As of July 26, almost every seat on Sandy City Council that is up for contest has someone vying to fill the position.
On Nov. 5, three council seats and the mayoral position will be up for grabs. And Council President Laurie Smallwood, who currently serves in position No. 2, has her sights on the mayoral seat.
Mayor Stan Pulliam was contacted about his intentions in this election but did not respond before the time of publication. Previously he’s commented that he’s undecided about running.
Smallwood is a career firefighter and paramedic who has lived in Sandy since 1985. Before working for Sandy Fire, now Clackamas Fire, she coached softball at Sandy High for eight years.
Aside from serving on Council as council president and liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Smallwood is the chairperson of the Sandy Community Action Center board, president of the HOSA Foundation board, a member of the city economic development committee and a member of the city’s homelessness taskforce.
Whether she’s elected as mayor or not, Smallwood’s current term still runs through 2026, and she’s looking forward continuing to push forward on the wastewater treatment project currently in the works.
Of the incumbents whose terms are up, Councilors Don Hokanson and Kathleen Walker have confirmed they’ll run again, though they have yet to file.
While Walker has said that she will file, when asked if she’d be vying to retain her current seat or to compete for the mayoral seat, she said she is still “undecided.”
Councilor Rich Sheldon, similar to Pulliam, has said he has not made a definitive choice yet on whether he will run for re-election.
New faces
Aside from Smallwood, three other candidates have been endorsed by the newly formed People for Sandy PAC to oppose council incumbents.
Shawna Lundry has filed for council position No. 6, currently held by Hokanson and Aryn Ferguson has filed for council position No. 4, currently held by Councilor Kathleen Walker.
Shawna is a small business owner and former police officer, detective and narcotics investigator. Shawna volunteers her time on the Sandy Mountain Festival board and is an active member of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce, and she has coached girls’ youth softball locally in the past. Shawna is married to former Sandy Interim Police Chief Sean Lundry.
According to the People for Sandy website, “Shawna has a passion for public safety, fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, and ensuring the voice of the whole community is represented in the critical decision making that goes on within city government.”
Aryn (Trimble) Ferguson is a Sandy native and Sandy High graduate with a degree in civil engineering. She works for her family’s business, Trimble Rentals, wearing many hats in property management, land development, construction oversight and accounting. She also co-owns a rental property business.
Ferguson has volunteered on the board of directors for organizations like the National Association of Women in Construction, Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce, Kelso Community Club and the City of Sandy’s Economic Development Advisory Board. She’s also served the community through Meals on Wheels and as coach for local sports teams.
She decided to run to “take on a larger role in community involvement and try to make a positive impact on our community.” She hopes to offer a fresh perspective to the council and “represent a broader ranger of people.”
The Post will run candidate profiles in the coming months to introduce the community to those seeking office.
A fourth candidate, Blake Horsfall, had file with the state with an intention to run for Councilor Rich Sheldon’s position no. 3 seat, according to the Secretary of State website, but according to Faith Stewart with People for Sandy, he has withdrawn from running.
For more information on the newcomers supported by the PAC, you can read this past article from The Post: tinyurl.com/3hhxa58u .
Important dates
The filing period for those interested in running for city council opened on Wednesday, June 5.
Candidates can start submitting completed petition signature sheets to the city recorder for verification on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Those intending to run must submit their completed petition to the city recorder by no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19.
Statements to be included in the voters’ pamphlet must be submitted to the Clackamas County Elections Office by Monday, Sept. 9.
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