Thank you to everyone who attended, participated in, and helped make the 2026 Lake Oswego City Council Candidate Forum a success!

On Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 6–8 PM, community members gathered in the Council Chambers at Lake Oswego City Hall to hear from all six candidates running for four City Council seats: Bryan Guiney, Suzanne Miles, Heather Ramsey, Peren Tiemann, Neil Tunmore, and Patrick Walsh.

Co-hosted by LO for LOve, Respond to Racism, and the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, the forum was moderated by three Lake Oswego High School students—Kai Marchiori, Angela Wang, and Iris Hill—who guided a thoughtful discussion on sustainability, housing affordability, inclusion, civic engagement, and other issues facing our community.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the candidates for sharing their perspectives, our student moderators for their leadership, the City of Lake Oswego for providing the venue, and everyone who joined us in person or helped bring this event together.

Couldn't attend or want to revisit the conversation? Watch the full forum recording and read the transcript below to learn more about the candidates and make an informed decision in the November election.

Watch the Forum Recording

Watch the 2026 Candidate Forum on YouTube

Read the Forum Transcript

View the Full Forum Transcript

Candidate Questions:

• Question #1: The City is currently updating its plan for the 120-acre Foothills District—a major effort to revitalize the area connecting downtown to the Willamette riverfront that will shape Lake Oswego for decades. This long-term work comes as the Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility is slated for a complete rebuild and potential relocation to unlock the waterfront. 

• Question #2: Lake Oswego faces several key environmental decisions—from phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers, protecting our urban tree canopy while expanding housing, to growing electric vehicle charging infrastructure to encourage EV use.

• Question #3: With median home prices hovering near $1 million—nearly double the Portland metro average—and rents remaining among the highest in Clackamas County, many of Lake Oswego’s essential workers, including our teachers, police officers, firefighters, municipal staff, healthcare workers, and service employees, can no longer afford to live in the community they serve.

• Question #4: Lake Oswego’s history includes significant exclusionary practices—from the forced displacement of the Clackamas and Tualatin peoples and the hostile treatment of Chinese laborers at the Oswego Iron Works in the 19th century, to racially restrictive home deeds and the privatization of Oswego Lake in the 20th century.

• Question #5: While City Councilors serve every Lake Oswego resident, members of our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities—along with LGBTQIA+, disabled, and lower-income neighbors—have historically been left out of local government. Moreover, many face real hurdles to being heard—from physical and language barriers at public meetings to a lack of direct representation in local decisions.

• Question #6: In the past year, federal agents detained longtime Lake Oswego business owner of Happy Sparrow Cafe, Danny Quach, during a routine immigration check-in in Conrow, Texas, and ultimately deported him to Vietnam. Meanwhile, community members have reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement—or ICE—officers lodging at the Residence Inn off Bangy Road. Students from both LO high schools have held walkouts in protest of ICE. These local events have raised serious questions among residents about federal law enforcement operating in Lake Oswego.