Redmond Mayoral Race Set to Go to Incumbent While City Council Seats Up for Grabs

It was a busy night for Redmond city politics as three candidates battled it out in the Redmond mayoral race, while five residents competed for three open spots on the City Council.

Incumbent Mayor Ed Fitch appeared to secure his fourth mayoral term with 53.24% of the vote as of 8pm Tuesday night. He had racked up 6,070 votes, appearing to beat out Jay Patrick, a longtime Redmond City Councilor, who had about 5,048 votes for 44.28%. Meanwhile, perennial candidate Charles Webster-Baer brought up the rear with about 257 votes. There were also about 26 write-in votes.

Ed Fitch smiles on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3, after finding out he was en route to securing his fourth term as Redmond Mayor. Credit: Ed Fitch

Fitch, Redmond’s city attorney for two decades, previously served as Redmond mayor from 1999-2001. He won the seat again in 2022 and 2024, but during a public address in May, he said this would be his last term as mayor should he win. Meanwhile, Patrick, who was on the Redmond City Council for 25 years, made another run for mayor after falling short to Fitch in 2022 with 31% of the vote.

Webster-Baer was making his third attempt to become mayor, after winning only 1.5% of the vote in 2022 and about 5% of the 2024 vote.  

“It’s satisfying,” said Fitch about his projected fourth win. “I think we’ll be able to get a lot of things done that’ll be good for Redmond.”

Key among those issues is water, Fitch said.

“Water is a big deal. Obviously, with climate change and piping, the effect on our aquifers has been devastating,” Fitch said, adding that water-conservation efforts and recharging of aquifers is crucial.

Meanwhile, in the race for the three open Redmond City Council seats, Tobias Colvin had 6,588 votes for 23.37%, while Kathryn Osborne had 23.14% (6,523 votes) and Barbara Tate had 18.72% (5,277), with Paul Povey close on Tate’s heels with 18.47% (5,206) of the vote as of Tuesday night.

The Redmond City Council race differed from elections in other Central Oregon jurisdictions. Instead of winner-take-all individual races, the five council candidates competed in an open pool for the three available seats.

Three Redmond City Council seats were up for grabs in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. All indications were that Kathryn Osborne, left, and Tobias Colvin, center, had secured two seats, while Barbara Tate, right, was in the tight race with Paul Povey for the third seat as of 8pm. Credit: Tobias Colvin

Colvin, the general manager of the SCP Redmond Hotel and a former city councilor, looked poised to claim a seat, as did Osborne, who has a background in business and marketing and has served on the council since 2022. The third seat was up for grabs Tuesday between Tate, who owned a Redmond catering business for 20 years, and Povey, a local business owner with a background in planning.

“It feels amazing to have the support of our community,” Colvin said Tuesday night of his projected win. “You work hard, and it isn’t until you win the vote that you feel that support. I am excited to keep working for our citizens and keep Redmond a place we all love to call home.”

Osborne, the race’s lone incumbent, said she was looking forward to continuing to serve her community.

“Four years ago, the people gave me the opportunity to serve this community, and knowing they’ve placed their trust in me again really means a lot. I love this community, and I care deeply about where we’re headed. We’ve accomplished so much together over the last four years, from housing and infrastructure to public safety and planning for our future,” Osborne said. “I’ve always believed that the best things happen when we listen to one another, find common ground, and work together. That’s what I’ve tried to bring to City Council, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”

Hansen, a critical care nursing assistant in the St. Charles Health System, had 15.79% of the vote at 8pm.