Salem primary 2022: Chris Hoy holds lead in mayor race

This story will continue to be updated as more results come in. Because ballots could be mailed on Election Day starting this year, elections officials caution the winners may not be known for several days. Election offices expect vote counts after Tuesday to rise more than in past years due to valid ballots arriving at counting locations up to seven days after the election.

Chris Hoy appears to have a significant lead to be Salem's next mayor, according to initial election results.

Micki Varney was holding a lead in the Ward 8 race representing West Salem. Dynee Medlock and Julie Hoy are leading in their respective races, but vote counting remains underway.

As of Wednesday, Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess said 55,000 of the roughly 70,000 ballots the county elections office has received have been counted and the results posted. Thousands were still coming in through the mail.

About 15,000 were expected to be counted and posted Thursday afternoon.

Live 2022 primary election results:Find the latest vote counts here

Salem voters had the opportunity to select half of a new City Council.

In the months leading up to the filing deadline, Mayor Chuck Bennett, Councilor Jim Lewis, Councilor Tom Andersen and Chris Hoy signaled their intentions to not seek re-election.

Bennett and Lewis are stepping away from public office. Hoy ran running for mayor, and Andersen ran run to represent House District 19 in the Oregon State Legislature.

All council positions and the mayor's seat are unpaid, nonpartisan positions. Mayoral terms are two years, and councilors' terms are four years.

Mayor

After six years as Salem mayor and nine on the council, Bennett told the Statesman Journal in November he was not seeking a fourth term.

His departure coincides with several top leadership exoduses in Salem, including City Manager Steve Powers retiring in March and Lewis resigning in February.

More:High-dollar Salem mayoral race pits councilor against rotary president

Hoy, who currently serves as a city councilor and state representative, is a retired undersheriff with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. He was appointed to serve as a state representative until the end of 2022.

While on the council, Hoy has served as chair of the Salem Housing Authority Board of Directors and serves as vice-chair of the Mid-Willamette Homeless Alliance Board of Directors. The northeast Salem resident said he has focused on housing and homelessness, public works and legislative issues.

Hoy said he was proud of the campaign he ran and was optimistic about the results.

"I'll feel better when more ballots are in and the numbers update more," he said.

The other candidate for Salem mayor, Chane Griggs, has long been involved in city planning commissions and state leadership. She is seeking public office for the first time. Griggs previously worked as the assistant director for the Oregon Department of Corrections and regional director for the Oregon Community Foundation.

The South Salem resident is president of the Salem Rotary Club and has served on the Salem Planning Commission, Capital Planning Commission and budget committee.

She listed homelessness, affordable housing and public safety as key issues in the city.

"I'm hopeful that there might be a shift," Griggs said of the vote count Wednesday morning.

She said she had been up until midnight waiting for results and picking up campaign signs.

"I'm so proud of our campaign," she said, adding that she was happy to see some people leading who might bring a "different perspective" to city council.

Ward 2

With Andersen opting out of the race, Ward 2 in south-central Salem will get a new councilor for the first time since 2014. Linda Nishioka was the lone candidate for the position.

Nishioka formerly was director of facial plastic surgery at Willamette ENT and is a member of Salem's Downtown Advisory Board, Riverfront Park Committee and Streetscape Committee.

Linda Nishioka: Learn more about her

She said she believes her experience and background can help her make Salem an even more livable, healthy and affordable city.

Homelessness and affordable housing are high priorities for Salem, Nishioka said, adding that she supports efforts to expand transitional housing and shelters. Responsible business development and maintaining clean and safe parks also topped her list of priorities.

Ward 4

Two candidates ran to represent the southernmost ward in Salem currently represented by Jackie Leung, who filed to run for the Legislature but then dropped out prior to election day.

Deanna Gwyn, a principal broker with Blum Real Estate and secretary with the Mid-Valley Association of Realtors, promised action on homelessness, more affordable housing and more support for police to reduce crime.

Dynee Medlock is a network specialist, Apple technician and former board member of the South Gateway Neighborhood Association. She said as a mom of two school-aged children, she wants safe neighborhoods and clean parks as well as progress addressing the homelessness crisis and easing the lack of affordable housing.

Medlock held a slight lead Tuesday ahead of Gwyn.

"We look forward to every vote being counted," Medlock said. "I am grateful for those who have supported me during this race. It has been quite a journey."

Gwyn vs. Medlock: Learn more about the candidates

Ward 6

Hoy's mayoral campaign opened up a spot in northeast Salem's Ward 6.

Julie Hoy, a musician, non-profit leader and owner of Geppetto's Italian Restaurant, ran against occupational therapist and Pacific University adjunct faculty teacher Stacey Vieyra-Braendle. Hoy is no relation to Chris Hoy.

Hoy listed homelessness, mental health, drug addiction, property crimes and a lack of affordable housing as issues the council needs to take more action on. She does not have prior governmental experience.

"We need people who are willing to work together and reach outside what we know," she said. "I feel new to this, which is, I think, a good thing — a fresh perspective."

Hope said she felt good about the results on Wednesday and felt at peace with the outcome either way.

She held a lead in votes as of Wednesday evening.

More:East Salem council race draws restaurant owner, occupational therapist

Vieyra-Braendle serves on Salem's Citizen Budget Committee, hosts a Free Fridge Salem pantry and serves on the board of directors with the Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality.

She said she wants to transform Salem into a compassionate community where everyone can thrive.

"I will do this by addressing houselessness and the housing crisis, centering equity and accessibility and ensuring my neighbors have access to the resources and services they need to promote their total health," Vieyra-Braendle said.

Ward 8

Lewis' decision to not run for re-election, paired with his early resignation last month, left the council seat representing West Salem open. The council a few weeks ago appointed candidate Micki Varney to temporarily fill the spot.

Varney, a salmon biologist, and Chris Cummings, a CEO for a local tech company, ran to fill the spot starting in 2023.

Cummings vs. Varney:Learn more about the candidates

Varney ran against Lewis in 2018 and lost. She previously served as a city councilor in Dayton, Washington, and served on the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, West Salem Neighborhood Association, Service Employees International Union Local 503 and American Association of University Women.

Varney said she wants to protect parks and green spaces, address homelessness, promote sustainable growth, expand local services in West Salem and relieve congestion on Wallace Road with the development of Marine Drive.

Cummings wants to focus on addressing homelessness, affordable housing and public safety by adding more police officers to the force.

He said his experience as a business leader would bring a needed perspective to the council.

"City Council is out of touch with the community," Cummings said. "And I think the community is saying we need to change."

Varney had a lead over Cummings, according to initial results.

Cummings said he expected more ballots to be counted in the coming days as more made it through the mail.

"At that point, we’ll have a better view of the outcome," he said. "Our team ran a great campaign and I remain optimistic about a favorable outcome."

Varney, too, was waiting on more votes.

"It's been a really good campaign," she said. "Voters have been responsive. I'm hoping this shows the importance of being engaged in your community and being willing to speak up for them."

Reporter Claire Withycombe contributed to this story

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem primary 2022: Who will be elected to Salem City Council, mayor