[Image credit: Convergence Mag. Last updated: October 6, 2026. Please check back when you get your ballot as I will be updating this guide if I get information that changes my opinion or could change yours!]
One fundamental truth has emerged this year. The Deschutes Democrats as an institution is deeply broken and sliding down the slippery slope of power hoarding. This is no longer an election in which relying on the values of the party means you are voting in a values aligned way. This election guide will only address the issues/seats that are:
- the most complex in my opinion
- have caused the most harm or have the potential to cause the most harm in Bend where I live and am the most connected to the local political sphere (if someone lives in and is closely connected to Redmond, Sisters, and La Pine, I’d welcome informed and well-researched additions); and
- that I know enough about to have a well thought out and informed opinion
THE TL/DR VERSION
My goal isn’t to tell you exactly how to vote. I’ve named where I feel like there is the most leeway and my opinion doesn’t matter too much. I’ve also named where I do feel strongly about sending a message.
Curious about the what and why? I’ve shared a deeper dive into that below, especially where I am advocating for an undervote. If you disagree with me, I’m happy for you to share with me what you think I am missing and encourage dialogue.
City of Bend
| Bend City Council Position #5 | Vote with your heart, Ariel Mendez is running unopposed so will win no matter what you do |
| Bend City Council Position #6 | Vote with your heart, Elana Reinholtz is essentially running unopposed so will win no matter what you do |
| Bend City Council Position #7 Mayor | No vote/undervote |
Deschutes County
| Deschutes County Commissioner Position #3 | Lauren Connelly for balance or no vote/undervote for progressive values |
| Deschutes County Commissioner Position #5 | Reluctantly Morgan Schmidt or no vote/undervote |
| Deschutes County Sheriff | Reluctantly James “Mac” McLaughlin or no vote/undervote |
| Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Position #3 | Thaddeus Betz |
| Deschutes County Clerk | Reluctantly Steve Dennison or no vote/undervote |
Oregon State
| OR House District 53 | Reluctantly Emerson Levy or no vote/undervote |
| OR House District 54 | Vote with your heart, Jason Kropf is running unopposed so will win no matter what you do |
| OR Governor | Tina Kotek |
United States
| US House Oregon District 5 | Reluctantly Janelle Bynum |
Measures
| Measure 9-185 (Deschutes County commission map) | Heck no |
Did I miss a candidate or issue that you need guidance on? I find The Source Weekly’s op eds and endorsements informative and well researched (e.g. they broke with Deschutes Democrats slate and endorsed Amanda Page over Amy Sabbadini for the May election). That said, read with a critical eye because my voting record has not always aligned 100% with their endorsements (e.g. I did not vote for Morgan Schmidt in May for Deschutes County Commission Seat 5).
I would also like to give a huge shout out to Amanda Page and Tawny Barin Howlett for their support and time in reviewing this election guide so I didn’t wallow in a silo of my own brain. I respect these two badass women so much!
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THE DEEPER DIVE VERSION
I am an unaffiliated voter living in Bend, Oregon. I am BIPOC and queer. I am a small business owner, a nonprofit board member, a nonprofit staff member working in Warm Springs, and a lifelong renter. And I have been on the edges of local political power for over a decade, serving in political spaces as the Chair of the Transportation Bond Oversight Committee, a member of the Department of Land Conservation and Development Equitable Communities and Rules Advisory Committee, and OHA Regional Health Equity Coalition Rules Advisory Committee.
I unapologetically believe in just transition economies, social justice, racial justice, distributive justice, restorative justice, and democratic socialism. I also understand that within the current systems, there may be times when harm reduction is the stop gap needed, and there may be times when values come first. I also struggle deeply with the “us and them” on both sides of the political aisle and try to find common ground, while leaning deeply into accountability practices.
My election guide is guided by three primary principles. First, I have a profound belief in the “little d” democratic principles of democracy and proportional representation. This is not synonymous with the two-party “winner-take-all” system under which we operate today.
