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Talk to any candidate about their confidence in any given race, and chances are—even in the races that seem the surest wins—they'll tell you they're not holding their breath about winning.

Party-line politics might play big in other parts of the state, but here in Central Oregon, a simple look at the voter rolls gives you a strong indication of how diverse our region can be.

According to District Voter Counts from the Oregon Centralized Voter Registration, published Oct. 1, the 134,835 Deschutes County voters fall into three main categories:

Non-affiliated voters: 41,786 registered voters

Republicans: 41,744 registered voters

Democrats: 40,383 registered voters

Talk about a very close split between a red, blue... and white (aka, neutral) wave of voters. As you contemplate that split between voter affiliations, and as you begin to fill out your ballot this week, remember that nothing is taken for granted, and no race is ever "guaranteed." Case in point: the primary race between the two Republican candidates in the House 53 race this May was decided by TWO votes. Your vote matters immensely.

See below for our endorsements for the five measures on the ballot statewide, as well as recaps of endorsements we've rolled out in previous weeks, and our endorsements for two hotly contested races: Bend's new, directly elected mayor position and the race for governor of Oregon.

Our editorial board has spent countless hours interviewing candidates and debating on the merits of each one. The candidates who emerged with our endorsement did so not because of party affiliation, but because in them we saw a reflection of the values of inclusion, equity, cohesiveness, economic and social justice, and a deep care for being a community where all of its members have a place.

In addition to the endorsement videos with the candidates, found at BendSource.com, we hope you use this guide as one of many resources helping you make your decision in this coming mid-term election—because nothing is guaranteed, and nothing is ever a sure win.

—The Source Weekly Editorial Board

Drop Sites in Deschutes County


Local Candidates:

Bend Mayor: Vote Sally Russell

Bend City Council Position 5: Vote Gena Goodman-Campbell

Bend City Council Position 6: Vote Barb Campbell

Deschutes County Commission Position 1: Vote Amy Lowes

Deschutes County Commission Position 3: Vote James Cook

State Candidates:

Oregon House District 53: Vote Eileen Kiely

Oregon House District 54: Vote Cheri Helt

Oregon State Governor: Vote Kate Brown

Measures

Measure 102: Vote Yes

Measure 103: Vote No

Measure 104: Vote No

Measure 105: Vote No

Measure 106: Vote No