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Melanie Kebler

Candidate for Mayor

Melanie Kebler

Building a better Bend for all of us.

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Bold leadership for the challenging times ahead.

I’m running for mayor because I care deeply about our city, and I want to create a sustainable future for Bend. Years of public service, as well as my time already serving as your Councilor, have shown me that we need strong leadership in the mayor’s role to meet the challenges our city faces as we grow.

Whether you rent your home or own it, whether you have always lived here or moved here recently, and no matter your age or your background, everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive in Bend. We must work together on effective solutions while leaning on our strength as a community that knows how to adapt and evolve. I’m ready to lead our city in that work.

A Place to Call Home

Creating more housing, including more affordable housing, must remain a top priority for our city. People that work here should be able to live here and avoid lengthy commutes. For those that don’t have a home, we need City leaders that actively work on a broad spectrum of proven solutions while coordinating with the County, State, and Federal government.

A Protected Environment

Our planet faces no greater crisis today than climate change. Our incredible natural environment here in Bend is important for both our ecosystem and our economy. We must take bold action and work together to change old habits and systems that led us to our current climate crisis. We must also adapt and mitigate the harms that we are facing from wildfire and drought in the coming years.

A Safe, Thriving Community

If we want Bend to be a great place to live, we must create a healthy and safe city that welcomes diversity and works for everyone. Everyone deserves a fair chance to thrive here, including our most vulnerable community members. Our first responders must be supported in their work to save lives in Bend, and we must also recognize the need to respond effectively to those who are suffering from addiction or experiencing a mental health crisis.

A Well-Connected City

Everyone, no matter how they get around town, should be able to get around safely. Our transportation network is the connector that ties together with how we respond to housing, growth, and climate challenges. We can and should create a transportation system in Bend that provides for robust public transit, safe walking and biking, access for the disabled, and connectivity for all.

Meet Melanie

When I was growing up in Bend it was still a small city. By the time I graduated from Bend Senior High, I had already watched our city grow and change.

After college in Michigan, I returned to Oregon for law school at Lewis & Clark. I couldn’t stay away from the Pacific Northwest for long.

I began my career in public service as a state prosecutor, where I saw the barriers crime victims faced getting justice in our legal system. That led me to become a victims’ rights attorney for the non-profit Oregon Crime Victims Law Center in Portland.

When the opportunity arose to transfer to Bend, I was thrilled at the chance to raise my daughter in the beautiful town where I grew up. In 2020, I was honored to be elected to the City Council.

In my career so far, I’ve learned to listen to all voices, not just those I agree with. I’ve also learned the power of cooperation and collaboration.

Those skills have helped me collaborate with fellow City Councilors over the last year. We’ve worked to take on the housing crisis, invest in equity and inclusion, start work on safer, more connected ways to get around town, take a strong stance on protection of our environment, and plan for a safer and more sustainable future.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve made. As a candidate to become your mayor, I stand ready to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities Bend will encounter in the coming years.

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Endorsements

  • Jason Kropf, State Representative
  • Phil Chang, Deschutes County Commissioner
  • Ariel Méndez, Bend Parks and Rec Board Chair
  • Nathan Hovekamp, Bend Parks and Rec Board
  • Deb Schoen, Bend Parks and Rec Board
  • Melissa Barnes Dholakia, Bend-La Pine School Board Chair
  • Marcus LeGrand, Bend-La Pine School Board Vice Chair
  • Bend City Councilors Megan Perkins, Barb Campbell, Anthony Broadman, Gena Goodman-Campbell, Stephen Sehgal, and Mo Mitchell
  • Former Bend City Councilor Rita Schenkelberg
  • Jamie McLeod-Skinner, Candidate for Congressional District 5
  • Ruth Williamson, Community Leader
  • Mike Riley, Environmental Advocate
  • Roger Worthington, Founder, Worthy Brewing
  • Brian Ladd, The Ladd Group
  • Kathy Austin, Architect
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