Second, given two qualified candidates who claim to hold my values, I will always choose the person with the most intersectional identities that has been intentionally excluded from power and access (BIPOC, 2S and LGBTQ, Disabled, etc) due to the systems of oppression that make it infinitely harder to hold a position of power.
Third, in a time when harm is coming from both sides of the aisle, I will choose to have nuance with my vote when establishment Democratic interests are the majority in an elected body. I do not believe that we should have an echo chamber of representatives. We need to find a way to move forward together as a community, and folks with viewpoints that are different from the establishment Dems on all parts of the political spectrum also need and deserve to have a voice.
Establishment Democrats will have the community believe that they need to vote for the “lesser of the two evils” — namely anyone endorsed by the local Democratic party— for every single position. This has also been my position when we have had elected bodies that are controlled by MAGA Republican aligned politicians. And, institutions in Bend and Deschutes county have shifted.
So where an elected body already has a majority of establishment Democrats in office and there is no benefit of a supermajority, I am choosing to only proactively vote for folks who represent my values even if it means someone who may be more conservative is elected. This means for a number of positions, I will choose not to vote at all (undervote), or I might write in someone who does represent my values instead of folks listed on the ballot.
CITY OF BEND
Bend City Council Position #5 (Ariel Mendez): Ariel is running unopposed and is endorsed by the Deschutes Democrats. There’s not much you can do, he is going to win. Read his campaign materials and vote with your heart.
Bend City Council Position #6 (Elana Reinholtz): This one deserves a little background. In a surprise turn of events, the Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) of the Deschutes Democrats endorsed Elana Reinholtz over Bobbi Cummiskey, despite Bobbi having the support of key leaders in the party. She withdrew her candidacy in alignment with the controversial practice of the Deschutes Democrats pressuring those not endorsed to drop out.
PCPs may have been pushing back against the fact that Bobbi Cummisky threw her hat in the ring for Vice-Chair of the Deschutes Democrats after she’d already created her candidate committee for City Council, creating a conflict of interest for endorsements. Bobbi Cummisky went on to win Vice-Chair in a 6 round voting process, where Marcus LeGrand led in the first 3 rounds, only to be edged out in the final two rounds. I am pretty sure he would have been the first Black officer of the Deschutes Democrats. Instead, Bobbi Cummisky won, then had to step down, and a rushed process ensued to replace her.
That all said, what we are left with is Elana Reinholtz as the only candidate who will be listed on the ballot. Nic Tarter did not get enough signatures to be listed and does not appear to have an active campaign page. For all intents and purposes, Elana Reinholtz is running unopposed, so read her campaign materials and vote with your heart.
Bend City Council Position #7 Mayor (Melanie Kebler and Bernadette Strome): Melanie Kebler and Bernadette Strome are the only two candidates who got enough signatures to be on the ballot. Perennial “I will file for any and all elected positions” Rondo Boozell failed to make the cut. On the one hand, Melanie Kebler is the current mayor, represents the quintessential politician, and has caused a lot of harm to communities of color in Bend. On the other hand, Bernadette Strome is completely and utterly unprepared for the job, and her campaign page has a lot of coded language that leads me to believe her values lean more conservatively than mine.
Sure, Melanie Kebler got the Source Weekly’s endorsement, but that doesn’t mean I have to vote for her. The reality is she has the backing of the establishment Deschutes Democrats and will probably win, so I feel comfortable enough signalling that none of the candidates share my values by undervoting this position.
DESCHUTES COUNTY
Deschutes County Commissioner Position #3 (Lauren Connally and Amy Sabbadini): The Deschutes Democrats’ practices around their endorsement processes and the harm they have caused to Amanda Page was the last straw, and led to me leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an unaffiliated voter.
Amy Sabbadini is a white woman and is part of the establishment Deschutes Democrats. She won the endorsement for the May election by a very narrow margin in a highly questionable process that violated ballot neutrality. She has also participated in Tribal Democracy Project programming and other trainings to support white allies to show up for Tribal communities in her role with the Civics Learning Project. In efforts to win at whatever cost, Amy Sabbadini’s campaign manager publicly criticized Amanda Page for accepting funds from Tribal Democracy Project and equated it with dark money or special interest money, when its very purpose is to bring together grassroots funds to address systemic and chronic issues of Native voter disenfranchisement and erasure. This created larger harm beyond this campaign.
