By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
Lincoln County Deputy District Attorney Lanee Danforth defeated her boss, Lincoln County District Attorney Jonathan Cable, on Tuesday night in the hotly contested race to see who will be the top law enforcement officer in the county for the next four years.
Danforth received 9,484 votes to Cable’s 6,061. A third candidate, deputy district attorney Kenneth “Rusty” Park, who had suspended his campaign in March got 1,253 votes.
With those numbers Danforth had 56.4 percent of the total votes — an outright winner needed 50 percent — to take the office in the May primary and avoid a two-person runoff in November. Unless Cable, who was appointed in January by Gov. Kate Brown, leaves office earlier, Danforth would take office in January 2021.
As expected, four-term Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall led the six-person race for a seat on the board. But with so many people on the ballot she was unable to get 50 percent of the vote to avoid a two-way race in November.
Hall had 6,789 votes and will face farmer and brewery owner Joe Hitselberger of Seal Rock, who finished second with 3,484. Betty Kamaikawa of Toledo was third with 3,008. David Davis of Toledo got 1,631, Edward Johnston of Toledo 664 and there were 1,081 write-in votes. Hall’s total was 40.7 percent of the total vote — not enough to win the election outright.
The race for district attorney was one of the highest-spending local races in Lincoln County history, with two candidates pouring mostly their own money – more than $70,000 total — into social media campaigns and advertising.
Cable is a former deputy district attorney who had been in private practice for four years before appointment to the position in January by Gov. Kate Brown.
Danforth has been a deputy district attorney in Lincoln County for two years, following shorter stints in Coos and Washington counties.
Without being able to face each other in community settings because of coronavirus restrictions, the race has been marked by aggressive social media and advertising campaigns — and lots of complaints about each other’s advertising. Danforth touted her work ethic, endorsement by four other deputy district attorneys inside the office and law enforcement outside. Cable campaigned on his experience — nine years as a prosecutor and four years in outside practice.
Both campaigns were largely self-financed. As of May 11, according to the Oregon Secretary of State, Cable has funded his campaign with $31,000 of his own money; Danforth has spent $39,000 on hers.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Danforth thanked supporters for their help and trust, telling them “Just as we have done for the past several months, I expect that we will continue to stay positive and accept this victory with humility and grace.”
“We started this journey together and we will continue to work together, as one community, with a common goal of making Lincoln County a better, safer place to live.”
Cable, in a prepared statement Tuesday night, said he was disappointed in the outcome.
“It has been a long road, one that has not yet reached its end. I would like to thank my voters of Lincoln County for putting their trust in me,” he said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Lincoln County for the remainder of my term, which expires in January, barring any unforeseen circumstance. In whatever time I have remaining in the office of district attorney, I will do my best to be fair, efficient, and cost effective.”
Lincoln County Judge, Position One
Incumbent Sheryl Bachart easily won re-election over challenger Russell Baldwin, a Lincoln City attorney. Bachart had 12,008 votes to Baldwin’s 4,887.
Lincoln County Commission
Hall was first elected in 2004 and has been re-elected three times since. She faced Toledo City Councilor Betty Kamikawa, former county employee David Davis of Toledo, rancher and brewery owner Joe Hitselberger of Seal Rock, and Edward Johnston of Toledo. It will be Hitselberger’s second run at the county office; he finished third in a four-way race in 2014.
Newport businesswoman Celeste McEntee three weeks ago announced a write-in effort. County Clerk Dana Jenkins said if the “write-in” category on the ballot does not appear to get enough votes to finish in second place, then they are not tallied by name immediately.
Senate District 5: Melissa Cribbins, an attorney and Coos County commissioner since 2013, the only Democrat in the primary will face Republican Dick Anderson, the mayor of Lincoln City in November. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, is not seeking re-election. The district stretches from Tillamook County in the north to Coos County in the south and includes all of Lincoln County.
House District 9: Calvin Mukumoto of Coos Bay, a forestry and management consultant and chair of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, won the Democtaic primary with 4,982 votes, beating former Coos Bay city councilor Mark Daily,who had 2,259.
Mukumoto will face Boomer Wright of Reedsport, the former superintendent of the Mapleton School District, who was unopposed in the Republican primary.
The seat is currently held by Rep. Caddy McKeown, D-Coos Bay, who is retiring. House District 9 stretches up from Coos, Douglas and Lane counties to only as far north as the city of Yachats in Lincoln County.
House District 10: Rep. David Gomberg, D-Lincoln City, was unopposed in the Democratic primary and will face Max Sherman of Hebo is the only Republican in the primary. The district stretches from north of Yachats, through Waldport, Newport, Lincoln City and north to Tillamook County.
Congress, Fifth District: Incumbent Kurt Schrader, who was first elected to Congress in 2008, easily defeated his Democratic primary challenger, Milwaukie Mayor Mark Gamba, in the congressional district that covers Lincoln County. Schrader had 57,461 votes to Gamba’s 17,695. Amy Ryan Courser of Keizer won the Republican primary over three other candidates with 52 percent of the vote.