Bend City Councilor Barb Campbell unseated by teacher Steve Platt in surprising election upset

(Update; Adding video, Platt comments on victory, background)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In a surprise outcome, a Bend teacher, Steve Platt, unseated 10-year incumbent City Councilor Barb Campbell Tuesday night.

“I think being a current teacher probably had some had some resonance within the community," Platt, now city councilor-elect for Position 4, said Wednesday.

"I think that the veteran aspect probably also perhaps gave me some crossover appeal," he added. "Folks know that I've served for a while, and serving on the (Bend) Budget Committee, I think is also something that folks believe that I have some experience that I can hopefully apply.”

Platt, a former US Air Force colonel and F-16 pilot, currently teaches at Summit High School.

He received more than 27,000 votes, or 59%, followed by safety consultant Chet Wamboldt and incumbent Campbell, who finished third and got only got 15% of the vote.

Platt was endorsed by all six city councilors, including Mayor Melanie Kebler. He says the results for Position 4 were unexpected.

“Well, it was a surprise that the results came in as quick as they can, and that the percentages were as high as they were for my campaign, so I was pleasantly surprised by that,” he said,

Some voters may have gotten mixed messages over Councilor Campbell’s campaign.

Despite what Campbell says was misinformation put out by her detractors, she always maintained she would be running for another term.

Unfortunately, Campbell’s statement in the Voter’s Pamphlet was missing, due to an error by her own team.

Campbell’s office manager, Foster Fell, wrote in a letter to The Source Weekly: “I experienced an entirely last-minute printer malfunction, which I was only able to correct as time ran out.”

Newschannel 21 reached out to Barb Campbell but did not hear back.

Councilor-elect Platt says he’s eager and ready to get to work.

“In fact, I was, you know, sitting in the meeting here tonight, just kind of looking through some most recent budget expenditure reports, just to kind of see how are we doing," he said. "You know, we had programed the budget out for the biennium in 2023, and so now, how are we doing? Where has the money gone?”

Platt says it’s clear, voters were looking for something that may be lacking in the current City Council makeup - as a teacher, teaching students daily, and listening to what the parents of those students are saying, and being a voice for that community.

Platt says because he’s a numbers guy, he’s able to bring that particular skill set to the city council.

The 2025 Bend City Council members will all be sworn in on January 8th.