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A Democratic Shift in Deschutes County

Reactions and analysis on local races in the 2020 election

By Nicole Vulcan and Laurel Brauns

Voter Turnout in Deschutes County is High—But Not as High as 2016

Voters all across the United States came out in record numbers for the 2020 presidential election—but in Deschutes County, turnout was slightly lower than the last presidential election year. At the same time, the county added nearly 30,000 voters to its rolls this time around. Turnout in 2016 in Deschutes County was 82.04%, according to the Deschutes County Clerk, with 122,216 voters on the rolls. In 2020, 80.89% of eligible voters cast a ballot, among 152,181 eligible voters in the county.

Back in 2016, Deschutes County voters favored Donald Trump, with 46.36% of the county’s votes, compared to 43.07% for Hillary Clinton. In 2020, voters in the county favored Joe Biden, with 52.66% of the votes compared to Trump’s 44.51%. That trend seems to mimic the overall shift in the county toward more Democrat voters. In 2020, a majority of voters were registered as Democrats as of November, with 47,767 registered Democrats, 46,377 registered Republicans and 46,555 non-affiliated voters. Compare that to the Deschutes County Clerk’s numbers from November 2016, when, among 122,892 voters, 38,893 voters registered as Democrats, 41,494 registered as Republicans and 32,026 were non-affiliated voters. Mind you, Oregon implemented its “motor voter” program in 2016—which automatically registers those who renew or apply for a driver’s license.

Changing demographics could have played at least some part in the shifts in Central Oregon’s representation in Salem. In 2016, Oregon Sen. Tim Knopp (R-27) took home 60.58% of the vote compared to 39.22% of the vote for Democratic challenger Greg Delgado. In 2020, Knopp barely edged out Democrat Eileen Kiely, taking home 50.73% of the vote to Kiely’s 49.09% in the latest unofficial tally. In the Oregon House 54 race, Democrat Jason Kropf won over incumbent Republican Cheri Helt, with 60.09% of the vote over Helt’s 38.87%. Republicans prevailed in House 54, however, with incumbent Jack Zika taking 57.06% of the vote compared to 42.79% for Democrat Emerson Levy.

In statewide elections, voter support was mixed in Deschutes County this time around. In the Secretary of State race, Deschutes County voters supported Republican Kim Thatcher with 48.73% of the vote in the county to Democrat Shemia Fagan’s 45.53%. Fagan won the statewide tally. Republican challeng-

er Jeff Gudman got a bigger share of Deschutes County’s votes in the State Treasurer race, too, with 46.83% of the vote to Democrat Tobias Read’s 46.70%. Read won his race. And in the race for Oregon’s Congressional District 2, Republican Cliff Bentz took home 51.15% of Deschutes County’s votes, compared to 45.94% for Democrat Alex Spenser. Bentz won the race, replacing longtime Rep. Greg Walden, a fellow Republican.

In statewide measures, Deschutes County voters were aligned with statewide support, voting majority-yes for Measures 107, 108, 109 and 110.

In Deschutes County, Phil Chang Replaces Phil Henderson

Democrat Phil Chang won the race for Deschutes County Commissioner in the November election with 52.28% of the

vote. His opponent, incumbent Republican Phil Henderson, lost with 47.63%.

With a background in renewable energy and natural resources, Chang ran on a platform of urban growth over suburban sprawl, and is an advocate for increased support for the County’s Behavioral Health Services department.

Chang said that Alan Unger—the last Democratic Deschutes County Commissioner, Unger who served from 2008 to 2016—was his inspiration and mentor. In 2016, lost to Republican Phil Henderson, who Chang bested in this race. Chang said he’s excited his victory means the County Commission will be more balanced in the years ahead. Chang will focus on behavioral health services, containment of COVID-19, smart growth for the community, affordable housing, traffic congestion and protecting open space and habitat.

Another plan for Chang: to end the many state land use battles the recent Commission has engaged in; among them, an attempt to develop zoned farm land outside Bend and Redmond. It also fought with the state over the approval of new marijuana cultivation centers in the unincorporated county.

“I believe that Commissioner (Tony) DeBone hasn’t been as eager to fight with the state about every land issue under the sun as Phil Henderson was, so I’ll be excited to work closely with him, because this is not about a war against Salem, it’s about getting things done,” Chang said.

Fellow Commissioner Patti Adair, a Republican who often sided with Henderson on land use issues, had this to say about Chang’s victory: “It will be interesting, another commissioner. We have a full plate ahead of us; 2020 was full of Source Weekly / Submitted

curve balls constantly. Who knows what 2021 will bring? I’m sure it will be more curve balls.”

Deschutes County Ballot Measure 9-134: No New Pot Businesses in unincorporated Deschutes County

The failure of Measure 9-134 measure by almost 8% was one of the surprises of election night given the overall progressive swing in City, State and County elections in Deschutes County. Some advocates of the measure said the language was confusing: Voters may have believed that a “no” vote meant that the County could no longer limit commercial marijuana businesses in the county. Instead, a “no” vote means that the County can continue to limit new grows.

“I thought there was a lot of misinformation about that measure. The phrasing for it and trying to present it as ‘We’ve already got plenty of pot, you want more?!’” Chang said. “But it could be that voters think there is enough pot now and we shouldn’t have any more. I can’t read between the lines.”

Not a single advocate of the measure submitted a letter for the Oregon General Election Voters’ Pamphlet, but five people submitted articles opposed.

“Some marijuana businesses might not think it should even be on the ballot, because voters expressed their will back in 2014 [the year marijuana legalization was passed in Oregon],” Chang said.

