Editing Ashland, Oregon (section)

==Government==
Ashland has a [[council-manager government]] since a Charter Amendment was passed by the voters in a Special Election in May 2020, (changing the form of government from Mayor/Administrator). It consists of a city manager, a mayor, and six council members. The mayor and council members are elected by the city's voters to serve staggered four-year terms.<ref name="city council">{{cite web|title=City Council |url=https://www.ashland.or.us/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=7 |publisher=City of Ashland |access-date=February 5, 2022}}</ref>

Julie Akins, after serving a partial term as a city councilor, was elected as mayor in 2020.<ref name="Blue Book">{{cite web|title=Incorporated Cities: Ashland|url=https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/a-d/ashland.aspx|website=Oregon Blue Book|publisher=State of Oregon|access-date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> On January 23, 2023, she announced her resignation effective January 27.<ref>{{cite web | last=Baber | first=Camryn | title=Ashland Mayor announces her resignation, after serving two years in office | website=NewsWatch 12 KDRV | date=January 23, 2023 | url=https://www.kdrv.com/news/ashland-mayor-announces-her-resignation-after-serving-two-years-in-office/article_a22a97ca-9b4b-11ed-95ec-e70ce208fd23.html | access-date=January 23, 2023}}</ref> On February 7, the council unanimously elected Tonya Graham to serve the remainder of Akins' term.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Morgan|last= Rothborne|title=Ashland council elects Graham as city mayor |url=https://www.rvtrib.com/localstate/ashland-council-elects-graham-as-city-mayor/article_2860dcae-a7ff-11ed-9e5d-6f13e70872b3.html |access-date=February 8, 2023|website=Rogue Valley Tribune |language=en}}</ref>

[[Pam Marsh]], a Democrat from Ashland, represents Ashland and all of [[Oregon's 5th House district|Oregon House District 5]] in the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly|state legislature]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Your Government: Pam Marsh|url=http://gov.oregonlive.com/legislators/Pam-Marsh/|work=The Oregonian|location=Portland, Oregon|year=2017|access-date=May 12, 2017|archive-date=May 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513110553/http://gov.oregonlive.com/legislators/Pam-Marsh/|url-status=live}}</ref> As part of [[Oregon's 3rd Senate district|Oregon Senate District 3]], Ashland is represented by Democrat [[Jeff Golden]].<ref name="your gov main page">{{cite news|title=Your Government: Ashland|url=http://gov.oregonlive.com/lookup/20-E-Main-St/Ashland/|work=The Oregonian|location=Portland, Oregon|year=2019|access-date=January 5, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131225223218/http://gov.oregonlive.com/lookup/20-E-Main-St/Ashland/|url-status=live}}</ref> At the federal level, [[Cliff Bentz]], a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], represents Ashland as part of [[Oregon's 2nd congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Cliff Bentz|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Cliff_Bentz|publisher=Ballotpedia|access-date=January 7, 2021|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011327/https://ballotpedia.org/Cliff_Bentz|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ron Wyden]] and [[Jeff Merkley]], both [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], serve the state of Oregon in the [[United States Senate]].<ref name="your gov main page"/>

Historically, Ashland has been a political outlier in southwest Oregon.<ref name="Oregon Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia|last=LaLande|first=Jeff|title=Ashland|url=http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/ashland/|encyclopedia=The Oregon Encyclopedia|publisher=Portland State University|access-date=December 25, 2013|archive-date=May 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520231947/http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/ashland/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the presidential election of 1860, Ashland favored [[Abraham Lincoln]] while its neighbors strongly preferred pro-slavery candidates.<ref name="Oregon Encyclopedia"/> In the early 1900s, Ashland voters supported [[Women's suffrage in the United States|women's suffrage]] and [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]], generally out of step with the rest of the region.<ref name="Oregon Encyclopedia"/> In more recent elections, Ashland has supported tax levies and environmental regulations opposed by voters elsewhere in Jackson and nearby counties.<ref name="Oregon Encyclopedia"/> Critics sometimes refer to the city as the ''People's Republic of Ashland''.<ref name="Oregon Encyclopedia"/>