It may take until Tuesday night — a week after the Nov. 5 general election — to determine the winner of the lone race for a seat on the Lincoln County board of commissioners.
Five-term incumbent Claire Hall of Newport increased her lead over challenger Rick Beasley of Depoe Bay to 67 votes on Friday night — 12,960 to 12,893 — after the latest ballot results were released. On Tuesday, Hall had a 232 vote lead over Beasley, but that tightened to just 49 votes Wednesday night.
The next round of results in Lincoln County races are not scheduled to be released until Tuesday, Nov. 12 — a full week after the Nov. 5 general election. Depending on the number of ballots finally counted, it is estimated that a winning/losing margin of under 45 votes would trigger an automatic recount.
The Lincoln County clerk’s election page said approximately 96 percent — or 29,633 — of ballots had been counted by the end of the day Friday for a turnout of 73 percent. A record number of 41,288 ballots were sent to county voters this election and county clerk Amy Southwell had predicted a turnout of 80 percent — typical of a presidential general election.
Beasley, a Depoe Bay city councilor, campaigned against Hall’s record, had the endorsement of Sheriff Curtis Landers and said the county needed a change after her 20 years in office. Hall called her record one of accomplishment on housing, social services, and response to the pandemic and 2020 wildfires.
The two squared off in the general election because Hall did not get more than a 50 percent majority in the May primary when the votes were split between her and four challengers.
In the only other race of countywide significance, Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, was headed toward his first re-election by leading 53.6 percent to challenger Jo Beaudreau’s 46.2 percent, according to partial returns Wednesday night from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. Oregon Senate District 5 runs from Lincoln County south to Coos Bay, and now includes slices of western Benton and Lane counties.
Voters were also choosing new people for three new statewide offices – attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer. Oregon voters are also deciding five ballot measures. For results of those races from Oregon Capital Chronicle, go here
The 4th Congressional District covers all of Lincoln County and Rep. Val Hoyle is being challenged by Monique DeSpain of Eugene. For results of that race from Oregon Capital Chronicle, go here
In the Oregon House, Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, was unopposed for his seventh two-year term.
More local results
In the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District, voters soundly defeated the district’s request for a 60 cent increase to an operations levy of $1.27. The tally Wednesday night was 746 to 1,474. The 60 cent increase would have added $150 a year onto the property tax bill of the owner of property assessed at $250,000.
In the Seal Rock Fire District, voters were approving a new 25 cent, five-year levy for equipment 1,110 to 836. The new levy will add $62.50 to the yearly tax bill of someone’s property assessed at $250,000.
Voters in Yachats, Waldport, Newport, Toledo, Depoe Bay, and Siletz were electing mayors – but only two races were contested.
In the race for mayor of Waldport, former city councilor Heide Lambert maintained a lead Wednesday over city councilor Malaia Kilduff 689 to 523. Both conducted a vigorous social media and letter-writing campaigns and on Wednesday evening Kilduff conceded the race and congratulated Lambert.
Four people, including incumbents Jayme Morris and Greg Dunn sought three Waldport city council seats; Morris had 849 votes, former councilor Jerry Townsend 798 votes, Dunn 792 votes, and Thomas Ebling was fourth with 440 votes.
In Lincoln City, in the one contested race for the city council, Kevin Hohnbaum maintained his big lead over Tammy Sanford 794 to 493 for the Ward III seat.
In Depoe Bay, mayor Kathy Short was seeking her third term and defeating challenger Cindi Ciuffo 585 to 415. Two of three council races were contested, with Autumn Watson leading Kathy Wyatt 467 to 359 and Debbie Poland leading Hannah Grant 466 to 370.
In Toledo, Andrew Keating was the top vote-getter in a four-way race for three seats on the city council with 876 votes. Jackie Kauffman was second with 788 votes, Tracy Mix third with 745 and William Riley fourth at 623.
Toledo voters were also narrowly approving a new city charter 771 to 747.
As for the unopposed mayor races in the other cities, Craig Berdie was re-elected in Yachats, Jan Kaplan, who was appointed Newport’s mayor in 2023, was elected to the position Tuesday; and Rod Cross was unopposed in Toledo as was Will Worman in Siletz.
For statewide election results, go to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website here
To see how Lincoln County is voting on all the candidates and issues as of Tuesday night, go here