The Race For Mayor Of Corvallis Is On

So why are we talking about a cat (again)?

Jun 22, 2026

www.corvallisnow.com

The race for “Mayor of Corvallis” has officially started, and if the early filings hold, voters will once again choose between incumbent Mayor Charles Maughan and former City Councilor Andrew Struthers.

Those names should sound familiar. The two faced off in the city’s last mayoral election. 34 votes separated them after ranked-choice voting tabulations were completed. While rematches are great for boxing, Civil War reenactments, Mario Kart, and Batman, it does beg the question… what if we did something different?

Both candidates are well qualified, and both have extensive experience in local government and public service.

Maughan is seeking a second term after first taking office in 2023. He has highlighted efforts to “expand housing opportunities, invest in long-term infrastructure projects, support local businesses, and encourage downtown revitalization.” During his first term, he also helped to “guide the city through several significant charter amendments and other major policy discussions.”

Struthers served on the Corvallis City Council representing Ward 9 and sits on the Benton County Planning Commission. He also serves on the board of SEIU 503 who represents higher education workers, and completed the Oregon Labor Candidate School in 2025. A grad of OSU with degrees in Finance and Business Information Systems, he has lived in Corvallis since 2006.

We aren’t dissatisfied with our mayoral options. Let’s be clear about that. These are both well-qualified candidates. Both give back to the community. It’s basically a volunteer position.

But did you know…

Back in 1997, the residents of Talkeetna, Alaska did found themselves dissatisfied with their mayoral options. Rather than choosing between candidates they didn’t support, they launched a write-in campaign for a ginger kitten named Stubbs.

Stubbs won.

What started as a joke turned into a two-decade tourist attraction.

Mayor Stubbs held office from Nagley’s General Store, where visitors from around the world came to meet him. Unlike many politicians, Stubbs never raised taxes, made empty promises, or became embroiled in scandal (except for one reported incident with a dog). His approval ratings remained remarkably high throughout his mayorship.

He became an international celebrity, attracted thousands of tourists, generated revenue, and produced more positive media coverage for the city than any human elected official could ever dream of. When Stubbs passed away in 2017 at the age of 20, news organizations around the world covered the story.

Ok. Maybe. Maybe we shouldn’t elect a cat as mayor. We are not a small town in Alaska. The Mayor does have some semi-serious duties. But it’s also not just a lame attempt at humor, or a wild spin on covering the race for mayor.

It poses a question.

Why do we have to follow the same path as every other town? Why do elections usually only give two choices in the end? Is that really a choice?

What if an OSU student ran for mayor? Students are smart these days, educated differently than we were, free-thinking, open to change, and capable of bringing some “outside-the-box” ideas that a traditional candidate might not.

How about a local store owner downtown? Or a local artist? Someone who sees life through their storefront, their customers, and the conversations they hear every day?

What about a new resident from a foreign country? A person who fell in love with Corvallis… a person who holds a perspective from being raised in another town, with a different take, a different culture, and different ideas.

Someone who is not a politician.

We like the candidates in the mayor race, but unlike Stubbs, these are not far-fetched ideas.

Corvallis can create its own story instead of following the same path as every other town. We can make headlines, we can think outside of the box, and we can choose whoever we want to be the face of the town. Stubbs brought more to a small local economy than the choices that were presented to the residents of Talkeetna, Alaska.

Surely we can do the same with our choice. If that’s what we want.

Embrace change. Maybe it’s you, or maybe it’s someone you know, someone who has the desire to bring something different to the table, and to city hall.

The filing window for non-incumbent candidates is June 3, 2026, through August 25, 2026. More info can be found on the city website here.

We’ll keep up with the race for mayor. Maybe it will get interesting.