Cottage GroveNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Cottage Grove Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 3 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election Day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Four offices are on this ballot: Mayor, Ward 1, Ward 3 and one At-Large seat. The Ward 4 seat and the other At-Large seat are not up, and the Ward 2 seat is vacant.

Election Day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Brett Smith · Pacific Green
    • Tina Kotek · Democrat, Working Families
    • Christine Drazan · Republican, Libertarian
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • David Brock Smith · Republican
    • Jeff Merkley · Democrat, Working Families
    • Gary Lyndon Dye · Libertarian
    • Chris Henry · Progressive, Pacific Green
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 4
  • State SenateDistrict 6
  • State House of RepresentativesDistrict 12
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01City budget after the accounting errors4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Council adopted the 2026-27 budget 5-2 on June 22, 2026, after accounting errors found by the Interim Finance Director left a $4.5 million hole.

What's on the tableHow the next Council balances budgets, rebuilds audited records and decides what services to cut or fund.

02Library funding and the Housing Assistance Fund3 sourced facts

Where it standsA June 22, 2026 motion to move $50,000 from the Housing Assistance Fund to the library budget failed 2-5.

What's on the tableWhether and how the library and the housing fund are funded, including any future ballot measure.

03Vehicle camping and street parking3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Council changed the street parking notice period to 24 hours on March 23, 2026, and discussed a possible dawn-to-dusk vehicle camping area on March 9.

What's on the tableHow the city enforces parking and camping rules and whether it adds designated camping sites.

04Utility rates and city fees3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Council amended the Comprehensive Fee Schedule on January 26 (5-1) and again on June 22, 2026 (4-3), including utility rate increases.

What's on the tableHow utility rates and fees are set and how costs are allocated to utilities.

3 notes on these statements

The City's list of 2026 candidate filings shows one candidate for Mayor, Greg Ervin, two for Ward 1, one for Ward 3 and two for At-Large. City of Cottage Grove

Mayor Candace Solesbee announced she will not seek reelection and endorsed Greg Ervin at a Council meeting. The Chronicle · Jun 10, 2026

Randell Lammerman resigned from the Ward 2 seat on September 28, 2026. The seat is not on the November ballot, and the Council is expected to appoint a replacement. Cottage Grove Sentinel

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Cottage Grove fund the library?

  2. 2. Should the Housing Assistance Fund balance be used for other budget needs?

  3. 3. How should the city handle camping in vehicles?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted6 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Cottage Grove is runWho runs Cottage Grove, and what it costsThe city manager earns $192,741. See council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

1 stay (not up this year): Darrel Wilson4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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