Bledsoe, Alexandria headed to November ballot in treasure's race

Kris Bledsoe

Paulette Alexandria

[UPDATED: Thursday, 8:30 a.m.]

With few votes left to be counted, it appears the race for Yamhill County treasurer is headed to a November run-off between Kris Bledsoe and Paulette Alexandria. 

In the latest results, Kris Bledsoe had 13,134 votes (48.47%), Alexandria had 9,247 (34.13%) and Katie St. Ores 4,714 (17.4%).

Check back online and in Friday's News-Register for more coverage and reaction to the primary election. 

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[UPDATED: Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.]

In the latest results released Wednesday afternoon, Kris Bledsoe still held a commanding lead over Paulette Alexandria and Katie St. Ores in the race for Yamhill County treasurer, however she lost a tiny bit of ground in later tabulation and remained short of the coveted 50% total. 

Bledsoe was leading with 9,092 votes, or 48.7%, followed by Alexandria with 6,415 votes, 34.6%, and Katie St. Ores, 3,163 votes, 16.9%.

According to state law, races for offices of county clerk, sheriff and treasurer can be won only in the November general election.

If one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in the primary, then that candidate alone is “nominated,” and thus he or she alone will appear on the general election ballot. If no candidate earns a majority, then the top two vote-getters are “nominated” and will appear on the November ballot.

It appears Bledsoe and Alexandria are possibly headed for a November runoff.

"It's far from over," Bledsoe said on election night, shortly after the clerk's office released the initial ballot printout. "I'm hoping I can get a high enough percentage so as not to worry about it in November. It's too early to get too confident about winning."

There have been 19,013 ballots processed for the county race. County Clerk Brian Van Bergen said 32,788 ballots were logged into the building Tuesday night, with 31,913 of those having matching signatures. 

Extra safety measures and fewer volunteers due to the COVID-19 were causing results to be released slower than normal, Van Bergen said early Wednesday morning.

Current treasurer Mike Green did not seek reelection to the part-time position that pays $30,000 annually.

Bledsoe, in announcing her intention to seek the treasurer's position, characterized herself as a “nerdy numbers person."

The McMinnville resident said she has an auditor's and investor's mind in addition to being an economist.

She also currently serves on the county’s Investment Advisory Committee. Upon learning that Green would not seek another term she decided to seek the role. Green endorsed Bledsoe for the job.

He issued this statement in the voters' pamphlet:

"By far, Kris Bledsoe is better suited and trained to fill the role as Yamhill County's Treasurer. She understands the policies and the philosophy of public funds investing and will ensure that the policies currently in place will continue to benefit the county."

Bledsoe said she feels Green's endorsement weighed heavily in her favor because of the respect he has garnered.

She has been a familiar county election figure. She ran for county commissioner in 2010, was preparing for another run in 2016 before exiting the race and challenged Mike Nearman in the House District 23 Republican primary in 2016.

"I'm pretty well known in the county," Bledsoe said. "The other two are not, but they are more well known now than they were before. I'm qualified, but the others are qualified, too. I feel good. I did not campaign visibly, but I knew there was a lot of support from a lot of people. People have seen me around."

Alexandria, with 30 years of business management and financial investment experience, first served on the county’s Investment Advisory Committee after settling here in 2013. She moved to Oregon from Southern California in 1979.

Previously, she was a Smith Barney investment consultant and worked as a Citigroup registered investment adviser. Her stocks and bonds experience was an asset in those positions.

Alexandria and her husband manage a family farm in Carlton, where they breed, raise and train horses. 

St. Ores, also of McMinnville, arrived in the United States from Moscow in 2004.

She received a master’s from Moscow State University and took classes at several U.S. colleges and universities, including a Certified Investment Management Analyst program at Wharton in Pennsylvania and a certificate in accounting from U.C. Berkeley, she said.

A McMinnville resident since 2011, she established St. Ores Wealth Management, a financial advising business that specializes in investment consulting, insurance, retirement planning and tax preparation.

She also has county Investment Advisory Committee experience and has been trading bonds since 2004.