BEND, OR -- Sally Russell (pictured) is Bend's first Mayor to be chosen by voters in nearly a century, and the first woman ever elected to the post. She has served on City Council since 2012, and is currently Mayor Pro Tem. Russell received just over 50% of the vote. The next runner up, fellow Councilor Bill Moseley, received about 41%.
Shortly after the race was called, Mayor-Elect Russell told KBND News, "I'm going to be Bend's first elected Mayor since 1928! That's a pretty cool thing! I'm ecstatic and I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm really, really looking forward to working with this community and bringing us forward into these next four years." She added, "I want to thank people who believed in me and what I could bring to this town and contribute as a leader going forward. I feel really grateful and very fortunate. And, I'm looking forward to just working with everyone."
Russell credits her win on a campaign focused on collaboration and inclusion, "Building bridges, bringing people together, making sure that we engage everyone, whether or not they voted for me. It's really about recognizing that we all have different values and we've all got to find a middle ground and really make good decisions for all of us."
She says her biggest accomplishments as a Councilor are the creation of a citywide shuttle during peak tourism season, passage of over a dozen affordable housing initiatives and her work on a single-use plastic bag policy, which is expected to pass later this year.
Joining Russell on Council will be Gena Goodman-Campbell, who easily beat Andrew Davis and Victor Johnson to win Position Five. She received 64% of the vote, "I am just incredibly honored and humbled." She tells KBND News, "It's really exciting and I think part of it is my hard work from 2016 when I ran for State Representative paying off, and the hard work of everyone who has helped out on both of my campaigns." Goodman campbell says the first thing she wants to do is listen and create ways for every resident to be more engaged with the city.
Incumbent Barb Campbell won a second term on Council, with 49% of the vote. She defeated Sarah McCormick, who received 43%, and Ron Boozell, who spent Election Night in jail, although still received about 8% of the vote.
