LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS - News & Updates

LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS

August 10th, 2026

8/10/2026

Linn Dems Cookout & Dessert Auction
raises more than $3,000

Eighty people turned out for our annual Linn County Democrats Cookout & Dessert Auction on Aug. 9 at Santiam Place Wedding & Event Hall in Lebanon. Chair Ben Watts emceed the event, which included a barbecue hamburger and hot dog dinner, a Linn Democratic Central Committee business meeting, brief speeches by candidates who will be on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot, and the dessert auction, which raised more than $3,000 for the Linn Dems. Thanks to everyone who bought and brought the desserts, and delicious side dishes, and to those who volunteered to make it a fun evening.

August 10th, 2026

8/10/2026

Big turnout for Joanna Robinson's Canvass Kickoff

Forty-four people turned out Aug. 8 for the Canvass Kickoff and Pizza Party for House District 15 candidate Joanna Robinson. The canvassers knocked on more than 800 doors in neighborhoods near the park,
#Flip15

August 08th, 2026

8/8/2026

The Albany Banner Brigade provided this timely this message July 18 for I-5 southbound traffic from the Santiam Highway overpass.

August 05th, 2026

8/5/2026

Join us Sunday, Aug. 9, in Lebanon
for our annual Cookout & Pie (Dessert) Auction

Join us for the Linn County Democrats' Annual Cookout and Pie (Dessert) Auction, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at Santiam Place Wedding & Event Hall, 139 N. Main St., Lebanon. A brief Linn Dems Central Committee will be held during the event. It will be in-person only. (Links to the meeting agenda and last month's meeting minutes are below).
  Enjoy a barbecue with burgers and hot dogs. We encourage you to bring a side dish or dessert,. We'll have bingo and conduct a short central committee meeting before moving onto the auction.
  We look forward to seeing you there!
***
  The pie (dessert) auction is our biggest fundraiser to help out local candidates. Help us support local candidates for 2026 by donating a dessert or purchasing delectable desserts!
  We have two options for dessert donations:

Category 1: Competitive Home-Baked whole desserts to be auctioned off to the highest bidder (pies, cakes, hand pies; whole pans of crumbles, brownies, loaves etc).
Category 2: 'Buy It Now' non-competitive home baked or store bought goods for a 'Buy it Now' Table for attendees that don't enjoy bidding wars and can't wait to dig into some tasty treats. This category will feature a fixed price to be sold during the event as is. These desserts may be reduced during the event at the discretion of the auctioneer.

Dessert donations will be accepted via the Dessert Auction online form until Aug. 7. Click the button below to register your dessert. Any desserts donations that aren't registered in time will be added to the 'Buy it Now' table on Aug. 9.

Dessert Auction Registration

August 04th, 2026

8/4/2026

Stay cool!

With smoke from wildfires and temperatures forecast for the mid- to upper 90s, here's a list of places to cool off today through Thursday.

July 19th, 2026

7/19/2026

Wyden, Merkley ask data center advisory panel
to consider multiple issues raised by Oregonian

July 2
”Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today wrote Gov. Tina Kotek’s data center advisory committee to convey concerns both senators have heard from Oregonians as the state panel works on solutions that balance data centers’ economic benefits with their financial impacts on utility consumers and environmental impacts on entire communities.
“Thank you for coming together to tackle the challenges posed by the rapid expansion of data centers in Oregon,” Wyden and Merkley wrote committee members. While we acknowledge that data centers are critical to American national security, can help ensure technological advancement, and create good union jobs, your work to strike a balance between pursuing economic development opportunities in alignment with sustainable utility costs and environmental impacts is critical for Oregon and the Northwest. Several issues have been raised by constituents regarding responsible data center development with our offices, ranging from local to state to federal jurisdiction.”
The Oregon senators asked the state data center advisory committee to consider the following concerns that accompany the growth of data centers around the state:

Increasing energy demand to power and cool equipment.
Increasing electricity costs for consumers because of increased demand.
Water quality and quantity issues because of data centers’ use of large water volumes from surface, ground, municipal or reclaimed water sources to cool servers and prevent overheating.
Visibility issues from steam, and noise pollution from cooling systems and fans.
Land use decisions dealing with the rezoning of productive agricultural land.
Tribal rights and consultation that respect treaty rights, including rights to hunt, fish, and gather food and medicine.
Transparency and public accountability that reflect community concerns about environmental and infrastructure impacts that data centers can present for future energy and water needs, as well as impacts to utilities and municipal services.

