making sure transportation and getting around is affordable for people." She adds, "I want our next generation to inherit a healthy community that they can actually afford to live in. So, I'm running for City Council to create a more promising future for everyone in Bend."

In 2010, Goodman-Campbell was named one of 1000 Friends of Oregon's 35 innovators under 35. She faces Victor Johnson and Andrew Davis in the race for City Council Position Five. The Bend Chamber will host a forum to meet Council candidates, October 9.

For more continuing coverage of the November Midterms, visit our Elections 2018 page.