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Happy Sunday,
Whew. Election night 2026? Over.
There’s still an extremely tight race for the East Lane County Commissioner seat, where Heather Buch led Jake Pelroy by just 172 votes (out of more than 35,000 cast!) heading into the weekend.
But besides that, it felt like the “blue tsunami” that rocked the country on Tuesday only got stronger as it washed over Lane County. (Local races are technically nonpartisan, but winning candidates and measures all had the backing of the Democratic Party of Lane County.)
Callee Ackland vs. Jill Cuadros for Springfield City Council? Ackland by 16 percentage points.
Athena Aguiar vs. Mike Clark for Eugene City Council? Aguiar by 18 percentage points.
Eugene Clean Energy Fund? Yes by 19 points.
None of the results surprised me, but the margins sure did. In my head, I’d predicted a 53-47% win for the Clean Energy Fund ballot measure. I thought both council races and the Buch/Pelroy vote would be nail-biters. I was right on one out of four.
The numbers suggest progressive energy was just as unstoppable here in Lane County as it was across the nation on Tuesday night.
What were your biggest local election night takeaways? Share your thoughts in a letter to the editor: lte@lookout.com.
Housing series preview
Why don’t we have enough affordable housing?
It’s a question I’ve wondered often as a longtime renter in Eugene. We all know housing affordability is a huge problem across the country, and especially on the West Coast. But a few months ago, I decided to start looking into just how bad our housing issues are compared to other places.
The answer spurred a five-part series that the Lookout Eugene-Springfield Editorial Board is publishing tomorrow through Friday, examining the causes of our region’s housing crisis and proposing some solutions. They’ll be featured stories on our website and app each morning this week.
A bit of this and that
Well, now that the election’s over, it’s time to turn the page from the flood of endorsements and get back to the glorious randomness of Community Voices.
The drawer is suddenly looking a bit empty (lte@lookoutlocal.com if something’s on your mind), but we did publish a few non-election-related submissions last week:
Eugene letter-writer and former teacher Mikell Harshbarger weighed in on Lookout’s reporting on enrollment declines in local school districts. Harshbarger called the trend “entirely predictable, but not inevitable,” and argued for a shift away from standardized tests and back to the type of student-centered learning he practiced in the 1990s.
“Providing a well-rounded education for all K-12 students is critical, something that Lookout Eugene-Springfield has reported is not happening currently,” Harshbarger wrote.
And Eugene letter-writer Kevin Craig weighed in on what has become a hot Community Voices topic over the past few months: electric vehicles like e-bikes and “e-motos” on public paths. Craig argued the discourse around these vehicles shouldn’t focus on “boilerplate media coverage” about fatal accidents, but instead consider the role each type of vehicle plays, and how their riders behave.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Community Voices Weekly every Sunday in your inbox.
OTHER Letters TO THE EDITOR
Do the math: An electric motorcycle won’t hit you like a truck | Letter to the editor
Our Eugene nonprofit lost a $75,000 grant. What happened next was incredible. | Letter to the editor
Declining school enrollment numbers are not inevitable | Letter to the editor
Rural Lane County needs public safety and fiscal sanity. It’s why I support Jake Pelroy. | Letter to the editor
What kind of world will our grandchildren inherit? | Letter to the editor
Voters, not party leaders, will be my boss in Congress | Letter to the editor
We’re brothers voting for the first time, and we want a young voice representing us | Letter to the editor
Anti-Eugene Clean Energy Fund mailer was dishonest in more ways than one | Letter to the editor
Don’t support Oregon’s anti-choice candidates | Letter to the editor
This week’s guest opinions
Behavioral health campus is an economic development project. Springfield should treat it like one.
The loudest voices against the Eugene Clean Energy Fund have it wrong. Here’s why I’m voting no.
Night of the living Elves: The dark side of green Eugene
When Eugene neighborhoods fight needed housing, my generation suffers
Send us your Letter to the Editor — lte@lookoutlocal.com
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