Salem primary 2022: Chris Hoy wins for Salem mayor, Chane Griggs concedes

Chris Hoy will be Salem's next mayor.

Hoy has led in ballot returns since Tuesday night. He secured another lead in the updated report released Thursday. Chane Griggs called Hoy to concede soon after.

In a statement, Hoy thanked voters and supporters behind his grassroots campaign.

"I am looking forward to continuing my service to the residents of Salem as mayor and want to build on the tremendous progress we’ve made over the past five years," Hoy said. "Salem has an incredible community spirit, and I can’t wait to work with Salem’s residents in this new capacity as we build an active, thriving community that cares for its people and environment."

Live 2022 primary election results:Find the latest vote counts here

He said he was committed to listening to a diversity of opinions as the city continues to grow. He added that he appreciated Griggs' service to the community and hoped to continue to work with her going forward.

"I am honored to serve as Salem’s next mayor," he said.

In a social media post, Griggs said she was disappointed but respected the will of the voters.

"I have called Chris and wished him well in his service to our city as mayor and hope he can bring positive change," Griggs said. "I look forward to staying involved in the community and volunteering at the city and non-profit level and look forward to seeing you all around."

The outcomes of other races for council seats remain undetermined. Micki Varney was holding a lead in the Ward 8 race representing West Salem. Deanna Gwyn and Julie Hoy are leading in their respective races, but vote counting remains underway.

Who is Chris Hoy?

Hoy, who currently serves as a city councilor and state representative, is a retired undersheriff with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. He was appointed to serve as a state representative until the end of 2022.

A fourth-generation Oregonian, Hoy grew up on the Oregon Coast working on the docks and boats in his family's fishing operation. He moved to Salem as a teen to attend Willamette University. At the same time, his mother was hospitalized at the Oregon State Hospital.

At the time, the stigma around mental health was immense, Hoy said. He remembered sneaking out between classes to visit her until her death. The experience left a lasting impression.

After graduating college, he worked his way through law enforcement, joining the Lincoln, Marion and Clackamas county sheriff's offices, eventually becoming Clackamas County's undersheriff. Hoy retired in 2019.

He's lived in the same house in Salem since 2004 and has two rescue dogs.

He said during his time on council, he made "housing first" a priority by establishing shelters and transitional housing instead of tents and parks. He advocated for the much-anticipated navigation center and sponsored legislation to allow the use of state land for micro-shelter villages.

Hoy said he wants to continue this work to end homelessness — which continues to be the top issue facing the city.

He highlighted his work to improve Salem's water treatment system and address the affordable housing shortage by removing barriers to multi-family housing.

Record donations

The mayor is an unpaid, volunteer position and has a two-year term.

The mayoral race became one of the most expensive in recent history, with Griggs raising more than $113,000 and Hoy raising more than $33,000.

Grigg's biggest donations included $10,000 from Mountain West Corporation Inc., $7,500 from Salem Fire PAC and $5,000 from Commerical Property Resources, Inc.

Hoy's biggest donations included $3,000 from Citizen Action for Political Education, $2,000 from the Elect Virginia Stapleton campaign and individual donations from various community members.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem primary 2022: Chris Hoy wins Salem mayor, Chane Griggs concedes