This is a big year for some elections for political office in east Linn County.
On the May 17 primary ballot are 34 candidates for governor, including some big names in Oregon politics.
The fields are large in some local races as well, thanks in part to redistricting, which created a new U.S. House of Representatives district for Oregon and moved east Linn County communities into the 5th congressional district currently represented by Democrat Kurt Schrader (see page 16), the 11th Oregon House district (from the 17th, represented by Rep. Jami Cate, see page 14) and the 6th state Senate district (from the 9th, represented by Fred Girod).
Also on the ballot for Sweet Home residents is a $16 million request for Linn-Benton Community College for a new agricultural training center and facility improvements.
Some local races won’t be contested until November, since there are only two candidates, which means a primary is not necessary.
That will be the case in the Sheriff’s election between incumbent Michelle Duncan and challenger Jon Raymond of Lebanon.
Also, incumbent Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker and challenger Scott B. Bruslind, of Lebanon, are the only ones in the race for the Position 1 seat, so they will face off in November.
In the race for the state Senate 6th District, in which east Linn County communities now are located after redistricting, Cedric R. Hayden, of Lowell, a Republican who is currently 7th District state representative, is running uncontested against Democrat Ashley J. Pelton of Cottage Grove. They will face off in November. Current 6th District state Sen. Lee Beyer is stepping down.
In the other contested local election for a state office, for the 11th District state House seat, Jami Cate, who was redistricted out of her previous District 17 seat, will be the closest to an incumbent, facing off against Tyler Collins in the Republican primary. Rep. Marty Wilde, the incumbent, was drawn out of the district and is not running.
Two online resources for coverage of the governor’s race and other statewide position elections are oregoncapitalchronicle.com or oregoncapitolinsider.com.