Unless an atypical write-in campaign emerges, the four incumbents running for reelection on the Lake Oswego City Council will not face a competitive campaign season this cycle.
With the deadline for filling out forms to run for mayor and three other open seats having passed Tuesday, Aug. 20, the city of Lake Oswego has only approved candidate filings from Mayor Joe Buck and Councilors Massene Mboup, Rachel Verdick and Aaron Rapf for the November election.
Followers and participants of Lake Oswego politics note that this lack of competition in a Lake Oswego election is unusual. Last cycle, with Councilor John Wendland as the lone incumbent, six candidates ran for three open seats. When Buck won the mayorship four years ago, he defeated Theresa Kohlhoff and John LaMotte while there were five candidates vying for three council positions.
So what gives?
Residents content with the existing cohort?
Buck, Wendland, former City Councilor Jeff Gudman and political strategist Elaine Franklin all felt that general satisfaction with the local government and the existing city leadership is a primary reason why no one else decided to run. The most recent city of Lake Oswego survey conducted by an outside firm showed that 97% of residents rated the city as an excellent or good place to live.
“Setting aside my obvious bias, Lake Oswego has the strongest City Council in the region,” Buck said via text message. “I couldn’t ask for a better group. I’m very proud of the amount of work we’ve accomplished for our residents these last four years, and I will continue to work just as hard for our community in the years to come.”
Franklin, who has worked with a number of candidates over the years including Rapf, said via email: “Most cities would give their eyeteeth for the highly functioning team that is the current Lake Oswego City Council.”
“Their diversity of backgrounds and views coupled with an ability to discuss differences without rancor and come to sound collective decisions is unmatched in today’s political arena. Any potential candidates would probably have understood the challenge this year, of defeating any one of the four incumbents who are seeking reelection,” Franklin added. “Lake Oswego rates 48% above the U.S. average as a place to live and perceptions of a community moving in the right direction are very high. This is due in no small part to council members who put themselves and their interests aside, who work with the community on a vision for the future of the City and who have the leadership qualities and experience to execute strategies to achieve that vision."
No divisive issue on the table
Further, Gudman and Wendland noted a lack of polarizing hot-button issues that can create fissures within the community and lead those unhappy with the chosen direction to run. In elections the last couple of decades, the redevelopment of downtown and a proposed streetcar from Portland to Lake Oswego were among major issues that divided the community. The 2020 election was largely defined by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and racial reckoning prompted by the murder of George Floyd.
“Based on the last City survey, people are generally happy and supportive of our community and our city government direction. While we still have issues to resolve and hard work to do, there is not a decisive issue that is dividing Lake Oswego,” Wendland said via text.
The four candidates running as a block — which was collectively announced in a Review opinion piece — also may have created another challenge for prospective candidates. Gudman said such staunch unity amongst the incumbents may have proved too daunting for some.
Buck, however, said that the lack of challengers does not indicate a dearth of eagerness amongst the community to participate in city politics. He added that he has spoken with folks interested in serving eventually.
“If no one was interested in running for office, I would be concerned. But I know of some incredible people waiting in the wings to run to be the next group of leaders,” he said. “Being an elected official, especially a volunteer one, can be brutal in today’s political environment, but the more we continue our tradition of reciprocal trust and respect, the more we’ll continue to attract quality candidates to run for office. Lake Oswego has been fortunate for the quality of its mayors and councilors over the years, and that continued trend is very important to the future health of the community.”
Despite not facing an opponent this cycle, Buck said he will knock on doors and hear community input. He is also working with local students on voter outreach and campaign organization.
He said the campaign season “provides a great opportunity to hear from the community and learn ideas, priorities, hopes, concerns and build relationships.”
The four incumbents have until Aug. 30 to withdraw their candidacies.
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