Between redrawn lines from redistricting in December, the retirement of a decades-long congressman, and public officials reaching for new seats, voters have plenty to consider as they prepare to cast their votes on May 16. The election deadline for candidates closed on Tuesday and candidates are actively on the campaign trail. Below is a brief introduction to each candidate in the communities The Chronicle serves. In the upcoming weeks, The Chronicle will offer each candidate the opportunity to write a guest column in addition to answering a Q&A.
U.S. CONGRESS
District 4
Upon PETER DeFAZIO’S retirement – having served as U.S. representative for Oregon’s 4th congressional district since 1987 – nine Democrats and one Republican have filed for DeFazio’s long-held seat, including Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, Doyle E Canning, Val Hoyle, Andrew Kalloch, Steve William Laible, Jake Matthews, John Selker, G. Tommy Smith and Joshua S Welch, as well as the lone Republican Alek Skarlatos.
COUNTY COMMISSION
Position 2 (Springfield)
Incumbent JOE BERNEY is running again for his seat as commissioner, along with David Loveall and Jeremy Sherer. Berney is a business owner in construction, agriculture, retail and training, and a tenured public school instructor and administrator. He was formerly the executive director of the Lane Regional Workforce Quality committee and the former chair and board member for the Lane Education Service District.
DAVID LOVEALL is a business entrepreneur who has served as an advertising photographer and pastor, as well as a photojournalist for the Las Angeles Times. He also served six years in the United States Navy.
JEREMY SHERER is an employee at Lane County Public Works. He was previously employed as a surveyor, farmer and served in the United States Marine Corps. He has served in a union as the president, and was a chair of the Surveyors of Oregon. He also has previous experience in real estate. Note: Sherer has since withdrawn from the race.
Position 5, East Lane (Creswell, Cottage Grove, Lowell, McKenzie)
Incumbent HEATHER BUCH will be running against Kyle Blain for her seat. Buch is the special projects director for St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County Inc. She formerly served as the chair for the Cascades West Economic Development District; vice chair of the Lane Council of Government; served on the Metropolitan Policy Committee and on the Lane Area Commission of Transportation;on Legislative and Transportation and Community Development committees for the Oregon Association of Counties; in addition to more transportation and community development committees.
KYLE BLAIN is a senior portfolio consultant and a Coburg city councilor since 2018. He also serves on the budget committee for the city. Blain has previously worked as a loan originator from Gallic and Johnson; a small business owner of Blain Group Allstate Insurance; a timber manager for DR Johnson Lumber Company; as well as in cross laminate timber development for the Johnson Timber Lumber Co.
STATE SENATE
District 6 (Creswell, Cottage Grove)
CEDRIC HAYDEN: Redistricting in recent months has shifted Cedric Hayden from District 7 to District 6. He had served in District 7 since 2015, and will be running against Ashley Pelton. Hayden is a Republican with occupational experience as a dentist, rancher, wildland firefighter and small business owner.
ASHLEY PELTON, a Democrat, is the campaign coordinator for Criminal Justice Reform for Clean Slate Oregon; serves on the political action committee and on the legislative committee for National Association of Social Workers; and is also a national committee person for the Young Democrats of Oregon.
Senate District 4 (Springfield)
Incumbent FLOYD PROZANSKI, a democrat is uncontested as he runs again for his position. He has served in the Oregon House of Representatives, as the Lane County assistant district attorney, on the Eugene Police Police Commission and the Oregon Law Commission, as well as the BLM Timber Advisory Board.
STATE HOUSE
District 12 (Crewell, Cottage Grove)
Four Republicans and one Democrat are running for the House District 12 state representative seat, including Charlie Conrad, Nicole De Graff, Jeff Gowing and Bill Ledford. Michelle Emmons is the lone Democrat in the race.
JEFF GOWING, Cottage Grove mayor, is running for the seat, having served five years as mayor and seven years on Cottage Grove City Council. Gowing is a millwright at Weyerhaeuser Lumber and a veteran of the United States Army.
CHARLIE CONRAD, of Dexter, is an operations supervisor for Lane Events Center. He served on the Lane County Planning Commission and on the Community Action Advisory Committee. He has previous experience as a supervising analyst for Lane County Parks; a research coordinator for the League of Oregon Cities; a police officer at Springfield Police Department; and was a corrections officer for Lane County Sheriff’s Office.
NICOLE DE GRAFF, of Springfield, is employed at a small business, and has experience as an executive director for a nonprofit, a realtor and a marketing director.
MICHELLE EMMONS, of Oakridge, is the Upper Willamette Watershed program manager, a Willamette Riverkeeper, and an outdoor experience guide with the City of Eugene’s River House Outdoor Program. She has experience in education and outreach at the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah and the Lane Arts Council.
BILL LEDFORD, of Eugene, is retired after 35 years of pharmaceutical sales from Merck & Co. Inc. He has experience as an elected Republican precinct committee person and community organizer.
District 7 (Springfield)
JOHN LIVELY: Redistricting in recent months has shifted Springfield’s John Lively from District 12 to District 7, who will be running against Republicans Raiph Huber and Alan Stout. Lively, a Democrat, has experience as the chief operating officer for a landscape architecture and planning company; the director of technical and customer support at contact center; a director at a semiconductor manufacturing company, and a regional business development officer for the State.
RAIPH HUBER, of Springfield, is the business owner of Rising Phoenix Apparel, Inc. He has experience in nonprofit work, financial services, mortgages and ministry.
ALAN STOUT, of Springfield, is employed as a sales manager.
In the upcoming weeks, The Chronicle will offer each candidate the opportunity to write a guest column in addition to answering a Q&A.
Note: Candidates without hyperlinks to their pages do not have an online campaign site. Please contact [email protected] to update this information.