Clapp

LA GRANDE — Local election campaigns are starting to heat up.

While votes won’t be cast for some time still, residents and businesses across the county are already showing their support for candidates by opening their pocketbooks and bank accounts.

Other candidates still have time to throw their hats into the ring. The filing deadline for the May 21 primary election is 5 p.m. March 12.

The following numbers are according to the Oregon Elections System for Tracking and Reporting — commonly referred to as ORESTAR — as of Friday, Feb. 2, and are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Union County sheriff

In January, Shane Rollins, of Cove, filed to run against incumbent Cody Bowen, for Union County sheriff.

Rollins, an excavation contractor, served 21 years in the Marine Corps. His time in the military included 10 years with its military police force.

The Shane Rollins for Sheriff committee, which was formed on Jan. 30, has not yet reported any contributions or expenditures.

Bowen is completing his first four-year term as sheriff. Before being elected sheriff he was a deputy and has worked for the Union County Sheriff’s Office full time since 2011.

Bowen has received contributions from both local businesses and residents. The Committee to Elect Cody Bowen for Union County Sheriff has brought in $16,500 in cash contributions.

The campaign’s largest contribution has been $10,000 from 516 Ranch LLC.

516 Ranch Partnership owns about 12,000 acres of ranch and timber land in Union County where the property owners raise cattle, harvest timber and allow hunting for a fee.

B&K Auto Salvage and Grande Ronde Angus each contributed $2,500 to Bowen’s campaign. CAM Credits Inc. gave $500.

Union County residents have also financially supported to Bowen’s campaign. Sherry Haeger, of Cove, and Paul Swigert, of La Grande, each donated $500.

Bowen’s top campaign expense, $8,000, has been to The Ad Dad for media services. Minarich Investments LLC lands in the No. 2 spending spot, with Bowen’s committee paying $5,000 for campaign management.

Circuit court

Oregon’s 10th Judicial Circuit Court serves both Union and Wallowa counties and has two elected judges.

Judge Thomas Powers is running for reelection for Position 1, which he has held since April 2017. No one else has filed for the race. Powers has not reported a candidate committee.

Candidates are not required to create candidate committees if they act as their own treasurer, do not already have a candidate committee and do not expect to spend or receive more than $750 on campaign-related costs during the calendar year, according to the 2024 Campaign Finance Manual published by the Secretary of State Elections Division.

In September 2023, Jared Boyd, a Union County defense attorney, filed to run against incumbent Wes Williams for Position 2 on the 10th Judicial Circuit Court. Williams was elected to Position 2 in 2018.

The Citizens to Re-Elect Judge Wes Williams has received $7,150. The largest cash contribution made to Williams’ campaign, $1,000, was from a family member — his brother Ed Williams, of Damascus.

The rest of his campaign contributions have come from Union and Wallowa county residents:

• Denise Stone, La Grande, $250

• Theodore Taylor, La Grande, $250

• Shayla Bruce, Cove, $250

• Ron Bruce, Cove, $250

• Cori Brewster, La Grande, $200

• Fred Bell, La Grande, $125

• Connie Bell, La Grande, $125

• Greg Williams, Union, $500

• Theresa Noldeke, La Grande, $400

• Marcia Rynearson, La Grande, $125

• Bruce Rynearson, La Grande, $125

• Bart Hofmann, Summerville, $200

• Dorothy Garcia, La Grande, $300

• Glenn Kline, Imnaha, $200

• Chris Geyer, Joseph, $150

Williams has also received a number of miscellaneous cash contributions ranging between $50 and $300.

Williams and his wife, Jennifer Williams, each have contributed $10,000 — totaling $20,000 — toward the campaign as a nonexempt loan.

The top expenditure for his campaign has been to Capitol Promotions for signs, for $1,823.

Boyd announced in November that he planned to entirely self-fund his campaign. Boyd has contributed $30,000 to his campaign fund as a nonexempt loan. The Jared Boyd for Judge committee has not received any cash contributions.

Boyd’s top campaign expense has been to Signs on the Cheap — $2,648 for yard signs across three purchases. His campaign has received a refund or rebate from Signs on the Cheap for $527 due to an image pixelation error and a purchasing error.

County commissioner

Position 3 on the Union County Board of Commissioners is up for grabs. The seat is currently held by Donna Beverage, who is completing her second four-year term. Beverage cannot seek reelection because of a term-limit measure Union County voters approved in 2016, which allows commissioners to serve no more than eight years.

So far, Mark Simmons, of Elgin, and Brent Clapp, of La Grande, have filed to run for the seat on the commissioners’ board.

Simmons served in the Oregon House of Representative from 1997-2002 and was speaker of the House from 2000-2002.

The Committee to Elect Mark Simmons has received $3,600 in contributions. His campaign’s largest cash contribution is $3,500, from Robert Levy, of Hermiston. Simmons’ largest campaign expenditure has been to FIVERR at $227 for the preparation and production of advertising.

Clapp is a La Grande businessman. He started Brent Clapp Productions in 2010 and Eastern Oregon Alive TV in 2014.

The Committee to Elect Brent Clapp, which was formed at the start of January, has received $50 in miscellaneous cash contributions. Clapp has also contributed $1,000 toward his campaign through an exempt loan.

His committee’s largest expenditure has been $850, to Meadow Outdoor Advertising for billboard advertising.