For Immediate Release:
August 26, 2020
Fairview Fan and Leader Announces Bid for Fairview City Council
Fairview, OR – Wendy Lawton, a Fairview planning commissioner and a member of the city’s economic development advisory council, has launched her campaign for a seat on the Fairview City Council. Based on the city’s August 25 election filing deadline, Lawton is running unopposed for Position One.
“I’m running for city council because I love where I live,” Lawton said. “Fairview is small and green, friendly and affordable. I want to protect the good we’ve got and build a strong future for everybody – rich or poor, black or white or brown. With population growth and gentrification continuing to drive people to Portland’s suburbs – a trend the pandemic will likely accelerate – now is the time for us to come together and create a shared vision for Fairview. Now is the time for us to decide what kind of homes and businesses and green spaces we want to build – and roll up our sleeves and get them built.”
Lawton’s campaign will hold a virtual kick-off party Wednesday, September 9 at 4 pm PT. For details, visit her website.
Lawton, 53, manages communications for a national cancer clinical trials network based at Oregon Health & Science University. She has over 15 years of experience as a science writer and fundraiser, raising over $20 million for scientific and medical research. Lawton started her career as a newspaper reporter, and spent a decade covering education and health care in three states. She has roots in East Multnomah County. From 1998 to 2001, she covered public schools in Gresham, Sandy, and Corbett for The Oregonian, and from 2014-2015, served as communications manager for the City of Gresham. She has lived in Fairview for six years.
Lawton’s promise to Fairview:
· Build an inclusive community
· Improve and expand parks, trails, and natural areas
· Make a great main street on Halsey
· Get proactive about development
“I’ve got a lot of good ideas, and so do Fairview residents,” she said. “I want to hear those ideas. More community gardens? Better bus lines? Food carts? I’ll listen. I’ll get creative. And I’ll work hard to realize our vision.”
Lawton is a graduate of the Class of 2019 of Emerge Oregon, which trains Democratic women to run for public office. She has received several endorsements, including from Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann and Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick and from East County Rising, a political action committee that aims to elect East County leaders who reflect and support the diverse communities they serve. This is her first run for public office.
Lawton lives with her daughter, Lucy, on Salish Pond. For more information about her campaign, visit the campaign website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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