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Candidates Set For Unexpected Oregon Senate Race

The Siskiyou/Moro Campaign/JPArt

It will be Ashland's former mayor versus the Rogue Valley Transportation District's board chair in a special November election for Oregon Senate District 3. 

A special Republican convention held Tuesday night in Medford chose Alan DeBoer to run for the seat vacated by the sudden death of Sen. Alan Bates on August 5th. 

The timing of Bates' death--more than two months before a general election--required a special vote to fill the remaining two years of the Senate term.  Democrats chose lawyer and RVTD board chair Tonia Moro in their convention on August 19th.

DeBoer is owner of TC Chevy (Town & Country Chevrolet) just outside Ashland.  He served a single term as Ashland mayor, starting in 2001.  He did not run for reelection, then lost a comeback attempt in 2012.

DeBoer's senate run creates yet another vacancy, since he was the Republican nominee for Oregon House District 5.  The convention in Medford adjourned without picking a replacement to run against Democrat Pam Marsh; party leaders will hold another convention on Monday, August 29th.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.