Program date: April 17, 2026
Air date: April 20, 2026
From the City Club of Eugene:
This year, Democrat voters in the 4th Congressional District of Oregon will have the chance to choose between three candidates in their party primary on May 19, 2026. Incumbent Congresswoman Val Hoyle is being challenged by Melissa Bird and Daniel Bahlen. The City Club of Eugene is proud to host a candidate forum for this important election. All three candidates have been invited for this forum, which will be moderated by KLCC reporter Rebecca Hansen-White.
Val Hoyle’s campaign indicated that she will be in Washington D.C. on April 17 attending a critical Congressional session. According to her biography filed with the Oregon Secretary of State, her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Emmanuel College. Her professional background include serving as Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries; Majority Leader Oregon House of Representatives; Oregon State Representative for District 14 (West Eugene and Junction City); District Director for United Way of Lane County 100% Access Health Care Coalition; Sales Manager with Burley Design LLC, and working as Policy Fellow at the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon.
Speakers:
Daniel Bahlen has a doctoral degree in behavioral health from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. His professional background includes work in tribal behavioral health, manufacturing, and as a graduate teaching assistant.
Melissa Bird has a doctoral degree in social work from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah. Melissa is self-employed and her professional background include working as faculty at Portland State University, California State San Bernadino, University of Southern California, and University of Utah. Melissa also served as Executive Director for the Planned Parenthood Action Council of Utah. She has more than 25 years of policy and advocacy experience advocating for reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. She is a proud descendant of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.