Amanda Page was the ONLY candidate of color running as a member of the Klamath Tribes. She pushed back on the candidate pledge that forced people seeking endorsement to consolidate resources and support any other Deschutes Democrats endorsed candidate. Amanda Page was told to be a team player and just accept the outcome. The Source Weekly, the Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, and the Central Oregon Labor Chapter (AFL-CIO), all broke with the Deschutes Democrats endorsements and endorsed Amanda Page, citing her depth of experience serving on a deeply divided Redmond School Board and policy preparedness. Personally, I believed she brought a much needed perspective to rebuild the Commission’s relationship with tribal communities, after Tony DeBone and Patti Addair snubbed the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ treaty rights with respect to land use issues related to the Thornburgh Resort. (A quick side note: The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will hold an appeal hearing regarding the Thornburgh Destination Resort on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Please consider showing up to address this egregious disregard of Tribal sovereignty).
Amy Sabbadini and Lauren Connelly advanced to the November election. Amy Sabbadini does not represent my values. She continues to present herself as a progressive candidate, but her actions have been anything but progressive – from defending her campaign manager’s attack on Tribal Democracy Project to refusing to take a firm stand against the proposed data center in La Pine. Lauren Connelly is a moderate unaffiliated candidate and both Amanda Page and sitting Commissioner Phil Chang (who is the only commissioner of color) have found her to be a thoughtful, empathetic, and reasonable person who has contributed significantly to Central Oregon and who will represent non-MAGA conservatives and moderates well. More importantly, I do think she will uphold enforcing Oregon’s sanctuary status for immigrant community members.
With the election of Deschutes Democrats endorsed Jamie Collins and Rick Russell in May, the Commission is now a Democratic majority. Additional seats are not necessary and would actually entrench a monolithic voice representing establishment Democrats. If you are only voting for progressive candidates, then a no vote/undervote here is a powerful way to signal your values. If you want to see healthy political dialogue and ensure the political diversity of our community is represented, then a vote for Lauren Connelly would serve you well.
Deschutes County Commissioner Position #5 (Rob Imhoff and Morgan Schmidt): This is the one I am still navigating myself and feels complicated. I continue to struggle with some of the harm that Deschutes Democrats endorsed candidate Morgan Schmidt has caused to communities of color (e.g. white saviorism during the resurgence of BLM and campaigning at Barry Washington Jr’s memorial). She uses a lot of progressive words, advocates for a lot of policy positions that I support, and has tried to make some amends. I’m a strong proponent of finding pathways to accountability and repair, and I am still concerned it’s not enough.
In May, I was rooting for Jennifer Letz, who is currently the Sisters mayor and was an unaffiliated candidate who brought regional representation, wildfire mitigation experience, and a history of supporting sustainability and the environment in a mixed political part of Central Oregon.
Alas, we are stuck with Rob Imhoff as the other candidate who moved forward to the November election. He is a MAGA Republican. That said, if he were elected, given the current makeup of the Commission, he would get out voted every single time (like poor Phil Chang does now, except the few times Patti Adair flips to join him to support solutions for our unhoused community).
I’m still on the fence about voting for Morgan Schmidt or undervoting this position. Rob Imhoff has not exhibited the same willingness as Lauren Connelly to find spaces for collaboration in a time of a deeply divided political landscape.
Deschutes County Sheriff (James “Mac” McLaughlin and Ty Rupert): Like past sheriff’s elections, this one is laughable and somewhat ridiculous, and I’m still going back and forth on this one. We have two candidates:
- James “Mac” MacLaughlin, a former MAGA Republican who has shown some capacity to change, is on the public record stating he will uphold Oregon’s sanctuary status, and sought endorsement from the Deschutes Democrats; and
- Ty Rupert, a current MAGA Republican who is currently serving as Interim Sheriff.
