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Wasco County posts Certified Primary Election results; Runoff for Commissioner seat

Wasco County posts Certified Primary Election results; Runoff for Commissioner seat

Kayla Ziegler, 36, dropped her ballot for the May 21 Primary Election on the morning of May 15 at The Wasco County Courthouse. Elections are now certified. There will be a runoff between Jeff Justesen and Brian Lauterbach in the fall for the Wasco County Commissioner seat - 200 votes separated the candidates in the primary. Justesen garnered 1878 and Lauterbach, 1678. The general election is Nov. 7.

By Tom Peterson and Cole Goodwin

The Dalles, Ore., June 12, 2024 — Wasco County Election Clerk Lisa Gambee has submitted the Certified election results from the May 21 Primary.

Turnout stood at 36 percent with 6,795 people casting a vote. 11,810 chose not to vote in the primary.

Local Election Highlights

Wasco County Commissioners Race Position 2
This race has yet to come to a conclusion due to none of the five candidates receiving 50% of the vote plus one vote.

As a result there will be a runoff between the two most voted candidates: Jeff Justesen (received 29.73% of the votes) and Brian Lauterbach (received 26.56% of the vote). Both candidates will receive Certificates of Nomination and their names will be placed on the November 7, 2024 General Election ballot.

”I am extremely appreciative of, and humbled by, the support of the voters of Wasco County in the primary election. I look forward to continuing to meet people and hear their voices as I prepare for the general election in November. I would also like to thank Brian, Dan, Darcy and John for running very respectful and cordial campaigns,” said Justesen.

Brian Lauterbach also had some words to share with the community

"I would like to thank the Citizens of Wasco County that got out and voted in the primary election. It was a very close race, and I am thankful for your support. I would also like to thank those who also ran for the commissioner position. It was good to get to know Darcy, Dan, Jeff and John through the campaign and to see them all highlight what was important to them, and how they would help oversee good change and good policies for our county. I will keep in mind moving forward the things that each one of them said and felt important to them. 

As I enter into the next part of the campaign, which will take us to the general election, I will be focused on helping people get to know me better through meet and greets and other civic arenas. I will also be attending upcoming commissioner meetings to get focused on what's ahead for our great county. I look forward to hearing from you soon,” said Lauterbach.

Wasco County District Attorney’s Race
Kara K Davis has been voted in at the Wasco County District Attorney after receiving 50.39% of the votes. Davis won by 60 votes in a tight race against Travis J Martson.

“Thank you to all of my supporters for their hard work and faith in me. This was a long process and their support was steadfast. I've had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Marston during this election. He's a good person and I look forward to seeing what he has planned in the future,” said Davis.

Click here to read the final election results.

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