Meet the Candidate: Chrissy Zaugg runs unopposed for Wasco County Clerk

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 18, 2024 — Current Wasco County Clerk Lisa Gambee is set to retire when her term ends this December.

Chrissy Zaugg, who has been working in the Wasco County Clerk’s office for a decade is currently the Chief Deputy Clerk under Gambee. She has thrown her hat in the ring for Gambee’s position and her name will be on the Nov. 5 General Election Ballot.

Ballots will likely be delivered on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The job is the lynchpin to maintaining our democracy at a local level.

The Wasco County Clerk is the chief elections official of the County. The office prepares, coordinates and conducts all elections in accordance with election law, and maintains voter registrations and election statistics, including the mailing of ballots.

The Clerk's Office also records and preserves land records and liens; issues marriage licenses and domestic partnerships; is the liaison for the Statement of Economic Interest filing; and acts as clerk for the Board of Property Tax Appeals.

Zaugg is a resident of The Dalles and was selected for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award in 2021.

“You were selected for this award as a Girl Scouts leader in The Dalles and as Wasco County’s Chief Deputy Clerk, for your creativity and resourcefulness in the pursuit of transparency in the democratic process.,” the Secretary of State wrote in a letter to Zaugg.

Interview with Chrissy Zaugg

Chrissy Zaugg

CCCNews: Tell us about yourself. (Who are you? Where are you from? Any experience that led you to this path of serving the public?

I’m Chrissy Zaugg. I have lived in the Gorge my entire life. 10 years ago I was looking for a career change. A position opened up in the Clerk’s Office as Election Deputy and I was hired for it. My professional background is heavy in customer service and I enjoy working with people. I love volunteering in the community, learning, and trying new things. 

CCCNews: What experience, knowledge, skills, disposition and unique strengths do you bring to the position? Can you give us an example or two of some fundamental lessons you've learned while on the job as Chief Deputy Clerk?

I am a detail-focused, innovative, and dedicated person. I am a Certified Election Administrator through the Oregon Association of County Clerks. I thrive in an environment where my problem-solving skills are utilized, especially with community engagement and civic education. Having been in the Clerk’s Office for 10 years I have learned many lessons, and understand every aspect of our services. There’s always something to learn, change is constant, and your team is your greatest asset. 

CCCNews: What are the three most pressing issues facing the County Clerk's Office and how do you plan to address them within your role?

The potential of Ranked Choice Voting - If Measure 117 passes, the Clerk’s Office will have to learn, adapt, and then educate the citizens of Wasco County. Funding for implementation and voter education is still unknown statewide and it's expensive. For statewide contests, it will be the Secretary of State Elections Division who will have to tally the contests, not our office.

Election integrity/security - Currently, the Clerk’s Office does an amazing job of promoting citizen confidence in Wasco County Elections through tours, process education, and one one-on-one conversations with citizens. While this will always be an “issue”, my plan is for our office to remain transparent and helpful and to continue to listen to the concerns of the public.

The eventual move of our office to the 3rd St building - Communication will be even more critical with our eventual move to the 3rd St building. 

CCCNews: Name a character trait that you have that will help you fulfill the mission of the County Clerk while explaining what that mission is.

Trustworthiness, integrity, accountability, and fairness are all character traits I possess that will help me succeed in fulfilling the mission of the County Clerk, which is to carefully preserve the records of the past, present, and future and to honorably administer elections.