James McLaughlin is under investigation for covering up his own and other officers’ misconduct related to a SWAT team arrest. An independent investigator recently recommended that he be fired. The catch is that as this was all unfolding, James McLaughlin went on —what I think was intentional and strategic— medical leave, which put any discipline on hold until he returns to work after the election. He claims he is being politically targeted by Ty Rupert and punished for running against him. If elected, he would avoid being fired and the only way to remove him will be a recall. If recalled, then the new County Commission would have the power to appoint a new Sheriff. That said, I do think he is more likely than Ty Rupert to listen to the new County Commission, which I think will try to ensure he upholds Oregon’s sanctuary status.
There is also a complaint that has been filed against Ty Rupert that is pending with the state ethics body, alleging that he misused county resources while campaigning.
In the midst of all of this was a controversial vote of the Deschutes Democrats PCPs to endorse James McLaughlin. It was impossibly close with 136 PCPs voting in favor of endorsing James McLaughlinand 135 in opposition. And then the Executive Board of the Deschutes Democrats —Chair Jason Burge, Vice-Chairs Megan Perkins and Jake Jenkins, and Secretary Dianne Berry— unilaterally revoked the endorsement as an “emergency action,” citing potential damage to the party and the other endorsed candidates.
Then, there was a Deschutes Democrats meeting which purportedly provided the opportunity for PCPs to approve or oppose the Executive Committee’s decision. PCPs attending virtually did not get to provide any testimony, and it is questionable if all PCPs were given fair opportunity to be included in the vote. And so the Executive Committee’s decision was approved in a vote of 77 to 60.
Two aspects of this debacle infuriate me. First, this process was anti-democratic and there was absolutely no procedural fairness. Second, the Deschutes Democrats Executive Committee used the very rationale that Amanda Page used to push back on the candidate pledge to overturn the PCPs’ vote during the endorsement process. These were exactly the concerns that Amanda raised about the candidate pledge to run as a slate and to consolidate power — that she would be forced to back another Deschutes Democrats endorsed candidate who did not represent her values.
So basically, I throw my hands up here and stand by the fact that there is no such thing as a values-aligned candidate in a Sheriff election and the decision is whether or not to vote for harm reduction. While James “Mac” McLaughlin does suck less than Ty Rupert, I would not fault anyone for a no vote/undervote here. While I don’t personally think an institution like the Sheriff’s office will change much regardless as the foundations of policing institutions are against my core beliefs, I do think post mid-terms, the Trump Administration will ramp up ICE enforcement actions, and that might be enough for me to put the less shitty candidate who claims he will honor our sanctuary status in office.
If you need more information to decide which way to go and want to hear directly from the candidates, check out Watch: Sheriff Candidates Ty Rupert and James McLaughlin, Source Weekly (October 1, 2026) to make a more informed decision.
Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Position #3 (Thaddeus Betz, Sonia Huntsman, Keith Leitz, and Raun Atkinson): This is one of those rare times where we have an open field for a judges position. Usually, incumbent judges run unopposed or have no meaningful opposition.
My experience in my years of being a legal advocate at Saving Grace is that the best judges have a background that allows them to bring a trauma-informed approach to the bench, understand the realities of the most vulnerable in our community, and believe strongly in access to justice and procedural fairness. I value experience in social services, public defense, family law, and advocacy.
I am leaning towards Thaddeus Betz for a few reasons. He has a track record of progressive advocacy-based lawyering, from working as a public defender to litigating for the civil rights of youth, including conditions of confinement at youth facilities or excessive sentencing of youth. He has also done work supporting asylum cases at the border for youth. His goal is for people leaving his courtroom to feel that he was fair, win or lose. He is also the only one of the four judicial candidates who –as of October 6th– reached out to the Latino Community Association as an important community partner to learn more about. He took feedback on his website being solely in English graciously and took quick action on that feedback. His endorsements show that he is a powerhouse in the wider community, including former governor Kate Brown to multiple members of the Oregon Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
Sonia Huntsman is interesting to me because she has experience as a public defender, practicing family law, and teaching 5th grade at the Bend LaPine Schools. Her experience as a teacher is what I believe sets her apart from the other candidates and it looks like she was only a teacher for a short time before returning to law. Her endorsements lean progressive, including Jamie McLeod-Skinner and Amy Tatom.
