Wasco County certifies May primary; Schaffeld to run ‘write in’ campaign in November election
The Dalles, Ore., July 2, 2026 — The Wasco County Board of Commissioners formally received the certified results of the May 19 primary election during its July 1 meeting, with County Clerk Christy Zog reporting that all required audits and recounts confirmed the original vote totals.
Wasco Coounty Clerk Chrissy Zogg certified the election June 10 after completing the official canvass.
For Wasco County Commissioner Position 1, Lisa Gambi and John Grant received the highest number of votes and will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election.
The race for Commissioner Position 3 changed following the death of candidate Phil Brady on the day of the final day of the primary election. Brady and then Mike Urness had received the highest number of votes in the May election. Because of Brady's passing, Urness will be the only candidate whose name appears on the November ballot.
Dick Schaffeld is mounting a write-in campaign for Wasco County Commissioner Position 3.
However, Dick Schaffeld who received the third most votes in the Commissioner Position 3 race announced on Facebook yesterday that he will run a “write in campaign” in the general election against Urness.
“Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about my priorities for Wasco County, answering your questions, and providing information on how to cast a valid write-in vote,” Schaffeld wrote in the post.
The clerk's office also completed two post-election verification processes that produced no changes to the certified results.
A mandatory hand-count audit conducted June 15 matched the original machine count exactly.
In addition, the Oregon Secretary of State ordered an automatic recount for the Democratic nomination for State Representative in House District 57 because of the narrow margin among write-in votes. Election officials completed the recount June 22, with no changes to the original results.
Zogg also noted that one local fire district measure was decided by an exceptionally close margin.
"The Wamic fire measure passed by several votes," she told commissioners, highlighting the importance of voter participation in local elections.
The measure passed by a narrow 199-191 vote, establishing a permanent property tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The levy is expected to generate approximately $225,000 annually to support emergency response, part-time staffing, equipment purchases and upgrades, training, and grant opportunities.
“The revenue will allow the District to maintain a reliable and stable budget for emergency response and services for the community,” according to the notice of measure election.
