Anna Peterson

Anna M. Peterson (; born May 30, 1947) is an American politician who served as Mayor of Salem, the state capital of Oregon, from 2011 until 2016. She was married to Edwin J. Peterson, who was Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1983 until 1991. A Republican, and the third woman to hold the non-partisan office, Peterson became mayor on January 11, 2011, when she succeeded Janet Taylor.

Early life and education Anna M. Peterson was born on May 30, 1947, to Harry and Eve Chadwick. Peterson, the second of two children, was born in Corvallis, Oregon, where her parents had moved after her father returned from serving in the war, so that he could attend college . The marriage, which produced one child, ended in divorce. Peterson commuted from Salem to the University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene and received her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the UO in 1984. which aids people with developmental disabilities and long-term mental illness. From 1990 to 1992, she owned a marketing and public relations firm, Successful Results with Anna Peterson. She was elected mayor of Salem in 2010 after defeating city councilor Chuck Bennett, and was reelected in 2012 and 2014. She ran unopposed in both reelections. Before her first term as mayor, she had never held elected office.

She was succeeded by Chuck Bennett at the beginning of 2017.

Political influences Peterson has stated that her political influences include former Governor Tom McCall, Attorneys General Dave Frohnmayer and Hardy Myers, and judge Betty Roberts.