Bend voters ousted a Republican state representative according to updated election results Wednesday morning, while the area’s state Senate race was within two percentage points.
Related: OPB’s 2020 election coverage, ballot guide and results
In what could be a key victory for statehouse Democrats, early returns show Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney Jason Kropf beating Rep. Cheri Helt by a wide margin in the race for House District 54.
“I’m proud of the campaign we ran, elevating important issues that will help people here in Bend like fully funding our public schools and increasing educational and economic opportunities for all our kids, expanding access to affordable physical, mental, and reproductive health care, and acting on climate change to protect this beautiful place we call home," Kropf said in statement thanking campaign volunteers.
“I’d also like to thank Rep. Helt for a hard-fought campaign and for her years of public service to our community.”
The Helt campaign spent roughly twice as much as Kropf’s, but it was apparently not enough to compensate for a growing voter registration gap in a district where demographics have steadily shifted blue for more than a decade.
Kropf is a Deschutes County deputy district attorney specializing in juvenile cases. He currently serves on the Bend Parks and Recreation District Board.
Helt is poised to be voted out of office after one term. Her campaign released a barrage of ads attacking Kropf’s character. After blowback in a city known for its polite politics, Helt walked the strategy back just two weeks before the election.
“I’m disappointed by the outcome and what it says about the polarized and partisan nature of our politics, nationally and here in Oregon," Helt said in a statement. “As a community, it is now time to unite around our humanity and shared values.”
Both of Bend’s legislative races were among the costliest in state politics this year.
In Bend’s Oregon Senate race, Republican incumbent Tim Knopp spent more than $1.2 million to meet a challenge from Democrat Eileen Kiely in the race for District 27, which includes Bend, Redmond, Sunriver and Tumalo. Wednesday morning returns showed Knopp leading by less than 2%.
Bend likely to pass a massive transportation bond
In Bend, a historically large transportation bond measure passed, according to the latest results Wednesday.
Measure 9-135 obligates $190 million to be paid through property tax increases. Its mission is to improve the city’s traffic flow, east-west connections and neighborhood safety. City officials estimate the average homeowner will pay an additional $170 per year, though tax bills won’t go up before 2022. A bond oversight committee is supposed to track and report to the community on project expenses, schedule and progress and benchmarks.
Progressive candidates sweep Bend City Council
In Bend’s nonpartisan City Council races, a slate of progressive candidates is leading despite heavy campaign spending by incumbents. The Council is now poised to be made up of six women and one man.
Megan Perkins strongly leads appointed incumbent Chris Piper for Position 3, despite Piper spending $125,000 on his campaign versus about $34,000 from Perkins.
Perkins is the founder of the nonprofit Embrace Bend. Her campaign was primarily funded by individual donations. She has promised to pursue affordable housing, safe transportation and access to childcare.
In Position 1, victim rights attorney Melanie Kebler is handily leading incumbent Justin Livingston. Kebler spent less than half of what Livingston did on the campaign. She has promised to focus on making housing more affordable in Bend.
Indigenous rights attorney Anthony Broadman will replace outgoing Bend City Councilor Bill Moseley, who did not seek reelection. Early returns show Broadman well ahead of his 18-year-old challenger, August Paul Johnson. Broadman’s campaign for Position 2 spent $44,000 as of the latest filings, and the largest single donor was the Central Oregon Realtors Association PAC. He has promised to view housing as a human right and prioritize policies to address climate change.
Rita Schenkelberg will replace Councilor Bruce Abernethy, who did not seek reelection for Position 4. Schenkelberg, a mental health counselor, identifies as a queer person of color in Bend and campaigned with the slogan “Representation matters.” She spent $27,000, largely by way of individual donations. Her receipts include $2,000 from the Kate Brown Committee. Schenkelberg has promised to advocate for affordable housing, more transportation options in Bend and prioritizing the community action climate plan.
All four of the leading city council candidates were backed by the recently formed PAC Strengthening Central Oregon.
“Too few of our community members ever consider running for office, especially women, people of color and people with limited economic resources. We need a community culture that encourages a variety of people to run for office while helping candidates overcome the obstacles to running for office,” according to the PAC’s website.
Deschutes County sheriff prevails
Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson fended off a challenge from Bend police officer Scott Schaier.
Updated returns Wednesday morning showed Schaier well behind.
“Together with the great people at your Sheriff’s Office, I will do everything I can to continue to improve services to my 200,000 bosses. My door will always be open and I will always try to do my best,” Nelson said in a statement.
He was appointed sheriff in 2015 and was first elected in 2016. He has weathered recent criticism over employment practices in the sheriff’s office, including allegations of gender discrimination.
Democrat likely to wrest away Deschutes County seat
Updated returns Wednesday morning point to a decisive victory for Democrat Phil Chang over incumbent Republican Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Henderson.
Chang, a natural resource and renewable energy consultant, ran a moderate campaign. He’s promised to bolster mental health services, improve affordable housing, reduce traffic congestion and preserve habitat and open spaces.
Henderson embraced more overtly partisan rhetoric, promising in the voter’s pamphlet that he would “not allow the riots, violence and property destruction in Portland to bleed into Deschutes County.”
Deschutes voters keep ban on new cannabis production
Measure 9-134 does not appear to be passing in early returns. The measure failed to overturn a ban on additional marijuana-related production and processing in Deschutes County.
