PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Tigard City Council has selected the person who will carry out the remainder of former Mayor Heidi Lueb’s term after she resigned, effective immediately.
With a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, Councilor Yi-Kang Hu was tapped as Tigard’s next mayor. He and Councilor Jeanette Shaw, who cast the sole vote against him, were the only two city leaders who expressed interest in the role last month.
“The thing that I have observed for now, for almost three years, is Councilor Hu has been a person that truly walks his talk, bikes his talk and, sometimes he drives his talk, but he really is out in the community,” Mayor Pro Tem Maureen Wolf said. “He is present over and over again — across multiple communities. He does pick up the phone, knock on the door of someone that may have an adversarial opinion to his, but he wants to have a dialogue.”
Hu was appointed after he and Shaw answered five questions prepared by fellow councilors, other city employees and community members. “What should the top goals of the mayor be, and how will progress be measured?” and “How can Tigard balance traffic flow and safety when making infrastructure decisions?” were among the interview questions.
Shaw has noted that she is the longest-tenured councilor after being elected in both 2020 and 2024. She also serves on the National League of Cities and the National Governors’ Association Joint Electric Vehicle Workforce Collaborative, according to the city.
Hu, who previously served as Council President, was first sworn into office in January 2023. He has worked as a lawyer with an emphasis on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s laws and regulations, and has been a Tigard resident for 20 years, the city has reported.
The now-mayor is also a member of the Tigard Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity and Community Engagement Committee, with previous positions with organizations like the Tigard Planning Commission and Tigard Transportation Advisory Committee.
“I learned that leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room,” Hu told the council. “It’s really about setting a tone, staying curious and finding common ground. As mayor, I will bring the same kind of steady hands-on approach; working across our differences, communicating honestly, but respectfully, and focusing on results. [What] Tigard needs right now is a leader who shows up, who listens and who follows through — and that’s exactly how I lead.”
He will serve as mayor through the end of what was slated to be Lueb’s term, through Dec. 31, 2026.
Lueb resigned from the position on Sept. 10. She cited mental and physical health challenges, as well as internal issues within the city council.
The former mayor also noted she was being investigated over complaints that were filed against her, and after she had reported a councilor for asking whether she had paid a fellow city leader to say “something nice” about her.
Jashayla Pettigrew
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