City Council races have kicked off in the Tualatin area for the upcoming Nov. 8 elections. There are three positions up for grabs on this year’s ballot – Positions 1, 3 and 5 on the council. Of these spots, only one is drawing attention from opposing candidates.

Council President Nancy Grimes, who currently holds the seat of Position 5, has been term-limited and is no longer able to run for re-election. In her absence, candidates Octavio Gonzalez and Kelly Horsford wish to fill her seat. Octavio Gonzalez, an account manager at a landscaping company, is not a stranger to local elections. He previously ran for a Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD) School Board position in the 2021-22 election cycle. Gonzalez currently serves on TTSD’s budget committee and works alongside the school board in the district’s strategic planning committee. Gonzalez stressed the need for affordable housing in an interview with Pamplin Media.

“Currently, nine out of ten employees in Tualatin are not residents of our city. I will support sensible options to increase affordable housing opportunities in Tualatin,” Gonzalez stated.

 Gonzalez studied at Clackamas Community College before entering his business management profession.

Kelly Horsford is the other candidate vying for the seat of Position 5. Horsford was born and raised in Tualatin and is a Registered Nurse. She wishes to address issues of traffic congestion and make improvements to major Tualatin roads. Additionally, Horsford has stressed the need for affordable transportation and housing, similar to Gonzalez.

“I support a sustainable, accessible transportation system that provides an affordable alternative to our automobiles, which includes an east-west transit line, which currently doesn’t exist,” said Horsford.

Horsford graduated from Portland Community College with an associates degree in nursing and is currently a stay-at-home mother.

Elections for Tualatin City Council Position 5 take place on Nov. 8.