Adair, who, during her campaign two years ago, ran on an anti-marijuana platform, said she was happy the measure passed because “the rural communities have not been happy with [the growth of the pot industry] in their neighborhoods,” she said.

Meanwhile, Adair said she is working at the state level to legalize Accessory Dwelling Units in Deschutes County.

The Deschutes Board of County Commissioners serve four-year terms. Both Adair and DeBone will be up for reelection in 2022.

Will This Be the Most Progressive City Council in Bend History?

A blue wave swept the Bend City Council election Tuesday night, which makes it the first female-majority City Council in Bend history, according to the Deschutes County Clerk’s historical records. This may also be one of the most progressive City Councils in Bend’s history in terms of the scope of the issues new councilors will prioritize. Common themes included transportation (especially public transit), affordable housing, equity and diversity and a desire to strengthen communication between the City Council and the people who live in Bend. surprised it was “such a landslide.”

She felt the win was indicative of Bend voters' need to have honest candidates, “full of integrity,” a guiding sentiment of her campaign, she said.

Source Weekly / Darris Hurst

She described the race as a “real learning experience” and said she met with dozens of people and groups including the other candidates in the race, City Manager Eric King and current City Council members.

She plans to concentrate on encouraging more housing types in Bend in response to the state’s passage of HB 2001, a new law that got rid of exclusive single-family neighborhood zoning. She also wants to help foster a culture that’s more responsive to activist groups in the city.

When asked how she felt about being on a new City Council with mostly women, Schenkelberg said, “This is a really big change for Bend. Men in our culture already hold so much power. This will bring a new perspective with such different energy.”

Anthony Broadman

Anthony Broadman, who at last count, had garnered 78.85% of the vote, said he was amazed by how many calls he received Wednesday from people “picking up the phone and expressing this feeling of camaraderie and happiness.”

At 37,706 votes, Broadman received the most total votes of any candidate in Bend history. City Councilor Bruce Abernethy is now second, with 27,399 votes in 2016 when he ran unopposed, according to the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office records.

Source Weekly / Submitted

“I think this vote speaks to the idea that these aren’t really red issues or blue issues, they are issues we know as a community that we can come together and solve,” Broadman said Wednesday. “The fact that I can speak with my heart and mind about what resonates with me, it’s such an honor and fills me with gratitude.”

Examples of the kinds of progressive issues he’d like to tackle right away include mitigating the “generational challenge of COVID-19,” establishing permanent funding for a winter warming shelter and crafting a “cohesive plan to prevent houselessness before it starts,” he said. He also wants to move forward with the projects on the City of Bend’s transportation bond (which passed with 58% of the vote) and work to find other sources of funding for public transit.

Megan Perkins

Megan Perkins won the race for Pos. 3 with 52.37% of the vote to Chris Piper’s 38.79%. Perkins is the co-founder of Embrace Bend, and her platform focused on equity and inclusion in the Bend community. Affordable housing was one of Perkins’ top concerns. meganforbend.com

“One of the biggest eye-opening things about this campaign was finding out how many people could not find a place to live in our city… teachers, nurses, students right out of college, the near houseless population, that is something that needs remedy,” she said. Perkins said she wants the Bend City Council to become a “megaphone” for the City as the fight to prevent the spread of COVID-19 continues into the winter.

“We’re moving into a scary moment in this pandemic as COVID-19 becomes exacerbated by the flu, weather change and community spread. I feel the City needs to reach out to communities that have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic, including checking in with seniors to make sure they are as healthy as they can be.”

Her campaign released a statement on election night, emphasizing how much she was outspent by opponent Chris Piper. He raised $123,000, primarily from local business PACs, including the Central Oregon Association of Realtors PAC, which donated $72,000, according to the Oregon Secretary of State. Perkins raised $39,000, mostly from individual donors.

About a week before the election, a new group called “Follow the Money Deschutes” sent a mailer detailing Piper’s PAC money. Piper’s position has been embroiled in controversy since he was appointed in early 2019, nominated by Mayor Sally Russell to fill her vacant seat after she won the 2018 mayoral race.

Melanie Kebler

Local attorney Melanie Kebler unseated Bend City Council Pos. 1 incumbent Justin Livingston with 60.16% of the vote to Livingston’s 39.50%. Livingston raised $96,000 from local business interests, while Kebler raised $41,000 from mostly individual donors.

Source Weekly / Submitted

When asked how knowledge of campaign contributions affects voters, Kebler remarked, “I believe people are paying more attention to who is supporting what candidate… Given that the campaign finance Measure [107] passed handily, people care about this issue. This race showed that money alone can’t win.”

Kebler said she’s looking forward to working with a majority-female City Council and believes there will be less “interrupting” at future meetings.

In terms of affordable housing, Kebler said, “We need to use every tool in the toolbox; there’s not just one thing that is going to solve this. We have to hit at different angles including streamlining building codes, evaluating the permit process and builder’s fees and perhaps even lobbying the state for changes to the law.”

Mayor Sally Russell’s reaction

As the woman in the top leadership role for the Bend City Council, Mayor Sally Russell weighed in following Tuesday’s election, which will see so much change in the coming year.

“My biggest hope with this incoming [City] Council is that they pick up the work and foundation that has been put together over the last couple of years and accelerate it,” Russell told the Source the day after the election.

“I was one of the most progressive people on [City] Council in 2012, though I consider myself a moderate,” Russell said. “Now I’ve gone to becoming one of the most conservative members of the City Council.”

Russell said that while she shares the goals and visions of the newly election City Council members, she said “When you work with the City with a limited budget and so many basic service needs, it’s a balancing act to get it all done. I’m looking forward to seeing how they plan to accomplish these goals and visions.”