By Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capitol Chronicle SALEM, Ore. — Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek have less than one month to pass a bill if they want to move a transportation funding referendum from November to May, according to Oregon’s top election officer. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Kaplan in a Wednesday afternoon memo said
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Deschutes County Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert, who is seeking election to a full four-year term, told KTVZ News on Tuesday that he welcomes sheriff’s Lieutenant James “Mac” McLaughlin into the race, but expressed confidence that he is the stronger candidate to lead the agency.
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By Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle PORTLAND, Ore. — Chris Dudley, the ex-Portland Trail Blazer who came closer than any Republican in decades to winning an Oregon governor’s race, said Monday that he will run for the position once again, entering an increasingly crowded field for the upcoming May primary. Dudley made his announcement in
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and California Senator Alex Padilla, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, have raised concerns with recent developments by the U.S. Postal Service affecting postmark practices, and their potential impacts on vote-by-mail elections. Right before the holiday season, USPS clarified its recent practices in a
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A quiet change in how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) dates mail could have big implications for things like taxes and Oregon’s elections this year. USPS is now postmarking letters and packages based on when they are processed at a mail facility, not when they are dropped in a box — meaning something mailed on deadline day could receive a next‑day postmark.
Continue ReadingSALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office provided an update on the Gas Tax and Vehicle Fee Increase repeal petition after it narrowly passed during a special legislative session. On December 30th, the office announced after verifying more 191,000 signatures the petition successfully reached the number of signatures needed and will be
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Deschutes County’s interim sheriff is officially entering the race to keep the position. Ty Rupert filed paperwork Monday to run for the elected position of sheriff, choosing the date as a tribute to his late father — whose birthday was the same day.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Longtime Deschutes County Assessor Scot Langton announced Monday that he won’t seek re-election next year and will retire at the end of his term, in January 2027. At the same time, Langton endorsed Deputy Director Tana West, who filed Monday to run for the office. Langton, who has served as assessor
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Former Oregon House Minority Leader and current state senator Christine Drazan brought her campaign for governor to Central Oregon on Friday, outlining her vision for the state and voicing strong opposition to recent tax and fee hikes passed for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Just hours before her interview with
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — As midterm races approach, KTVZ is bringing viewers in-depth interviews with candidates in local and statewide contests. If you have an issue or question you would like me to ask candidates who are running for local, state, and national races, reach out to me at spencer.sacks@ktvz.com. I recently sat down with
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(Update: adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Longtime Bend-La Pine educator Mary Doyle officially announced her campaign for Congress Wednesday, seeking to represent Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District and to unseat current Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore. Doyle, a Democrat and lifelong public servant with deep roots in Central Oregon, says her campaign is built on one
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By John Fritze, CNN (CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether states may count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, taking up a Republican-led lawsuit that could affect election laws in more than a dozen states across the country. It is the latest of several high-profile voting cases to make it on
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(Update: Adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Next year, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To commemorate this milestone, the Deschutes County Elections Office is hosting an “I Voted” sticker contest for the 2026 elections. :Students in grades K-12 are encouraged to design a sticker that
Continue ReadingBEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The May 2026 Deschutes County Commissioner race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with the board expanding from three to five seats following voter approval of Measure 9-173 last year. This election will feature six candidates vying for four available positions. For Position 1,
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President Trump says he plans to sign an executive order ending mail-in ballots nationwide. Opponents say the move would cause major challenges — especially in states like Oregon, where vote-by-mail has been the standard for decades.
Continue ReadingBEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– More candidates have filed to run for four out of the five Deschutes County commissioner seats on the ballot in next May’s primary election. Two seats are currently occupied by incumbents Tony DeBone and Patti Adair, and two new seats have been added following voter approval of an expanded, five-member commission. County
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(Update: Adding video, recorded livestream from meeting with reporters) PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, announced Thursday that he will seek re-election to a fourth term in 2026, “pledging to continue to fight for working families and stand firm against growing threats to democracy, freedom, and economic justice,” his campaign stated. “For years,
Continue ReadingSALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is reminding Oregonians that their votes can decide elections. As of Tuesday, the Secretary of State’s office has received notification that more than 25 races from the May 20th special district election are close enough to trigger an automatic hand recount. “I hear from a lot of
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Just over 50 percent of Jefferson County voters who took part in Tuesday’s Special Election voted for the Madras Aquatic Center Recreation District to be dismantled. But it looks like voters are not approving the required companion measure: a permanent levy that would create a brand-new district.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With a Special Election for all three of Central Oregon’s counties less than 24 hours away, the largest of our counties is on pace for a historically low-turnout, sitting at a sluggish 16% on Monday. Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison notes that turnout for Special Elections historically draw less people than
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