Keith Leitz has a unique legal background that I am not quite sure translates to him being the best candidate. He has spent some time as a judge advocate general for the Air Force and is the city attorney for Redmond. It doesn’t seem like he has much experience with family law, but has shared his experience on the other side as a “user of the system” as a foster parent. He has endorsements from both sides of the aisle, including Patti Adair, Rick Russell, and Cliff Evelyn. What is clear is that he is highly respected in Redmond and could bring some regional representation to the bench.
Raun Atkinson does not have experience in family law or a background that tells me he can bring a trauma-informed perspective to the bench. He seems to be more concerned about trial efficiency than justice. He has endorsements from folks in Redmond and Prineville who are more conservative leaning, including Mike McLane and Vikki Breese-Iverson.
For more on these candidates, the Bend Bulletin did interviews with all four candidates earlier this month. The Source Weekly has not issued its endorsements yet, but I will update this part when they do.
Deschutes County Clerk (Steve Dennison and Jonathon Curtis): This is the role that safeguards our voting process. I have never had to give much thought to this role, because I never had a reason not to trust our processes. But with Trump’s recent ramblings about the midterms, it pays to be picky all around.
Incumbent County Clerk Steve Dennison has done the job well enough, but holds some really problematic perspectives about proportional representation. He joined a PAC with conservative clerks to go against Measure 117, a statewide ballot initiative to introduce single-winner ranked choice voting to statewide races in 2024. Ranked choice voting seeks to make elections more fair and is proven to benefit candidates of color.
Newcomer Jonathon Curtis is a Bend-based content creator who likes to get clicks over derogatory and threatening comments about Jewish people, Black people, transgender people, and women. He claims it’s all supposed to be “rage bait” and “comedy,” but it’s not funny to anyone. While he has described himself as Republican in the past, even the local Republican party chairman won’t touch him with a 10-foot poll.
The reality is that Steve Dennison will probably win no matter how you vote as no one is taking Jonathon Curtis seriously on either side of the aisle. I’d understand a reluctant vote for Steven Dennison or a no vote/undervote here.
OREGON STATE
OR House District 53 (Emerson Levy and Michael Summers): Emerson Levy is an establishment Democrat who represents a deeply mixed district that encompasses parts of Bend, Sisters, Redmond, and Tumalo. Michael Summers is MAGA Republican aligned.
Here’s where it gets complicated for me. Emerson holds pretty moderate views publicly, which is likely a political move due to the mixed political make up of her district. But behind closed doors, she has caused harm by equating support for Palestine as being anti-Semitic. I understand that Emerson’s Jewish identity is important to her, and at the same time, I expect my elected officials to be able to hold more nuance than that.
Currently, the Democrats are holding onto a supermajority in the House of Representatives by a slim margin. A supermajority in both the House and the Senate gives them the numbers needed to pass new taxes or raise existing revenue without Republican support… a tool that may be necessary as the Federal government guts funding for the state. In a two-party system, this feels somewhat like a necessary evil, and as we get further away from local government, the tools get more blunt, and I feel less connected to my elected officials.
I am probably reluctantly voting for Emerson as a vote to keep the supermajority, and also because the gap between her and Michael is too much for me to ignore. But I’d also understand and respect an undervote here, too. For more on her policy positions, read her campaign materials here.
OR House District 54 (Jason Kropf): Jason is running unopposed and is endorsed by the Deschutes Democrats. There’s not much you can do, he is going to win. Read his campaign materials and vote with your heart.
OR Governor (Tina Kotek, Christine Drazen, and Brett Smith): Tina Kotek is doing an okay enough job pushing back on Trump and MAGA Republican policies. I know she’s not perfect, and has struggled to make progress, but she also has had to navigate some of the most challenging political times during a time of rising facism. As only the second woman to serve as the governor of Oregon and one of the first openly lesbian governors in the U.S., Tina Kotek has been personally impacted by the MAGA Republican attacks on LGBTQ people.
