Political hopefuls line up for May 19 primary races in Lincoln County and Oregon legislature

It could be an interesting two months for Lincoln County and Oregon coast politics.

Oregon’s primary election is May 19. The filing deadline for county and state elections was Tuesday.

The two state legislators representing the Yachats area are not seeking re-election, drawing contested primaries in those races. Meanwhile, the races for Lincoln County district attorney and two of the three judicial positions are contested – which is highly unusual.

Here is a roundup of May primary filings:

Lincoln County District Attorney

This could be one of the more interesting races in the county. District attorney Michelle Branan resigned last fall to take a job for the Oregon Department of Human Resources in Newport. Four attorneys applied to replace her with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown going outside the DA’s office to select Jonathan Cable, a former deputy district attorney who had been in private practice for four years.

Cable has filed for election. Also seeking the job are two deputy district attorneys in the office – Lanee Danforth and Kenneth Park. Park had applied for both the district attorney and judicial appointments. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, then the top two candidates face a runoff in November.

Lincoln County Judge, Position One:

Incumbent Sheryl Bachart filed for re-election but being challenged by attorney Russell Baldwin of Lincoln City, who ran unsuccessfully against an incumbent judge in 2018 and was one of four applicants for a judicial appointment late last year.

Lincoln County Judge, Position Two:

A recently-appointed judge and a pro-tem judge passed over for the January appointment are seeking the position. In January, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown appointed Newport attorney Marcia Buckley from four applicants to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Paulette Sanders. Buckley has filed for election. Her opponent is Amanda Benjamin, currently a judge pro-tem with the court and one of the unsuccessful applicants to replace Sanders.

Lincoln County Commission

There is also a crowded, four-person race for the nonpartisan four-year term now held by Claire Hall on the Lincoln County board of commissioners.

Hall, who was first elected in 2004 and has been re-elected three times since, has filed to seek another term. Also filing for the seat are former county employee David Davis of Toledo, rancher and brewery owner Joe Hitselberger of Seal Rock, and Edward Johnston of Toledo. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two face off in November.

Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers and assessor Joe Davidson are unopposed for re-election.

Senate District 5:

Incumbent Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, is not seeking re-election. The district stretches from Tillamook County in the north to Coos County in the south and includes all of Lincoln County. Melissa Cribbins, an attorney and Coos County commissioner since 2013, is the only Democrat running in the primary. Dick Anderson, the mayor of Lincoln City, is the only Republican in the primary.

House District 9:

Rep. Caddy McKeown, D-Coos Bay is also not running again. House District 9 stretches up from Coos, Douglas and Lane counties to only as far north as the city of Yachats in Lincoln County.

There will be contested races in both primaries.

Mark Daily of Coos Bay, a small business owner and two-time Coos Bay City Council member, and Calvin Mukumoto of Coos Bay, a forestry and management consultant and chair of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission have filed in the Democrat primary. Boomer Wright of Reedsport, the former superintendent of the Mapleton School District, and Keith Tymchuk of Reedsport, a retired educator, seven-term mayor of Reedsport and board member of the Central Lincoln Peoples Utility District, filed for the Republican nomination.

House District 10:

Rep. David Gomberg, D-Lincoln City, is seeking re-election and is unopposed in the primary. Max Sherman of Hebo is the only Republican who filed in the primary. The district stretches from north of Yachats, through Waldport, Newport, Lincoln City and north to Tillamook County.

A complete list of offices, candidates and their contact information is available on the Lincoln County elections website.