LA GRANDE — Topping a nine-member field, Mark Simmons, of Elgin, easily won the May 21 primary election for Position 3 on the Union County Board of Commissioners.

Simmons received 27.18% of the vote to beat Jake Seavert, who took second with 18.82%. Kathleen Cathey finished third at 15.67%, Robin Church took fourth at 11.07%, Merle Comfort was fifth at 9.45%, Brent Clapp took sixth at 8.92%, followed by John Coote with 4.61%, Brian Sather with 2.4% and Caleb Sampson with 2%.

Simmons, a state representative from 1997-2002 who served as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2000 to 2002, had a large lead throughout the evening as returns were released.

Simmons will now face Seavert in a runoff in the November general election. This is because despite his decisive win Simmons was short of the 50% plus one majority needed to be elected in the nonpartisan race for Position 3.

“I am pleased to have come out on top of such a fine group of candidates and wish them all well. I look forward to running a strong campaign in the fall,” Simmons said.

Simmons, 67, is the owner of Simmons and Company, a firm that negotiates sales between seed dealers and farmers.

Seavert, 44, is the president of the Union County Cattlemen’s Association and is division manager of Oregon Trail Livestock Supply.

“It was a close race and fortunately the outcome was good for me,” Seavert said. “Now the real work begins.”

The race was tight at about 9:30 p.m. May 21 when the second vote tally indicated Seavert led Cathey by just six votes. Seavert then pulled away to win by 238 votes. 

Cathey is a field representative for Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden.

Cathey said that running for county commissioner has been an unforgettable experience. 

“It has been a tremendous honor to run for Union County Commissioner,” she said.

Cathey welcomed the opportunity her candidacy provided her to address serious topics.

“I really liked the opportunity to speak about really important  issues like housing, mental health and the drug crisis,” she said.

Cathey noted that information about her was not in the May voters pamphlet put out by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office because she missed the filing deadline for it. 

She noted that the most successful candidates are those who have worked in agriculture. She said this is ironic because as a field representative for Wyden she has long worked hard to help many people in Eastern Oregon with agricultural projects.

The candidates for Position 3 are seeking to succeed Donna Beverage who is completing her eighth year as commissioner and cannot run for reelection because of term limits Union County voters approved several years ago.

LA GRANDE — The majority of Union County residents voted in favor of a pair of ballot measures in the Tuesday, May 21, primary election.

Ballot measure 31-119, which will raise close to $1.6 million over the next four years for the Union County Vector Control District, has passed with more than 78% of the vote as of 9:45 a.m. on May 22, according to unofficial election results.

The funds will allow the district to continue to provide mosquito control services, minimizing health risks related to West Nile virus, according to Chris Law, manager of the Union County Vector Control District.

The other ballot measure is 31-120, which asked Union voters to decide if the Union Rural Fire Department should annex the Union Fire Department and its emergency medical services.

The measure passed 60% to 40%.

Union Councilor Timothy Cox is pleased with the outcome of the annexation election.

“I’m glad that the citizens see the need for the merger,” said Cox, who is president of the Union City Council.

Cox said that the annexation will not be complete for some time.

“There is still a lot of work to do to finalize the details,” he said.

Measure 31-120 is similar to Measure 31-118, which Union voters passed, 378-163, in the August 2023 mail election. Measure 31-118 failed, though, because voter turnout was well shy of what is required for a 50% plus one majority. The Oregon Constitution requires double majorities for property-tax elections that take place outside of May or November.

— The Observer