What are Corvallis’ Unopposed City Council Candidates Thinking, We Interviewed Them

Four of nine Corvallis’ City Council wards are uncontested this election cycle, and they have not been getting the same attention as the races where there is competition. Here, we seek to remedy that. We interviewed each of the candidates extensively, hitting all the hot-button local issues just like we did with the contested races. What we found were four very different candidates, each maybe feeling freer than they otherwise would, and all of them plainspokenly straightforward. Below, the videos and some notes about each.

Ward 3 – Jim Moorefield

Incumbent Ward 3 Corvallis City Councilor Jim Moorefield is running unopposed. He has deep professional experience building affordable housing and offers nuanced thinking about homelessness. That complexity of thought also finds its way into Moorefield’s thinking about Corvallis’ current hot-button issues. Like the debates we’ve offered in this year’s contested races, this interview covers the wide range of topics Corvallisites are thinking about right now, and it’s a revealing look at how this Councilor views governance and what he prioritizes.

Ward 5 – Christine Dashiell

Christine Dashiell runs unopposed for Corvallis City Council’s Ward 5 seat. Like her predecessor, Charlyn Ellis, who has declined to seek reelection, Dashiell prioritizes environmental sustainability and has solid thoughts and policy prescriptions she is wishing to pursue. She is an animated speaker and unique among the current crop of candidates on a number of hot-button issues – this is a revealing interview with a straightforward candidate.

Ward 8 – Carolyn Mayers

Ward 8 Corvallis City Councilor Carolyn Mayers is running unopposed for her second term; she is popular in her ward and has a reputation for community outreach. Mayers is also known for a brand of matter-of-fact outspokenness that can be disarming, and in this interview, she is compellingly straightforward on all the issues. Bonus, she takes the opportunity to float a few new ideas, as well. It’s a good listen.

Ward 9 – Alexis Hammer

First time Corvallis City Council candidate Alexis Hammer is running unopposed in Ward 9. He has been unusual among this election cycle’s candidates, picking up endorsements from across competing flanks of the current Council. Just as in the contested races for Council, this interview covers all the hot-button issues facing Corvallis right now. Also, like the debates, it’s a revealing look at who this candidate is, what he prioritizes, and what constituents can expect.