About Gabe
Gabe Shepherd’s passion for local government and community-building started right here in Benton County.
A third-generation graduate of Junction City High School, Gabe grew up in the rural community of Cheshire, Oregon, about a twenty-minute drive from Monroe.
He moved to Corvallis to attend Oregon State University, where he was active in community-organizing on campus and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.
Increasingly concerned by what was happening on the national stage,
Gabe heeded the words made famous by former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill: all politics is local.
So, he got involved.
In 2017, Gabe started regularly attending Corvallis City Council meetings.
In 2019, he became an active member of the Benton County Democratic Party (BC Dems), helping fundraise for the county party through the COVID-19 emergency and serving as a Benton County delegate to the Democratic Party of Oregon for three years. He also began contracting with the cities of Corvallis, Albany, and Newport to record minutes.
In 2020, he ran for Corvallis City Council, where he’s been representing the people of Ward 4 ever since.
Today, Gabe is the chair of the Benton County Democratic Party, the chair of the Corvallis City Legislative Committee, and the council liaison to the Corvallis Sister Cities Association. He's currently employed as Deputy City Clerk for the City of Albany.
I enjoy community-building. I have a passion for rural issues.
There's a lot that can be done at a county level that can't be done in the city: to address the housing crisis, to take active steps on climate change and mitigation, to build the county's relationship with the cities and make it more accessible to the public. I'm running for county commissioner because the county has more effect on people's daily lives than they may know, and I want to work on the issues that are affecting people."
—Gabe Shepherd
We need Gabe on the Benton County Board of Commissioners.
He’s worked on campaigns for measures and candidates across Benton County at nearly every election and built productive relationships with public servants throughout the county, region, and state.
He brings community values, deep understanding of local government, and a great deal of energy. Our communities deserve competent, passionate leadership: this May, vote Gabe Shepherd for Benton County Commissioner.
Get Involved.
Elect Gabe Shepherd for Benton County Commissioner!