Amy Knudsen wins Creswell mayor
Amy Knudsen is Creswell’s new mayor, and will be joined by three new councilors: Shelly Clark, Jeri Hutchinson and JoeRell Medina. Kevin Prociw, a city councilor who competed with Knudsen in the mayoral race, will fulfill the two years left on his term.
“It’s been a quiet evening at home with my husband and children,” Knudsen said Tuesday night. “The kids were playing video games and we were watching TV. Then my husband checked the polls and said I was ahead! Then the texts came pouring in. My girls got very excited. They’ve been calling me ‘Mama Mayor’ from the beginning, so I guess that name is here to stay.”
Knudsen won with 1,354 votes (55%) against Prociw, who had 1,039 votes (42%).
Mayor contestant Kevin Prociw eyes the results of the election.
“I would like to congratulate Amy Knudsen on her win this evening,” Prociw said. “I know that her love for Creswell and the desire to see Creswell grow and succeed were at the heart of her campaign. I believe that she will be a true leader for Creswell and as I’ve often told others these last few months: regardless of the outcome, Creswell wins.”
Knudsen has been a city councilor for four years, and was elected council president in 2020.
Knudsen’s term will begin earlier than usual. After former Mayor Richard Zettervall resigned on Sept. 30, council decided that the winner of this election would step up as appointed mayor through the end of the year to fill the vacancy.
“I am the voice of a working mother,” Knudsen said in a past interview. “I know what it is like to spend years achieving an education, being in debt, working full-time, building a home, raising children, and wanting a better future for myself and my family. I want to be an example to my young daughters. I want to continue to show them how to work hard and the importance of civil service.”
Tuesday night she said she was grateful.
“Creswell, thank you for voting for me. I am humbled tonight. You have expressed your trust in me and I intend to uphold it. Being an effective mayor consists of listening to and standing up for the people, then turning their concerns into workable proposals and building consensus to implement them. I look forward to continuing to work for you. I thank you all for your vote of confidence.”
For city council, Clark brought in the most votes with 1,329 (25%). Hutchinson followed in the polls with 1,206 votes (23%), and Medina finished with 1,130 (21%).
Osborn received 1,029 votes (19%); there were write-in votes for three people – the most with 400 votes.
In Cottage Grove, incumbent Mayor Jeff Gowing will continue in his role leading the city, and will be joined by Jon Stinnett and incumbents Kenneth Roberts and Greg Ervin.
Gowing won 3,341 votes (76%), and opponent Ivan DelSol brought in 983 votes (22%). Roberts brought in 2,828 votes (68%) over opponent Chalice Savage, who won 1,271 votes (30%). Stinnett won unopposed with 3,017 votes, and Ervin won unopposed with 2,824 votes.
In Springfield, Kori Rodley won the Ward 3 council seat with 11,723 votes (54%) over opponent Johanis Tadeo, who brought in 9,568 votes.
These are listed as unofficial results as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, with all districts, precincts, scanstations, contests and boxes counted.
