Kyle Corbin pulled off one of the most amazing political upsets in Oregon history, and most Oregonians never heard of him.
That’s because Kyle’s political victory happened the tiny (population 1,960) city of Union Oregon.
What is phenomenal about the rise of Kyle Corbin is he was elected Mayor of Union when he was seventeen years old AND ran as a write-in candidate. He was a write-in because, at age seventeen, he wasn’t old enough to be put on the ballot.
Fortunately, by the time he was elected he was eighteen, and old enough to serve.
Kyle ran in a time of political turmoil.
In 2004 two longtime city councilors were recalled and the police chief was indicted. Deborah Clark, the woman who led the recall effort, was elected mayor in 2004 and her husband, Roger Clark, was elected as city councilor. They were both recalled, the administrator fired, and the police chief resigned leaving the town without a law enforcement officer.
Kyle was elected in 2006 after a successful write-in campaign.
He promised to bring an end to the political chaos that plagued the town. He was elected with 46 percent of the vote in a three candidate race. He ran an old-fashioned, door-to-door campaign as a write-in candidate. His 399 votes topped the 271 received by outgoing City Councilor Scott Morrison, 59. A former city councilor, Dick Middleton, 64, finished with 200 votes.
Since Kyle became Mayor, politics in the City of Union have quieted down. The city seems quite happy with it’s young Mayor and the furor that preceded him has settled down.
Those of you who are interested in Oregon politics, keep an eye on Kyle Corbin. He is a young man to watch.