Christine Drazen is MAGA Republican aligned. Probably enough said there.
Brett Smith is a white Pacific Green Party of Oregon candidate and it is unclear if there is real potential to pull away enough votes from Tina Kotek to make a Chrstine Drazen win feasible (for more, read here and here). While I appreciate that he is from rural Molalla, located halfway between Portland and Salem, and I agree with some of what is in his campaign materials, he has previously run as an Independent Party candidate in 2024 and has strong connections to the Libertarian Party. These parties are centrist and right leaning respectively. I was not able to find his position on racial justice after 20 minutes of searching. The closest I got was when asked by his own party’s questionnaire if he supports the Green Party’s position on Palestinian rights, he gave the non-answer of “Israel’s infiltration into our political system needs to be addressed.” If I am going to vote for a white man, I need a strong stance on racial justice. And I know there are real barriers for working class folks to campaign, but one of the hallmarks of democracy is that folks need to get to know you. Brett Smith’s campaign has not, to my knowledge, engaged in Central Oregon at all, and has scarce resources online either.
It seems like Brett Smith is party shopping rather and I am not convinced he is actually a progressive candidate. Regardless, the polls are close enough it makes me nervous. I’ll keep my vote with Tina Kotek.
UNITED STATES
US House Oregon District 5 (Janelle Bynum, Patti Adair, and Andrea Townsend): Another one that feels complicated. Janelle Bynum is a Black woman and a moderate establishment Democrat. She is more pro-capitalist and anti-socialist than I would hope to see from a leader of color. And her arguments against socialism seem to conflate communism with socialism. But I also recognize that Black women get subjected to an impossible standard and double standards.
Andrea Townsend is a white Portland-based candidate affiliated with the Pacific Green Party. I was disappointed not to find a campaign website that shares with us her vision. I wasn’t able to find her specific views on racial justice, though she is pro Palestinian rights. Portland-based candidates often lack what it takes to bridge the west of the Cascades-east of the Cascades divide, and I don’t have enough information to feel assured that she would represent our part of U.S. District 5. While the values of the Pacific Green Party appear to be more in alignment with my own than the establishment Democratic Party, again, I won’t just vote for a candidate solely based on their party affiliation. I do appreciate that she is planning on being at the October 10th Candidate Forum in Redmond hosted by The League of Women Voters of Deschutes County to give folks a chance to hear directly from her.
Patti Adair is a MAGA Republican aligned Deschutes County Commissioner. She has been the swing vote and sometimes broke ranks from MAGA Republican aligned Commissioner Tony DeBone to support solutions for our unhoused community. I think this was a calculated political move to show that she can cross the aisle on key issues in the community. But at the end of the day, she has proven to be an “obey in advance” type of leader, voting to dismantle the Deschutes County DEI committee.
I am probably reluctantly voting for Janelle Bynum because she has at least engaged in Central Oregon and has actively created space for the Latino Community Association’s voice at her local town halls. But I’d also understand a vote for Andrea or an undervote here, too.
MEASURES
Measure 9-185 (Deschutes County commission map): I feel like the Source Weekly got it right on this one, and did a great job of breaking down how problematic this map is. Commissioners Tony DeBone and Patti Adair would have you believe it is designed to provide more geographical representation, when in reality, it was crafted along political affiliation lines, disenfranchises fast growing parts of Bend, and feels more like an antiquated electoral college system than direct representation (see more here).
In addition to the flawed foundation for the map, the actual process itself was rushed and lacked meaningful opportunity for public input. As a former attorney and legal advocate, procedural fairness means a lot for me and makes it more likely I can live with an outcome I don’t agree with. But when processes try to silence the public and work beyond closed doors, I want a do-over done right.
Do you or your friends need support in understanding this measure? Please please please feel free to reach out to me. The districting of our county for the Commission is one of the structural pieces that will have lasting impacts for years to come. We need to make sure it is done fairly, with transparency, and actually supports equitable representation.
In solidarity,
LeeAnn
