We know you’re probably sick of campaign ads by now. To help you cut through the noise and make an informed decision, we’ve rounded up all our election coverage in one place so you know what’s on your ballot.
Our coverage is focused on local races for city and county offices in Salem, Marion and Polk counties, as well as state legislators representing districts that include Salem. For coverage of statewide races, U.S. Congress and ballot measures, Oregon Capital Chronicle has a voters guide and coverage here.
- Salem, Keizer city races
- Marion, Polk county races
- State legislature
- Chemeketa Community College ballot measure
- Other resources for learning about candidates, issues
What to know about voting
New to vote by mail or have questions about the process? We put together an explainer here about common issues with ballots and how local election workers make sure your vote is counted and each registered Oregonian gets only one vote.
Oregon’s deadline to register to vote or update you registration information was Oct. 15.
Here’s a video explanation from the 2020 election about how Marion County processes your ballot.
Local Salem, Keizer races
If you live in Salem, you’ll see a race for mayor and possibly a city council candidate on your ballot.
No, you’re not hallucinating – we voted on those races in May. But unless a candidate runs unopposed, the winner of the May race still gets listed on the November ballot.
So you’ll see Julie Hoy running unopposed for Salem mayor. Councilors-elect Paul Tigan (ward 1), Shane Matthews (ward 3), Irvin Brown (ward 5) and Councilor Vanessa Nordyke (ward 7) may also appear on your ballot, depending on where you live. Unless Salem sees a dark horse write-in campaign effort, Hoy and the four other councilors will take office in January.
Keizer voters have two contested races. Longtime Mayor Kathy Clark is facing a challenge from her predecessor in the job, Lore Christopher.
One city council seat is also contested, between former councilor Marlene Parsons and community activist Tammy Kunz, who serves as president of the Great Northeast Keizer Neighborhood Association.
The candidates appeared in a debate on Oct. 22. Here’s a recap of what they said.
Marion, Polk county races
Both Marion and Polk counties have contested races for sheriff, and Marion County voters will also select a circuit court judge.
In Marion County, Sheriff Nick Hunter, who county commissioners appointed in June 2023, faces a challenge from one of his deputies, Stacey Rejaian.
The Marion County Circuit Court has one contested judicial race for position 11. Following a four-way primary in May, two Salem attorneys are on the November ballot.
Michelle Vlach-Ing, a criminal defense attorney, parenting time coordinator and temporary judge for the city of Salem, took the lead in the four-way race with about a third of the vote. David Carlson, an attorney focused on wills, trusts and guardianship, came in second.
There’s a contested race in the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District, which focuses on protecting and improving soil and water quality throughout the county.
Peggy Hart, a substitute teacher with a background in agriculture, is running for reelection after stepping in to fill a vacancy two years ago. Her opponent is Tony Shepherd, whose experience includes farming and selling agricultural supplies.
Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton is seeking a third term against challenger Steve Warden, who runs emergency services for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
Polk County Treasurer Steve Milligan is seeking reelection against challenger Chris Patoine. Milligan has also been involved in a lawsuit against Polk County over the functions of his job since last year. Read more about that here.
Several other county races are uncontested, including a Marion County Commissioner position. Commissioner Danielle Bethell, R, is seeking a second term with no Democratic opponent.
State legislative races
Every two years, voters decide every seat in the Oregon House of Representatives and half the state Senate. None of the state senators representing Salem are up for election this year.
We interviewed candidates in the four house districts that cover a majority of Salem and many other parts of Marion and Polk counties: House Districts 19, 20, 21 and 22.
Depending on where you live, your ballot may include:
House District 19 (most of south Salem) – Rep. Tom Andersen, D, a former Salem city councilor, is seeking a second term against challenger David Brown, R, an insurance franchise owner.
House District 20 (southwest and west Salem, Monmouth, Independence) – Rep. Paul Evans, D, is seeking a sixth term against Kevin Chambers, R, a water well driller who’s been active in Polk County civic groups and the county Republican Party.
House District 21 (north Salem, Keizer) – Rep. Kevin Mannix, R, a Salem attorney, is seeking a second term against challenger Virginia Stapleton, D, a Salem city councilor.
House District 22 (northeast Salem, Gervais, Woodburn) – Rep. Tracy Cramer is seeking re-election against challenger Lesly Muñoz, a consultant for Oregon’s largest teacher union.
House District 17 includes a small portion of east Salem as well as much of the Santiam Canyon. Rep. Ed Diehl, a Stayton Republican, is seeking a second term against Salem disability rights advocate David Beem, a Democrat.
Chemeketa Community College bond
Chemeketa Community College leaders want voters to authorize them to keep property taxes at the same level to pay for $140 million in campus infrastructure projects over the next few years.
Every voter in Chemeketa’s service district gets to vote on the measure. That area includes all of Marion and Polk counties, most of Yamhill County and a small portion of Linn County.
Renovations would benefit all of six of Chemeketa’s campuses, with most of the money for projects on the main Salem campus.
Other resources
Want to learn more about local candidates?
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office publishes a voter guide for statewide races and legislative races, as well as ballot measures.
CC:Media, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Marion and Polk Counties, has interviews with local candidates and a program about local ballot measures available online. Northwest Senior and Disability Services has also interviewed some candidates, with videos available at the same link.
Oregon Capital Chronicle’s voters guide and election coverage page have stories on ballot measures, Congress and statewide races.
All of Salem Reporter’s 2024 election stories are here.
STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].
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