BEND, OR -- A lawyer and industrial Hemp farmer wants to be Bend's next Mayor. Michael Hughes says he would govern in a kind, safe and smart manner, "I see myself as a nonpartisan, able to listen to and understand all sides, and I'm a problem solver, so I see myself as very well suited to this new position that's come up."

Hughes wants to preserve the feeling of community in Bend, "I think there's a lot of things regarding the land use and other things that the city is going to be dealing with in the future, that we have to do in a smart way." He tells KBND News, "Bend's a safe town, I think we all feel safe here, and we want to continue to feel safe here, and one of the things I really want to focus on is fire prevention and preparedness." Hughes believes with steady, people focused leadership, the great things about Bend will continue to flourish, "And I think, By and large, bend's a kind town. It's still a small town, it still has a small town feel, people are still friendly and wave and talk to each other, and I want to continue that."

His family began farming hemp in Nebraska in the 1930s and he started his own industrial venture in Bend four years ago. He thinks his experience as a farmer relates to cultivating a growing city, "Like anything, Farming has a plethora of difficulties involved in it, take out the weather and other factors, there's a lot of stuff that goes into farming." He attended law school as a farmer because, he says, he knew knowledge was power when it came to dealing with the government, "I've been very vigilant in paying attention to what goes on in the city and the county, of course, regarding land use issues in particular, and those that might also cross-sect with the cannabis industry."

In the November election, Hughes faces Bend City Councilors Bill Moseley and Sally Russell, activist Brian Douglass, photojournalist Joshua Langlais and Charles Baer. For more on the candidates, visit our Elections 2018 page.