Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
PULLMAN — The filing period for the upcoming mayoral race in Pullman saw an influx of three new candidates. The Whitman County auditor’s office officially opened the filing period on May 15, inviting individuals to throw their hats into the political ring.
Before the filing period commenced, the only candidate who had openly declared their intentions to run for Pullman mayor was Councilman Francis Benjamin. However, the political landscape took an unexpected twist on Monday, May 15, when Councilwoman Eileen Macoll and retired Pullman teacher Deb McNeil stepped forward and filed their candidacies for the mayoral position as well.
The urgency to fill the mayoral seat stems from the announcement made by the longstanding Mayor Glenn Johnson, who revealed prior to his most recent mayoral campaign in 2019 that he would not be seeking re-election. Having held the position of mayor since 2004, Johnson has run unopposed for his previous five mayoral campaigns. According to the City of Pullman’s website, Johnson is Pullman’s longest-serving mayor in the city’s 135-year history.
In this article, we provide an overview of the candidates based on their personal connections to Pullman, professional history, reasons for running, and their perspectives on the most pressing issues facing the city.
Personal Connections to Pullman:
Francis Benjamin has been a resident of Pullman for almost 40 years, 13 of which have been spent on Pullman City Council. Growing up in Lewiston and attending the University of Idaho for a degree in Electrical Engineering, he later settled in Pullman.
Deb McNeil has been living in Pullman since 1978, and has taught at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels in the Pullman School District. Her early years were spent in Oakesdale, and she graduated from Ferndale High School before attaining undergraduate and graduate degrees in education at WSU.
Eileen Macoll’s connection to Pullman began in 1973 when she enrolled as a freshman at WSU to study at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. She has served on the Pullman City Council for the past eight years.
Professional History and Affiliations:
Benjamin has served as an engineer in the psychology department at WSU for 35 years, specializing in designing psychological research. He is also involved in teaching real estate and researching legislative stability. Benjamin has held leadership positions in various community organizations, including being the current president of the Pullman Community Council on Aging, a member of the Pullman Chamber Board, a co-chair of the Pullman 2040 group, and former president of the Pullman Kiwanis.
McNeil owned and operated the Quilted Heart shop in downtown Pullman for 17 years and has been an active member of the Washington Education Association. She has also been involved in statewide workshops with the Washington Chapter of the Women Leaders Association, holding a year-long position on the WSU Board for Civic Engagement, and serving as a licensed Whitman County foster parent.
Outide of Macoll’s current role as a city council member, a post which she has held since 2015, she has also been actively involved in community organizations like Kiwanis, and the Senior Association. She has also been involved in volunteer work with the Gladish Community Center, and the local 4-H community.
Motivation for Running:
According to Benjamin, the City of Pullman has reached a turning point, one which he believes must be capitalized on.
“I really believe that we are at a good time in the community for growth, and I want to leave a legacy for the next generation,” said Benjamin, “I care about the community, I want to make a difference, and I feel that there’s a lot people that want someone to rally people together and get things done.”
Initially looking for someone to run for mayor, McNeil says that she realized that her skills and experiences made her a suitable candidate.
“All of my life experiences have given me the ability to reinvent, reinvigorate, and regalvanize the community,” said McNeil, noting that “After twenty years it can leave a vacuum.”
After being elected to fill a vacancy on the city council in 2015, Macoll said that the opportunity opened her eyes to the inner workings of Pullman.
“The nuts and bolts of how a city works is interesting to me,” said Macoll, “The more I learn about it, the more I feel I can contribute to how the city works with residents and for them.”
Pressing Issues and Strategies:
Benjamin’s campaign emphasizes a broad range of issues, including housing affordability, increasing arts and culture, and attracting and retaining professionals young and old in the community.
“In the next fours year I want to see a change in landscape that will make people want to stay here,” said Benjamin, “We need to make sure we have the amenities that will attract young professionals.”
Benjamin also points to the need for a centralized space for the community to come together.
“Pullman doesn’t have a community gathering, a multigenerational gathering place,” said Benjamin, “Somewhere where you’ll see seniors and grandparents interacting with kids.”
McNeil emphasizes the need for a flexible 10-year plan that addresses downtown business support, improving the city’s user-friendliness, expanding the tax base, and facilitating collaboration and communication within the community.
“I think the community has a lot to offer, there are groups large and small that want to help but don’t know where to go,” said McNeil, “We need to bring these people together with an online clearinghouse to bounce around ideas so that we can best use the ideas of the community.”
Macoll stresses the importance of conveying the city’s successes to its residents, promoting effective communication regarding projects such as downtown development, and fostering flexibility to accommodate the city’s changing landscape.
“So much of the city works well, but what we don’t do a good job of is conveying that to the residents,” said Macoll, stating that it is necessary to “get that information out to people to let people know that “yes, we’re doing it.”
Reid Thompson is an intern reporter at the Whitman County Gazette. Reid is enrolled at Syracuse University, where he studies journalism and international relations.
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