Joseph Hull, a Pendleton mayoral candidate, stands in his office on Dec. 1, 2023, at McCormack Construction. He is one of the guest speakers during the Round-Up Republican Women’s meeting on May 9, 2024, at Roosters Country Kitchen, Pendleton.

PENDLETON — Joseph Hull has filed to enter the race for the 2024 Pendleton mayoral election.

Hull, vice president of marketing and preconstruction at McCormack Construction, filed for candidacy Monday, Nov. 27, about seven months before the primary election and just under a year before the general election. He is the second candidate trying to succeed John Turner, who is not running for reelection.

Hull said motivation to run for mayor came from his love for Pendleton.

“I went without Pendleton for about 30 years, and I missed it,” Hull said. “I feel so at home and so happy to give myself to the city as much as I can.”

The 57-year-old was raised in Pendleton from middle school on. Hull attended Eastern Oregon University and then worked for a large contracting company, Hoffman Construction, based in Portland and Seattle, for many years.

He moved back to Pendleton almost seven years ago, in early 2017, to start his role at McCormack Construction. Since then, he has been very involved in projects focused on the city’s economic development, an area he said he’d continue pursuing as mayor.

“It’s a double-edged sword that I’m after,” Hull said. “There’s a beautiful heritage that we have to hold on to like a treasure and yet we can grow and share that with many, many more people.”

Outside of his business work, Hull coaches an under-12 little league team, volunteers on the city’s planning commission and is president of the Round-Up City Development Corp.

Hull has been in the spotlight for his vocal support of building a youth sports complex, which he said should bring more visitors to the city and bolster the economy throughout the year, rather than just during Round-Up.

Although Hull hasn’t served on the Pendleton City Council, as his opponent McKennon McDonald has, he has collaborated on projects with the council and spent years as a business executive.

With his experience working with people and leading many projects, he said, he feels prepared to step into a political leadership role.

“All cities are a complex organization,” he said, “and I thrive on that leadership where we need to plan, we need to budget, we need to set short-term, mid-term and long-term goals.”

For Hull, what his ideas come down to is having a clear vision. “If we can’t envision it,” he said, “we can’t achieve it.”

Turner previously said that while he has enjoyed the role, he feels it’s probably time to pass the baton to someone new after eight years.

Hull said he does have specific ideas to share as the race continues, like regular all-town meetings. But, generally, he wants to continue what Mayor Turner started in terms of building Pendleton’s infrastructure, creating more housing, expanding the economy and communicating with residents.

“When I went to Pendleton High School, we were a powerhouse, and our schools are reduced in size, and that breaks my heart,” Hull said. “I want to be in with sleeves rolled up helping to solve that. If at any level, our glory has been lost, I want it back.”