Wyden is a cosponsor of the AI Environmental Impacts Act and has pressed Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon for answers about the impact of their data centers on water usage. He is also developing legislation to ensure that data centers pay their fair share in taxes to address the various stresses they create on local infrastructure.
“We are grateful for your work to embody the ‘Oregon way’ to hear from all perspectives and chart a path forward,” Wyden and Merkley wrote the data center advisory committee. “We stand ready to partner with you on data center policies best for Oregon.”

July 19th, 2026

7/19/2026

DPO chair assails Trump's
'unhinged address' to nation

July 14th, 2026

7/14/2026

Linn County Fair

Bob Smith and Genny Lynch staffed the Linn Dems booth July 16.

Linn County Democrats Chair Ben Watts, House District 11 candidate Ivan Maluski and Penelope Watts, Ben's daughter, took in the fair July 16.

Thanks to everyone who staffed our booth July 16-18 at the Linn County, and to Democratic candidates Ivan Maluksi (HD11), Joanna Robinson (HD15) and Serriah Williams (SD6) for stopping by the booth and engaging with voters at the fair And special thanks to Genny Lynch for her great work coordinating our booth effort this year.

Ivan Maluski and Adrienne Lulay with Pamplousse the heifer at the fair. Lulay owns Lulay Livestock Company near Scio and supports Maluski in his bid for state representative.

Video: House District 15 candidate Joanna Robinson summarizes results of the top issues picked fairgoers at our booth.

Ivan Maluski talks with fairgoer Ken Johnston.

Video: HD11 candidate Ivan Maluski.

Videos: HD15 candidate Joanna Robinson

Linn County Fair Website

July 12th, 2026

7/12/2026

Former councilor challenges mayor in Albany

Alex Johnson II and Carolyn McLeod

Albany Mayor Alex Johnson II will face at least one challenger, former City Councilor Carolyn McLeod, in the Nov. 3 General Election. Both say they plan to file as candidates for the office.
McLeod, who announced her intent to run last month, resigned her Ward 2B Council position Aug. 6. Citing a 50-page complaint by Albany resident John Robinson and concerns by former city councilors about her ward residency, she said she decided to step down despite her interpretation of the city charter and that of the city attorney that she was following legal requirements.
McLeod said she was unmarried at the time she filed to run for council in 2024 but got married since then. She owns a home in Ward 2 in southwest Albany and spends time at a home she doesn't own in North Albany (Ward 1).
In her resignation statement, McLeod said, "Because I value the opinions and input of everyone in Albany, I have decided to resign my position as city councilor in ward 2 to fully focus on the upcoming election, and my campaign for mayor of the city of Albany. (The full text of McLeod's resignation statement appears under the title "Good Trouble" on her mayoral campaign website.)
Johnson and McLeod are registered Democrats and veterans. Johnson served in the Navy, McLeod in the Army.
First elected in 2020, Johnson is seeking his fourth two-year term as mayor.
"I’m running to continue the vision of Albany when I first got elected,” he said last month, noting that his priorities will again be economic development, housing affordability, infrastructure improvements and public safety. Progress has been made in all four areas, “and you can see it all over town,” he said.
“As your city councilor," McLeod said last month, "I’ve been assisting neighbors citywide with their community issues. ... “Now is the time for change in Albany leadership and I’m ready for the task."
City Councilors Steph Newton (Ward 1A) and Ramycia McGhee (Ward 3A) have filed for reelection.
Councilor Chris Van Drimmelen (Ward 2A) has said he does not plan to run. He was appointed in the spring of 2025 to fill the seat vacated by Jackie Montague after she resigned to work as a business analyst in the city’s IT department. Rachel Biscoe has filed to run for that seat.
The filing deadline for mayor and council positions is Aug. 25. For more information, see the city's Elections webpage.
The City Council will appoint someone to serve the remainder of McLeod's Ward 2B term, which ends Dec. 31, 2028.

Mayoral, Council openings in Linn County Cities

Albany Ward Maps

July 11th, 2026

7/11/2026

The Albany Banner Brigade turned out July 11 for its 20th banner drop since last August, providing messages for I-5 northbound ("NO KINGS, NO GRIFTERS") and southbound traffic ("RESIST LIKE IT'S 1776") from the Santiam Highway overpass.