Jefferson County voters have spoken: incumbents Mark Wunsch and Kelly Simmelink will continue representing their constituents on the county board of commissioners, according to certified results from the May 19 primary election. The county's ballot tally machine was officially certified on June 11, locking in the final vote counts.
Position 1: Wunsch Holds Comfortably
Mark Wunsch, who has focused his tenure on public safety and rural transportation, defeated challenger George Curtiss by a wide margin — taking 58.6% of the vote to Curtiss's 40.5%.
"We've been able to add five officers to his team in the last three and a half years and I want that to improve," Wunsch said at a forum held at the Madras Performing Arts Center during the campaign. "We have a lot of nasty crime going on across the county — domestic violence, child sex crimes, some of the most serious offenses. We need to be proactive."
Position 2: Simmelink Holds Off a Crowded Field
Kelly Simmelink, who has served on the commission since 2017, won outright in a four-way race. She received 53.9% of the vote — just enough to avoid a runoff. Challenger Ara Erdekian finished second with 23.5%, followed by Greg Mead at 15.3% and Bill Atherton at 6.9%.
Simmelink highlighted economic momentum and public safety as her campaign priorities. "Things are really steaming along on the economic side of things and I want to continue that momentum," she said during a campaign forum.
Sheriff Race Moves to November
The county's most-watched race — the sheriff's contest — did not appear on the primary ballot and will be decided in November. Incumbent Sheriff Jason Pollock will face former Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputy Tyler Anderson in the general election.
Anderson's candidacy has been overshadowed by serious questions about his law enforcement certification. A state review committee voted to revoke those credentials in May, though Anderson has pledged to appeal the decision and remain in the race. (See separate story for full coverage.)
Also heading to November: the uncontested race for county clerk, where Lyndsay Hessel — the county's current executive administrative assistant — is the only candidate on file.
Final certified results are available at the Oregon Secretary of State's elections portal at results.oregonvotes.gov.