Though the ballot may indicate otherwise, voters have more than one option this Tuesday when they cast their vote for Eugene mayor.
On Saturday, Michael Glownia shared his vision of a stronger community with about 50 people at the Saturday Market downtown. Glownia, who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign in May, has stepped it up in November with a stronger campaign against incumbent Jim Torrey.
“I believe I can offer Eugene a real solution where we can let our children play and we can be happy,” Glownia told the audience with his own children by his side.
Glownia’s decision to run for mayor did not involve years of planning. It wasn’t until last summer when he decided to run.
Because Glownia had not garnered enough votes in the May primary to appear on the ballot, his only option to run was as a write-in candidate.
Glownia said he was inspired after losing his job to run for mayor and decided he wanted to make an impact in the community.
“[Being laid off] set off a fire inside of me not to rely on a corporation that can, in a day, take it all away,” Glownia said.
Although Glownia does not have as much political and financial ammunition as Mayor Torrey, he does have a strong support base.
Kyle Schweighauser, a Glownia campaign supporter and close friend, was on hand Saturday showing his support.
“Michael really cares about young people and what they have to say,” Schweighauser said. “A lot of change comes from the youth.”
Schweighauser said the campaign is informal but serious about getting underrepresented voices heard.
“We laughed and thought about it for awhile and then decided it was time we had a voice,” Schweighauser said.
If Glownia wins, he has a lot of issues he will address. The most visible issues in his campaign are protecting the environment and strengthening the community.
“We need to work on reaching true sustainability,” Glownia said. “In order for a society to be sustainable, we need to use resources fairly and efficiently to meet basic human needs.”
Glownia also mentioned the need to maintain priorities when dealing with jobs versus the environment.
“We currently have a mayor supporting Hyundai, who is taking away our wetlands,” Glownia said. “We are sacrificing our future and environment for jobs.”
Mayor Torrey said Friday that although his success in the election is a virtual lock, he is not taking his opponent lightly.
“I am always concerned,” Torrey said. “People can vote for whomever they want to, and until I have at least one more vote than my opponent, I will always be concerned.”
With the big day coming quickly Tuesday, Glownia has high hopes for himself as Eugene’s potential new mayor.
“We have had enough of business as usual,” Glownia said. “We can be a model for cities throughout the nation to look at us and say ‘this is how it’s done’.”