Bend City Council sees returning council members, with some newcomers

Four positions were up for grabs on the Bend City Council in the November 2024 election, with eight candidates vying for a chance to serve the city of Bend.

In early returns, incumbents Megan Norris and Megan Perkins appeared to keep their seats, with newcomers Gina Franzosa and Steve Platt appearing ready to join the Council.

Position #1: Megan Norris vs Jonathan A. Curtis

Incumbent Megan Norris beat opponent Jonathan A. Curtis with 73.02% of the votes, as of early Wednesday. Norris, who works for local housing developer Hayden Homes, was appointed by her fellow councilors in 2023. Curtis, a former wildland firefighter, works as a business loan consultant.

Position #2: Gina Franzosa (unopposed)

Gina Franzosa, who ran unopposed, was elected to Position #2 on the Bend City Council. Franzosa, who received about 96.31% of the votes as of early Wednesday, has a background in engineering and works as an affordable housing developer and project manager.

“I feel awesome. With Broadman and Levy, I feel really good that at least in our state, we’re going to have a really great representation,” Franzosa told the Source Weekly on Tuesday night.

Position #3: Megan Perkins vs. Nick Cerveny

Megan Perkins is set to keep her seat on Bend City Council, winning with about 63.40% of

the vote as of early Wednesday. Perkins served as Mayor Pro Tem, co-founded nonprofit Embrace Bend and sits on a number of committees. Nick Cerveny, a veteran and engineer at Deschutes Brewery ran against Perkins. “I’m feeling wonderful. What it shows me is that the vision that I have for Bend is a vision that other people share as well, and so I’m really looking forward to having another four years of being able to do this incredible work,” Perkins told the Source Weekly following her prospective win Tuesday night.

Position #4: Barb Campbell vs Steve Platt vs Chet Wamboldt
Steve Platt emerges as a clear winner against Chet Wamboldt and sitting Councilor Barb Campbell for Position #4 on the Bend City Council without 58.34% of votes, as of early Wednesday morning. Platt is a veteran, science teacher and member of the Bend Budget Committee.

Wamboldt is a project manager for a consulting group and has experience working in development. Barb Campbell served on the Council for 10 years and worked as the director of a daycare center, a small business owner and a teacher.

This race was a contentious one, with Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and former Bend Mayor Sally Russell endorsing Steve Platt in an election mailer, paid for by Russell.

“I’m kind of overwhelmed and very thankful,” Platt told the Source Weekly Tuesday. “It’s a lot of responsibility, and I feel like I’ve been extended a lot of credit by the community, and so I take that really, seriously. I want to validate that credit, I want to pay it back with interest. It’s important to me to just really really dig in and be the best informed that I can.”

This article appears in Source Weekly October 31, 2024.