Douglass-led slate win Bend-La Pine School Board races; Sisters school levy passes, other requests fail

(Update: New early-AM round of Deschutes County results)

Numerous contested races on school, park, fire board seats, but fewer than one-third of voters returned ballots

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Bend-La Pine School Board Chair Carrie McPherson Douglas and three political newcomers, backed by Deschutes County Democratic Party leaders, handily defeated a Republican-endorsed slate of four board candidates in early Wednesday vote counts, in the most high-profile races of a low-turnout special election.

About 30 percent of Deschutes County voters returned ballots, despite more contested races than often seen in the May special election of odd-numbered years. The low turnout came despite numerous contested school, park and other board races on the ballot.

Douglass sought re-election to another term, appearing in joint advertising with fellow candidates Marcus LeGrand, Shirley Olson and Janet Sarai Llerandi, as well as conducting individual campaigns.

The four took part in public candidate forums and newspaper endorsements, but the GOP-backed slate of Jon Haffner, Maria Lopez-Dauenhauer, Gregg Henton and Wendy Imel declined to take part in those events, though both slates have been advertising heavily in recent weeks. The self-described “pro-student and pro family” slate, as they said in a joint newspaper column, accused their opponents of a smear campaign and twisting their views and messages.

An early Wednesday update showed Douglass easily defeated Lopez-Dauenhauer, taking about 69 percent of the vote, LeGrand defeated Imel 66-34 percent, Olson defeated Henton by the same 66-34 percent and Llerandi garnered about 61 percent to Haffner’s 37 percent and about 2 percent for third candidate Cab Burge.

Looking at three money measures on the ballot in Deschutes County, Sisters School District voters approved a $33.8 million bond measure for new and upgraded facilities, including a new K-5 elementary school, with 63 percent in favor and 37 percent opposed.

However, a five-year levy for the Cloverdale Rural Fire District to improve services (and cut response times) was defeated strongly, with about 71 percent opposed. And a five-year levy to boost funding for the La Pine Park and Rec District also was defeated, 62-38 percent.

One of the closest races on the ballot was the four-way race for Redmond School Board Position 2, which as of early Wednesday had Michael Summers narrowly defeating Michelle Salinas by 63 votes, with Lacey Butts third, at 11 percent of the vote, and Rachel Visinoni fourth at about 9 percent.

Redmond Position 1 incumbent Shawn Hartfield was defeating challenger Stephanie Hunter 56-44 percent.  

Position 3, a three-way race, saw Jill Cummings winning with nearly 47 percent of the vote to 31 percent for Lavon Medlock and 22 percent for Ron Osmundson. Position 4, a four-way race, saw Keri Lopez ahead with about 35 percent of the vote, as Bob Perry, Carmen Lawson and Oscar Gonzalez each had about 22 percent.

The Sisters School Board also had two contested races, with Jenica Cogdill easily defeating Rodney Cooper, 60 to 40 percent. In the Position 5 race, Edie Jones had about 68 percent of the vote to 31 percent for Kevin Eckert.

Three Bend Park and Rec Board seats were on the ballot, all contested. Incumbent Nathan Hovekamp was easily defeating challenger Lauren Nowierski-Stadnick, with 75 percent of the votes, while Zavier Borja defeated Robin Vora in the race for Position 4, 63-37 percent. In another open-seat race, Deb Schoen easily defeated Elizabeth Hughes Weide, taking 75 percent of the vote.

In the Redmond Area Park & Rec Board races, Matthew Gilman defeated Jon Golden for Position 1, 66 to 34 percent, while Mercedes Cook topped a three-way Position 2 race with about 41 percent of the vote to about 30 percent for Lena Berry and 29 percent for Jeremiah Pedersen.

A contested Deschutes Public Library Board race showed Anne Ness defeating Martha Lawler, about 55 to 45 percent.

Some fire district board races also were contested. In the Alfalfa Fire District Position 1 race, John Brooks won with 60 percent of the vote early Wednesday to 40 percent for Mark Laucks.

Two Cloverdale RFPD Board contests were tight, and changed leads in the early Wednesday vote count. Michelle (Mikee Stutzman) was ahead of Deanne Dement late Tuesday night by just one vote, 353-352. By Wednesday morning, Dement had taken a nine-vote lead, 511-502. For the Position 5 seat, Marcus Peck was leading incumbent Cindy Kettering by just three votes, 367-364 late Tuesday, but Kettering moved ahead by 15 votes in the Wednesday count, 527-512.

Deschutes County RFPD also had a contested race, with Oliver Tatom ahead of Karl Scronce, 59-40 percent. The La Pine Rural Fire District had two contested races; Position 1 saw Robin Lannan Adams barely ahead of Jerry Hubbard, 51 to 49 percent, and Doug Cox defeating Rex Lesueur, 56 to 44 percent.

One Redmond Fire & Rescue Board race was contested, and Jessica Meyer easily defeated Carrol McIntosh, 79 to 20 percent.

In Crook County, a contested Crook County Parks and Rec District Position 1 race saw Ruthie McKenzie ahead of Joe Becker, 53 to 47 percent.

In Jefferson County, the 509-J School Board Position 2 race showed Jamie Hurd defeating Lorien Stacona, 62 to 38 percent. For Position 3, Jacob Struck was ahead of Kaylyn Suppah, 54-46 percent.

The race for Culver School District Board Position 1 showed Michael Knepp comfortably ahead, with 68 percent to 31 percent for David Bolhuis.

A contested race for Position 4 on the Jefferson County Education Service District Board showed Raylene Thomas defeating Jim Rahi, 61 to 39 percent.

In the three contested races for Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue Board, Robert Buckner was ahead for the Position 2 seat, with 56 percent to 44 percent for Rich Brandvold.

A three-way race for Position 3 showed Frank Burkeen ahead with 55 percent to 31 percent for Mike Fisher and 14 percent for Rick Courtney. In the Position 4 race, Art Klingsporn defeated Kyle Thompson, 64-36 percent.

There were three contested races for the Jefferson County EMS Board, with Janet Brown ahead of John Curnutt 54-46 percent, Joe Krenowicz narrowly ahead of Patricia Neff, 51-49 percent and Mike Ahern leading Louise Muir, 55 to 45 percent.

There also was one contested race for Position 3 on the Madras Aquatic Center Recreation District, and Jillisa Suppah was defeating Amy DeChamplain, 52-48 percent.