And then there were seven. Out of the eight who initially filed to run for the three open seats on the Canby City Council before last month’s deadline, seven were certified to be on the ballot for the November general election.
The candidates will be incumbents Greg Parker, Shawn Varwig and Art Marine, along with newcomers Brad Clark, James Davis, Craig Lewelling and Herman Maldonado. One candidate who had filed the initial paperwork, Cara Hawkins, withdrew prior to final certification.
Also on the ballot seeking a new two-year term will be incumbent Mayor Brian Hodson, who did not draw an opponent for the fifth straight election cycle. Hodson has run unopposed since he won the seat from then-incumbent Randy Carson in 2012.
Parker and Hodson are the two longest-serving elected officials on the Canby City Council, both having been first elected to the body in 2010, two years before Hodson successfully campaigned for mayor.
Varwig, a local small-business owner, was first elected to council in 2018 and is seeking a second term. Marine, a longtime mortgage banker and civic organizer and volunteer, joined the board by appointment in April, replacing David Bajorin.
The other candidates for the council seats include several familiar faces, including Jim Davis, who has served as chief of the Canby Fire District since 2014. Davis said he plans to retire from the fire service when his contract expires next June.
The rest of the council field will include Wilsonville librarian and former pastor Brad Clark and maintenance director Herman Maldonado — both of whom applied for the most recent vacancy on the board but were passed over in favor of Marine — and Craig Lewelling.
Lewelling is a corporate executive and financial adviser who served on the city’s original urban renewal committee and industrial area association. He also is a graduate of Canby High School and the University of Oregon.
Canby’s City Council is comprised of the mayor and six city councilors. The council meets regularly on the first and third Wednesday of the month.
Qualified applicants must have been a resident of the city of Canby for the 12 months immediately preceding the appointment and must collect 50 signatures from registered Canby voters to be included on the ballot. Applicants must also be current, registered Oregon voters.
Residents may also serve on a variety of city volunteer boards, committees and commissions. For more information, visit the city’s website at canbyoregon.gov.