In contested races for seats on the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, candidates endorsed by incumbents led the pack Tuesday night
According to preliminary unofficial results, Mike Brosius, a retired Costco executive, held 64% of the vote as of Wednesday for the District 3 seat, a four-year term representing the Astoria area.
His opponent Mitra Vazeen trailed with 35% of the vote.
Brosius thanked the people who helped with his campaign.
“There’s literally been 50 to 100 people that have been out there helping me with advice and talking about what we’re doing and what we’re trying to accomplish in the community going forward,” he said. “I’m just so thankful that there’s that many people out there that have been supportive.”
Brosius had the endorsement of several local officials including District 3 incumbent Pamela Wev. He focused his campaign on the need to develop living wage jobs in the county.
On Tuesday, he told KMUN he was already meeting with organizations and individuals now to look at current trades programs and opportunities around mass production of housing and developing and promoting local healthcare jobs.
“I’m working on stuff now,” he said. “I’m not waiting until January.”
Vazeen declined to comment on the election results.
On Tuesday night, she accused KMUN of not being objective in its reporting of her candidacy.
KMUN interviewed Vazeen in February after she filed to run for the District 3 seat. The station did not receive any complaints or requests for corrections from Vazeen after a radio version of the story aired or when a longer, written story was published on KMUN’s website — or later, when that story was also published by KMUN’s news partner The Astorian.
KMUN also recorded audio and video of a candidates’ forum in Astoria that included both Vazeen and Brosius. The station made the podcast and video available online. The candidates’ responses to all questions asked of them at that forum were provided in full, unedited.
District 5 County Commissioner race
In the race for the District 5 Clatsop County Commissioner seat, Rand Dufka, an Arch Cape contractor, led with 56% of the vote. He had been encouraged to run by incumbent Lianne Thompson.
Glenn Gaither, a retired corrections officer, trailed with 42% of the vote
Both Dufka and Gaither said the county needs to bring in better paying jobs. But Dufka said his main concern was to ensure representation of South County issues.
He said he largely agreed with and supported the efforts of current commissioner Thompson.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity the voters of District 5 have given me to give back even more to the community that has supported me and my family for over three decades,” Dufka said in a statement, adding, “South Clatsop County deserves a commissioner who knows the communities and can stand up for them — and I look forward to being that commissioner.”
Gaither wasn’t ready to call the race Tuesday night, but told KMUN: “I just got to wait for hte numbers to come in and then see what they are in the morning and whoever has the most votes wins … It’s pretty straightforward.”
Gaither previously ran unsuccessfully against then-Republican Cyrus Javadi for the House District 32 seat in House Republican primary races in 2022 and 2024.
House District 32 race
Javadi, now a Democrat, was unopposed in his bid to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for the seat on Tuesday. He appears to be on a course to face Tillamook Republican Max Sherman in November.
In Clatsop and Columbia Counties, the other Republican candidates in the running, Christian Honl and Adam Dean, were neck-and-neck for ballots cast. But Sherman took a decisive lead among Republican voters in Tillamook, landing more than 58 percent of the vote there.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust voters have placed on me,” Sherman said in a statement released Wednesday. “This campaign was built by hardworking people who care deeply about the future of the North Coast.”
State Senate District 16 race
In the race for the state senate District 16 seat, Democrat Rachel Armitage appears likely to face Republican Courtney Bangs in November’s general election.
Bangs currently serves on the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners. Her seat will become vacant if she triumphs over Armitage in November.
Bangs has been endorsed by incumbent state Senator Suzanne Weber, who is barred from running for reelection.
Clatsop County measures
Ballot measures in Clatsop County saw mixed success Tuesday night.
A general obligation bond to improve city facilities in Gearhart was failing with 61% of the vote opposed according to preliminary results Tuesday.
Voters also appeared on track to reject a five year local option tax for operations at the Seaside School District, but ballot returns remain close.
The Warrenton rural fire protection district landed a five year local tax for general operations.
Meanwhile a measure to drop fluoride from the drinking water supply in Warrenton failed with a majority of voters opting to keep fluoride in the water.
Tillamook County
In Tillamook County, incumbent County Commissioner Mary Faith Bell held the lead over challenger Jeff Spink with 55% of the vote.
A series of measures to dissolve the Tillamook Rural Fire Protection District and form a new fire department were advancing with more than 50% of the vote.
If the results hold, the Tillamook Rural Fire Protection District will merge with the Bay City Fire Department to form the Tillamook Bay Fire and Rescue Rural Fire Protection district.
Columbia County
In Columbia County, preliminary results show Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole leading in a bid for the Position 2 seat on the Columbia County Board of Commissioners.
Cole has just over 52% of the vote, ahead of incumbent Kellie Jo Smith who, as of Tuesday, was at 34% of the vote. Jonathan Barclay, who serves on the county planning commission, trailed with 12%.
All of these results and more for races across the state are available online.