These candidates support property freedom for Astorians. Support them in the upcoming election November 3, 2026.
Laura Palmer, Mayor
I am excited to announce that I am running for Mayor of Astoria.
Astoria isn’t just where I live—it’s the community that has shaped my family, my career, and my commitment to public service. Through out my career at Clatsop County, my service on the Astoria Library Board, and years of volunteering in our community, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside people who care deeply about making Astoria a better place.
I’ve listened to neighbors, business owners, families, and community leaders. I’ve heard the concerns about housing, public safety, economic opportunity, maintaining our historic character, and making sure City Hall is responsive and accountable to the people it serves. I believe we can tackle these challenges by bringing people together, listening first, and focusing on practical solutions.
I am running because I believe Astoria’s best days are still ahead. Our city has a rich history, incredible people, and unlimited potential. We deserve leadership that is approachable, thoughtful, and committed to every neighborhood and every resident.
As Mayor, I will work to strengthen our local economy, support our first responders and city staff, invest in the services that improve quality of life, and ensure that decisions are made with transparency and respect for our community.
This campaign isn’t about politics—it’s about people. It’s about preserving what makes Astoria special while preparing our city for the future.
I would be honored to earn your trust, your support, and your vote. Over the coming months, I look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible to hear your ideas, your concerns, and your vision for Astoria.
Together, we can build an even better Astoria.
— Laura Parker Candidate for Mayor of Astoria
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592786404275
Jim Forrester, Astoria Ward 1
There has been a lot of discussion concerning workforce housing in Astoria and I would like to give you my perspective on this issue. I think we can all agree that there is a need for affordable housing for a percentage of our population that mainly work in the service and tourist industry, Hotels-restaurants-small downtown specialty businesses to name a few.
I have lived in Astoria for over 70 years and have seen the many changes taking place in our city. I attended grade school through high school here and I was fortunate enough to be able to work and run a successful business in my hometown with the support of our community.
In the 60’s & 70’s Astoria was a blue-collar town and had living wage jobs Logging-Fishing-Seafood plants-plywood mill-waterfront construction-tow boating which gave my generation options other than attending college. Tourism back then was considered a bonus to our economy. Many kids would work in the summer @ the Bumble Bee Elmore cannery to save money that paid for their college education.
Unfortunately, over the years Astoria has lost a large portion of these family wage jobs. Logging industry has taken a large hit due to federal lands being shut down for harvest wildlife habitat (Spotted owl and other wildlife species). These cuts cost small communities like ours a lot of revenue that supported our schools – rural infrastructure and public safety.
The commercial fishing industry especially when measure 81, which overwhelmingly was passed by the citizens of Oregon to allow commercial gillnetting on the main stem of the Columbia and was later overturned by ODFW and Governor Kitzhaber restricting the fishery to non-tribal fisherman and allot more allocations to the sports fisherman. I believe this was a tactic by the state to generate revenue and now we have guides from all over the northwest fishing the lower Columbia, how is that not commercial fishery when they are paid to catch salmon & sturgeon? The federal government and… have mismanaged the sea lion population that is not native to the Columbia River that decimate our salmon runs and cause a lot of damage to our docks and infrastructure.
My point is we all know we need affordable housing, but I disagree with how the Housing Alliances initiative wants to fund it. Adding a tax or assessment on empty housing I feel is too selective to punish 2nd home owners in Astoria. Many of these homes have been in long time local families procession for decades that had local businesses and services such as glass companies – attorneys -small downtown stores -accounting companies -bar pilot to name a few. These families have supported Astoria for decades not just a few years!
Many of these properties have been purchased as future retirement homes a neighbor across the street from me who have been coming to Astoria for over fifteen years decided they want to retire here they also purchased a duplex in town which has reasonable rates. All these owners pay properties taxes, have local people maintain their yards, have local construction companies work on their homes, and many dine out way more than locals when they are in town and have little impact on infrastructure and utilities, in short the spend a lot of money.
What I feel we as a community need to focus on is to try and create better paying jobs- manufacturing-small high tech-partner with Port of Astoria to get more shipping or develop some type of boat building and repair for both commercial and personal use. Try to find ways to create incentives through state and federal agencies to bring larger companies for this type of work.
Unfortunately, Astoria is running out of buildable land we need to concentrate on how to create multiuse buildings that can house both businesses and tenants some which most likely need to change zoning but that would be the work for our city government if they really want to help our community with this issue.
In conclusion if the only way is through taxation, I feel it needs to be across the board to all home owners in Astoria. Believe me I am not in favor of more taxes but if it is a necessity we should all have skin in the game. It could be assessed on a sliding scale based on the value of your home which I believe could raise more than what targeting a few would be.
This is what I have seen in Astoria over my lifetime, lots of changes, some bad, some good. Let’s find a better solution than taxing a small portion of homeowners in Astoria to fund workforce housing!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593321232629
Justin Grafton for Astoria Ward 3
Astoria is a city built on hard work, heritage, and genuine community. I’m throwing my hat in the ring for Astoria City Council, Ward 3, to bring a practical, grounded perspective to City Hall.
I’m a lifelong resident who raised my family right here. To keep my kids in a safe town where neighbors looked out for one another, I put in 70-hour work weeks and long commutes in heavy civil infrastructure and utility construction. That work taught me how cities are physically built and maintained—and why local policy needs to support working families and property owners, not hinder them.
Over the last 15 years as a portrait photographer, I’ve also had the privilege of capturing memories for thousands of local residents. That work taught me patience, compassion, and the value of listening to every voice in our community.
I’m running for Ward 3 to be a constructive partner on Council—focused on practical infrastructure solutions, supporting our local businesses, and keeping our neighborhoods safe and welcoming for everyone.
Let’s get to work!
VOTE NO VACANT HOME TAX 