Berschauer wins commissioner race outright

Marcus Larson/News-Register

Marcus Larson/News-Register

[Updated Thursday 8:15 a.m.]

In unofficial results, with few votes left to be counted, Lindsay Berschauer's vote total has held well over over the 50% mark, making her Yamhill County's next commissioner. 

In the latest results, Berschauer has 15,622, or roughly 52% of the vote, to Barbara Boyer's 12,162 (about 41%) and David Wall's 2,118 (about 7%).

Berschauer will replace Rick Olson no the board, joining sitting commissioners Casey Kulla and Mary Starrett. 

Check back here and in Friday's paper for more reaction and election follow-up. 

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[Updated Wednesday 2:45 a.m., and again at 2:10 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.]

Lindsay Berschauer extended her strong lead in the race for Yamhill County commissioner with 52.8% of the vote to 40.3% for Barbara Boyer, as the county released an updated ballot tally late Wednesday afternoon. She has been leading since the beginning and in each of the four rounds of ballot results released by the county.

With a third of the votes still to be counted, Berschauer had 10,933 votes, to Boyer's 8,333.

Berschauer said she was "very encouraged" by the results. However, she noted on Wednesday morning that "there are still ballots to be counted, so we are watching the returns closely today before making any statements."

If her lead holds, Berschauer will be the county’s next commissioner. A runoff occurs only if no candidates receive 50% of the total vote plus one.

Boyer said she is "not getting too anxious yet; I’m letting the clerk’s office do their job."

However, she said, "I’m really really proud of my team and the volunteers and the supporters, and it was a pure honor to run. I'm extremely proud of our integrity and the positive way in which we ran our campaign."

Third candidate David Wall received 1,424 votes, or 6.9%.

County Clerk Brian Van Bergen said 32,788 ballots were logged into the building Tuesday night, with 31,913 of those having matching signatures. He collected additional ballots from neighboring counties Wednesday morning, but that number has not yet been released.

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.

Berschauer is a political analyst, Boyer is a hay farmer and Wall is a retired engineer.

Incumbent Rick Olson did not run for re-election for the nonpartisan job which helps guide the county's $150 million annual budget and some 600 employees. 

Although Wall has a few outspoken supporters, most voters seem to have focused their attention on Boyer and Berschauer, sparking impassioned letters to the editor from both sides.

The arguments intensified in May, after a Republican political action committee sent out a mailer targeting Boyer’s criminal history, which includes two DUIIs.

The mailer, by Capitol Watch Political Action Committee, coincided with an in-kind donation to Berschauer by the same PAC, for $10,000.

On the same day, May 12, Stimson Lumber Co. was recorded as giving a $10,000 in-kind donation to Capitol Watch. Stimson also donated $5,000 in cash to Berschauer's canmpaign.

Berschauer has raised $57,997 and spent $65,894 on her campaign as of Tuesday, taking out a loan for $2,000  just days ago.

Boyer raised $32,484, and spent $32,430.

Berschauer said she is running as the “working class champion.” She received particularly strong support from farmers opposed to the Yamhelas Westsider Trail, which she promised to oppose if elected.

Boyer, who is chair of the county Soil and Water Conservation District, is not registered with any political party, and said she would focus on agriculture, liveability, and bringing disparate groups together.

In the coming year, the county will face challenges from the fiscal fallout of the pandemic, and county Administrator Ken Huffer said earlier this month he may have to call the budget committee back into session, if things change drastically from when it approved the budget at the beginning of this month.