A crowded field of candidates is competing for a seat on the Josephine County Board of Commissioners, a race shaped by recent recalls, political turnover and debates over the county’s direction.
Six candidates — including an appointed incumbent and a former commissioner seeking a return to office — are running for Position 1, which opened after a recall effort prompted the previous officeholder to step down. The race underscores divisions over government size, economic development and how local leaders should address issues such as homelessness and land use, as voters prepare to narrow the field in the May primary.
Position 1 became vacant after former Commissioner Andreas Blech stepped down amid a recall effort. Colene Martin was appointed in February and is now running for a full term.
“We have had years of uncertainty,” Martin said. “The work of rebuilding trust is underway, and I’m committed to seeing it through.”
Martin is a businesswoman, a real estate agent and the former CEO of the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce.
The board has faced significant turnover, with three successful recalls in just over a year. One of those commissioners, John West, is now seeking to reclaim his seat.
“We need smaller government, more efficient government,” said West. “We need a government that serves the people, not a group, not an entity or themselves.”
West pointed to the nearly 22,000 voters who put him in office in 2023. But sentiments quickly shifted against him, and a recall effort began, citing defunding the OSU Extension Service, reducing wildfire protections and bad-faith negotiations in the sale of county forestland. He was kicked out of office early last year, just halfway into his first term.
Martin and West face four other candidates, all political newcomers.
Tracy Thompson, who has lived in Grants Pass for nine years, said he has international business experience.
“As an outsider, I don't have any vested interest in a particular group or community within the county,” he said. “I take a utilitarian approach, like the founding fathers did, and that is the most good for the most people.”
Corey Wilson, a Grants Pass native, runs a metal finishing business and served in the Oregon Army National Guard. He said some groups, including younger residents, lack representation.
“My friends, business owners of my age that I deal with on a daily basis, I know are not being heard,” Wilson said. “I deal with a lot of older folks being in the veteran organizations that I know feel the same way.”
Wilson and another candidate, Konnor Kirkpatrick, both emphasized the need to bring in fresh representation to the board.
“I think we need less politicians in politics,” Kirkpatrick said. “And more real people that actually know the struggles of the citizens.”
Kirkpatrick said he began attending meetings last year and realized the had a lot of ideas he’d like to implement for the county. Kirkpatrick runs a property cleanup service and a thrift store, and also grew up in Grants Pass.
The last candidate, Alicia Louise Dove, is a substitute teacher in Grants Pass.
She was scheduled to talk on the Jefferson Exchange, but she dropped out and didn’t return calls for a follow-up interview.
Important issues
Economic development was a central issue many candidates said they'd tackle.
“If we have a better economy, better paying wages, citizens will be buying homes," Martin said. "That will put money into the tax rolls.”
West said high development fees in Grants Pass discourage business investment.
“Costco wanted to come to Grants Pass,” he said. “And they [Grants Pass] wanted so much money for economic development fees that they said absolutely not. Costco would have been great jobs.”
Wilson said the county needs to take some of the blame as well and should look at making it easier for businesses to move to Josephine County.
“We have a lot of land use issues, a lot of water issues,” he said. “I would like to see an advisory board for economic growth, specifically in the county.”
Thompson said the county should take a greater role in addressing homelessness, a problem the city of Grants Pass has been dealing with for years.
“We can't just ship it to Portland,” Thompson said. “It doesn't solve the problem. It makes it someone else's problem."
Kirkpatrick also wants to address homelessness, and he hopes that will help the county's other problems.
“By helping the homeless problem, turning those homeless people into our workforce,” Kirkpatrick said. “That will lead to economic growth.”
Because the race is nonpartisan, the top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the November general election. Ballots will be mailed to voters by the end of April.
