Deanna Gwyn wins Salem City Council Ward 4 seat
One week after Election Day, the race for Salem City Council's Ward 4 seat has a clear winner: Deanna Gwyn.
"I'm excited to get to work," Gwyn said, adding that she thought her campaigning the past few months helped her pull ahead. "I think just getting out and meeting people face-to-face made all the difference. I think that was key."
She thanked her supporters, people who donated to her campaign and volunteers who advocated for her.
Gwyn said she thinks her messaging and involvement in the community connected with voters.
"I'm their neighbor," she said. "I'm a mom, a business person, a wife, a sister — just a neighbor."
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Gwyn's opponent, Dynee Medlock, conceded the race on her campaign's Facebook page Tuesday night.
Medlock, a network specialist, ran against Gwyn, a real estate broker to represent Salem's southernmost ward. Typically, City Council races are decided during the May primary. Instead, the two had to square off again in November when only six votes separated the candidates.
During the May election, Medlock garnered the most votes — 2,554 to Gwyn's 2,548 — but did not win enough to provide the 50%-plus-one vote margin needed to win the primary outright.
Most council elections in Salem are resolved in May. According to Statesman Journal archives, the last time a council race went to a November runoff was in 2002 in Ward 8. Before that, Ward 2 went to runoff in 1994.
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The extended campaign brought in tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.
Gwyn, the business-backed candidate, outraised Medlock. Her $96,419 in reported contributions set a record unheard of in previous council races. Councilors and the mayor in Salem are unpaid positions.
Gwyn's largest contributors as of October included Oregon Realtors Political Action Committee ($27,500), Blum Real Estate LLC ($5,000), Mountain West Investment Corp. ($2,500) and Mid-Valley Affordable Housing Coalition ($2,500).
Previous races usually collected closer to $10,000 per campaign, but local campaigns are now seeing major upticks in fundraising and big spending. Medlock reported $26,977 in contributions.
While conceding, Medlock acknowledged voters chose Gwyn as the next city councilor.
On election night, Gwyn held a slight lead. But as ballots were counted, her margin widened. By the most recent ballot release on Tuesday, Gwyn was ahead by more than 300 votes.
The results will be certified Dec. 5.
Medlock said she was proud of her campaign.
"While this is not the result I and many others worked towards, having the most votes in the primary election is not a failure, especially considering we were outspent more than 4 to 1 by the special interests that supported my opponent," she said.
She added that she intended to remain a positive force in the community, particularly with the South Gateway Neighborhood Association. She encouraged other political newcomers like her to stay active in the community and said she was grateful for those who worked hard on her campaign.
"It is their commitment that gives me hope for the future," she said. "We must all stay engaged in working towards a future where all of us can thrive."
Gwyn said she is meeting with the mayor Thursday and is ready to hit the ground running come January.
Because of the rarity of council races extending to November, both Medlock and Gwyn began council training in August. Gwyn said she has two more trainings and is ready to learn what committees she will be assigned to.
Reporter Whitney Woodworth covers city hall, economic development and business for the Statesman Journal. For questions, comments and news tips, email wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Election results: Deanna Gwyn wins Salem City Council Ward 4
