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  "description": "From Congress to the smallest local Precinct Committee Persons in Forest Grove, Banks and Gales Creek, here are the candidates seeking to represent their neighbors.",
  "path": "/who-is-running-for-office-in-the-may-2026-primary-election/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-06T22:23:31.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.newsinthegrove.com",
  "tags": [
    "but please refer to the linked and embedded map"
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  "textContent": "From Congress to the smallest local Precinct Committee Persons in Forest Grove, Banks and Gales Creek, here are the candidates seeking to represent their neighbors in elected and party positions in the May 19 primary election in this newspaper's territory. The deadline to file to run for a position closed March 3. _The deadline to withdraw from a race is March 13, so some candidates may not be on the ballot; we will note any changes as they occur._\n\nWashington County District 4, representing Forest Grove and Banks, is the most hotly contested seat of any county race, with six people vying for the open seat, which will be vacated by incumbent Jerry Willey when his term ends.\n\n_For the sake of brevity, this story will examine legislative and county races, not judicial ones._\n\n* * *\n\n## Congress\n\n### U.S. Senator\n\n**Democrat**\n\nJeff Merkley (incumbent), Paul Damian Wells\n\n**Republican**\n\nDavid A Burch, Russell McAlmond, Douglas T Muck Jr, Jo Rae Perkins, Timothy Skelton\n\n### U.S. Representative, 1st District\n\n**Democrat**\n\nSuzanne Bonamici (incumbent)\n\n**Republican**\n\nJohn Verbeek\n\n* * *\n\n## State\n\n### Governor\n\n**Democrat**\n\nTina Kotek (incumbent), Forest (Fora) Alexander, James Atkinson IV, Donnie M Beckwith, David W Beem, Brittany Jones, Cal Kishawi, Steve William Laible, Tristan Sheppard\n\n**Republican**\n\nDanielle Bethell, Ed Diehl, Christine Drazan, Chris Dudley, Kyle M Duyck, David Medina, Robert Neuman, Brad T Peters, Matthew Piatt, Paul J Romero Jr, DeAngelo Leroy Turner, Wen Waddell, Martin Ward, Tim O Youker\n\n### Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries\n\n _(Nonpartisan)_\n\nChristina E Stephenson (incumbent), Chris Lynch\n\n* * *\n\n## Oregon House and Senate\n\n### State Senator, District 15\n\n**Democrat**\n\nJaneen Sollman (incumbent), Myrna A Munoz\n\n### State Senator, District 16\n\n**Democrat**\n\nRachel Armitage, Aaron Dickie, Jordan Gutierrez\n\n**Republican**\n\nCourtney Bangs, Tripp Dietrich, Frank A Mansfield\n\n### State Representative, House District 29\n\n**Democrat**\n\nSusan McLain (incumbent), Mark Watson\n\n### State Representative, House District 31\n\n**Republican**\n\nDarcey Edwards (incumbent)\n\n* * *\n\n## County\n\n### Washington County District Attorney\n\n _(Nonpartisan)_\n\nKevin Barton (incumbent)\n\n### Washington County Chair\n\n**Nonpartisan**\n\nPam Treece, Nafisa Fai\n\n### County Commissioner, District 4\n\n**Nonpartisan**\n\nAyla Hofler, Kimberly Culbertson, Anthony Martin, Steve Callaway, Paul Schaefer, Kipperlyn Sinclair\n\n### County Auditor\n\n _(Nonpartisan)_\n\nKristine Adams-Wannberg (incumbent)\n\n* * *\n\n## Precincts\n\nPrecinct boundaries defy this newspaper’s typical geographical classifications. Thanks to the rural nature of many of the precincts in our coverage area, you’ll find sprawling boundaries that loop in many disparate communities. I have endeavored to split them as best as I can, but please refer to the linked and embedded map to gain a better understanding of precinct boundaries.\n\n_The county’s reporting of candidates was last updated Feb. 27._\n\n### Precinct 301: Timber, Gales Creek, Glenwood, Hillside, David Hill, Buxton, Manning, Cedar Canyon, Satellite\n\n**Republican**\n\nNine positions were available; only one filed; Ayla Hofler, who is also running for Washington County Commissioner District 4.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nTom Lum Forest was the sole candidate for the nine available positions.\n\n### Precinct 305: Banks\n\n**Republican**\n\nMarilyn McCalister, a Banks city councilor, was the sole candidate in a slate that could have had up to five candidates.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nGary R Harris was the sole candidate to file for one of five seats.\n\n### Precinct 310: Watts, Dilley, rural Forest Grove, Fern Hill, Spring Hill\n\nNo candidates filed for three open positions for either party.\n\n### Precinct 312: Gales Creek, Hagg Lake, Dilley, Watts, Seghers, Patton Valley\n\n**Republican**\n\nEight positions are available; Randy Copley, a Gales Creek resident, was the sole candidate as of press time.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nDeborah Shreve and Kathe Welch are candidates, leaving six open positions.\n\n### Precinct 316: Roy, Greenville, Mountaindale, Pumpkin Ridge\n\n**Republican**\n\nMark Linkmeyer, Scott Powell, and Guy M Putman filed for three of eight seats.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nNo candidates filed for eight open positions.\n\n### Precinct 326: Tophill, Bacona, Buxton, Manning, Dixie Mountain, Mountaindale\n\n**Republican**\n\nBergh Bechen was the sole candidate in a precinct with nine open positions.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nNo candidates filed for nine open positions.\n\n### Precinct 339: East Forest Grove\n\n**Republican**\n\nNo candidates filed for any of the 31 positions.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nMartha Rampton was the sole candidate. The precinct has 31 open seats.\n\n### Precinct 340: West Forest Grove\n\n**Republican**\n\nNo candidates filed for any of the 36 positions.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nCynthia Branger Muñoz, Dale Feik, Linda Feik and Dawn Jones filed to fill just a handful of the available 36 seats.\n\n### Precinct 342: Purdin and also a random field south and west of Knox Ridge Park\n\nNo candidates filed for two open positions from either party.\n\n### Precinct 347: Geiger Road, Fern Hill Road\n\nNo candidates filed for two open positions from either party.\n\n### Precinct 422: Who draws these things? Largely uninhabited strips of land bordering north Forest Grove and Cornelius\n\nNo candidates filed for two open positions from either party.\n\n### Precinct 443: Banks East\n\n**Republican**\n\nNo candidates filed for the two available positions where the Aerts Addition development is being constructed.\n\n**Democrat**\n\nNo candidates filed for two open positions.\n\n### Precinct 450: Verboort, Roy\n\nNo candidates filed for two open positions from either party.",
  "title": "Who's running for office in the May 2026 primary election?",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-06T22:23:32.257Z"
}