The Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to appoint a temporary replacement for Medford state Sen. Alan Bates, who died in early August.
Democrat Kevin Talbert will serve until January, when the winner of the November election will take office.
Talbert is a retired university administrator from Ashland. He said he's humbled to be chosen to replace Bates, who died during a fishing trip with his son on the Rogue River. Bates was 71 years old and had served more than 15 years in the Legislature.
Talbert said he can't truly replace Bates.
"I don't feel like I'm stepping into his shoes as much as trying to carry on a legacy of strong advocacy for the people of southern Oregon," he said.
Talbert will serve just over four months as state senator. Commissioners said they chose him in part because he's not on the ballot in the November election.
During a meeting Tuesday morning to select the new senator, Jackson County Commissioner Colleen Roberts said each of the three candidates were qualified.
However, she said she liked Talbert because his appointment would ensure "the election would be free of any of our influence, and would be most neutral."
The other two finalists, as selected by local Democratic party officials, were Tonia Moro and Mike Moran. Moran is running for a Medford-area seat in the Oregon House of Representatives against Republican incumbent Sal Esquivel.
Moro was nominated by Democrats to the November ballot for the election that will fill the remaining two years on Bates' term. She'll face the Republican nominee, Alan DeBoer.
Talbert was sworn into office by Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins on Tuesday afternoon in Medford.
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