Jefferson County voters handed strong primary wins to both incumbent county commissioners on May 19, with Mark Wunsch and Kelly Simmelink each outpacing their challengers by wide margins. Meanwhile, the county sheriff race — one of the most-watched local contests in recent memory — is set to play out in November's general election.
Position 1: Wunsch Holds Off Curtiss
Commissioner Mark Wunsch secured his Position 1 seat with 58.57% of the vote, comfortably defeating challenger George Curtiss, who received 40.54%. Wunsch, who has focused his tenure on public safety and transportation, expressed his intention to continue expanding the Sheriff's Office.
"We have been able to add five officers to the sheriff's team in the last three and a half years and I want that to improve," Wunsch said at a pre-election forum at the Madras Performing Arts Center. "We have a lot of nasty crime going on across the county — domestic violence, child sex crimes — we need to be proactive and have a team that can address those in a timely manner regardless of where they are."
Position 2: Simmelink Tops Four-Way Field
In the more crowded Position 2 race, incumbent Kelly Simmelink — who has held the seat since 2017 — took 53.88% of the vote in a four-candidate field, likely avoiding the need for a general election runoff. Challenger Ara Erdekian finished second with 23.54%, followed by Greg Mead at 15.27% and Bill Atherton at 6.86%.
Simmelink, whose campaign centered on public safety and economic momentum, told voters: "Things are really steaming along on the economic side and I want to continue that momentum."
Sheriff and Clerk Races Head to November
The county sheriff contest between incumbent Jason Pollock and challenger Tyler Anderson will appear on the November 3 general election ballot. The race has drawn significant statewide attention following DPSST's May 21 recommendation to revoke Anderson's law enforcement certifications.
The only candidate for Jefferson County Clerk is Lyndsay Hessel, the county's executive administrative assistant, who is expected to run uncontested in November.
Statewide primary results will be officially certified on June 25, 2026 by the Oregon Secretary of State. Unofficial results show a statewide voter turnout of approximately 40.5%.