FILE - A motorist drives along Main Street in Pendleton, Ore., on April 7, 2026.
Kathy Aney for OPB
The Pendleton City Council is on the verge of a major shake-up as several challengers lead incumbents, according to unofficial election results.
All of the successful challengers were backed by Neighbors for a Better Pendleton, a community group pushing for a more aggressive approach to enacting city codes aimed at people who are homeless. The likely councilors-elect also got help in another way: thousands of dollars in donations from a political action committee.
In an election where homelessness became a top issue, early results show two Neighbors-backed candidates leading incumbents by a decisive margin, while a third has a commanding lead in an open seat. A fourth race is favoring another political newcomer centering homelessness, but the race is so close it’s unclear if there will be a November run-off. Only one candidate endorsed by Neighbors for a Better Pendleton is clearly losing their race.
Army veteran and business consultant Cody Jones is one of the challengers backed by the group who is poised to oust a sitting councilor.
He said he wants to work on issues like city road repairs, but addressing homelessness was also a motivating factor for him. The issue solidified for him, he said, after he was threatened by an unhoused man while walking with his family by the Umatilla River.
“They need compassion and they need resources to help them get stable and get on their feet,” he said. “But there’s a difference between that and incentivizing bad behavior.”
He ran against Councilor Ellie McBride with the support of Neighbors for a Better Pendleton and he also received a $1,750 donation from the political action committee Pendleton Together.
The PAC formed in late March with the purpose of promoting “policies and leadership that strengthen the quality of life for citizens and businesses in Pendleton and our region,” according to the committee’s statement of organization.
As of Wednesday, Pendleton Together had raised more than $30,000, mostly from prominent Pendleton businesses. The amount is unusual for local races that have often struggled to attract candidates at all. The committee reported spending more than $12,600 on donations to city council campaigns.
By contrast, McBride said she spent $642.68 on her entire campaign, all self-funded.
She said she was concerned about the effect Pendleton Together’s money will have on city government.
“When a private interest group spends that significantly, it absolutely shapes the narrative and the reach of an election,” she wrote. “Time will tell if these newly elected, PAC-funded council members will be as prepared, accessible, and truly independent as the community needs them to be. For the sake of our city, I sincerely hope they are.”
People line up outside the Salvation Army building in Pendleton, Ore., on May 3, 2026, for Sunday lunch provided by Altrusa of Pendleton, a local community organization.
Kathy Aney for OPB
Jones said he attended the 2025 city council meeting where Neighbors for a Better Pendleton advocated for stricter policies in homelessness enforcement and he met with the group ahead of its endorsement, but he said he was otherwise not heavily involved in the group’s operations.
Jones said the contribution from Pendleton Together evolved out of conversations he had with local business owners during the campaign. He said he was “proud” to get the committee’s support, but any donor looking to influence his decisions on the council would be told to “pound sand.”
“I was in the infantry for four years,” he said. “Service is a sacred duty.”
While the city council election will be certified in a matter of weeks, McBride and her fellow incumbents still have more than half a year left on their terms. In her remaining time, McBride said she wants to focus on Pendleton’s Build to Zero program, an initiative meant to reduce local homelessness through new housing and wraparound services.
In the race likely headed to a run-off, challenger Joseph Hull leads incumbent Councilor Sean Butler in a fourth race with 49.8% of the vote, but Hull needs the final batches of ballots to trend in his direction to secure a majority and avoid a November rematch.
