Jefferson County voters delivered a clear mandate Tuesday night, returning both incumbent county commissioners to office in the May 19 primary election.

Mark Wunsch, who chairs the Board of Commissioners, topped challenger George Curtiss in the Position 1 race with approximately 59% of the vote to Curtiss’s 40%. Curtiss, who grew up on Crooked River Ranch, ran on a platform emphasizing community representation from outside Madras city limits.

In the more crowded Position 2 race, incumbent Kelly Simmelink navigated a four-way field to claim victory outright with roughly 54–55% of the vote — just enough to clear the 50% threshold and avoid a runoff in November. Challenger Ara Erdekian finished second with about 24%, while Greg Mead received 15% and Bill Atherton came in at 7%.

What the Candidates Said

Wunsch, who has served on the board for nearly four years, emphasized public safety and transportation as his top priorities heading into a new term.

“We’ve been able to add five officers to his team in the last 3½ years and I want that to improve,” Wunsch said at a forum earlier this spring at Madras Performing Arts Center. “We have a lot of nasty crime going on across the county — domestic violence, child sex crimes, some of the most horrific crimes. We need to be proactive.”

Simmelink, who has served on the commission since 2017, focused on sustaining economic momentum in the county.

“Things are really steaming along on the economic side of things and I want to continue that momentum,” she said.

What Comes Next

Both Wunsch and Simmelink will now face the November general election. Because no opposing party candidates filed for these nonpartisan commissioner seats, their wins Tuesday effectively seal their reelection barring any write-in campaign.

Three other races on the Jefferson County ballot — Sheriff, County Clerk, and County Treasurer — are set for the November 3 general election. The only candidate for county clerk is Lyndsay Hessel, the county’s executive administrative assistant. The sheriff’s race pits incumbent Jason Pollock against former deputy Tyler Anderson.

Final certified results from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office are expected later this month as ballots continue to be counted.