Candidates are vying in contested races to fill dozens of government positions across the Rogue Valley, including several mayoral races, as well as one seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

Here’s a look at the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election. Consult your mailed Voters Pamphlet for more information on local candidates and measures. The pamphlet can be found online at the Jackson County Elections Office website:

Contested races

Jackson County Board of Commissioners

Position 2 Commissioner: Outgoing Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino, who retired in 2019 after 27 years in law enforcement as Medford’s police chief and according to his election filing works part-time in insurance sales, is the Republican nominee for the commissioner seat. He will face Democrat challenger Denise Krause, who works as a consultant for Health Data Analytics and is a retired professor with prior experience in population health and biomedical informatics and earlier this year spearheaded the failed Jackson County For All ballot initiative in the May primary. Find full coverage

• at rv-times.com and in the Times’ Wednesday, Oct. 16, print edition.

Medford

Mayor: Michael Zarosinski, Clay Bearnson, Logan Leverette Vaughan and Curt Ankerberg are the four Medford mayoral candidates. Find full coverage

• at rv-times.com and in the Times’ Saturday, Oct. 12, print edition.
• City Council Ward 3: Elizabeth Leydsman, a human resources specialist for La Clinica, is running against former parks commissioner and attorney Garrett West. Both candidates have previously served on the Medford Parks and Recreation Commission, and West has served on the Medford Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission.
• City Council Ward 4: Tyler Jasper, who works as a healthcare security analyst, is running against teacher Kevin Keating. Jasper has previously chaired the Medford Transportation Committee and Medford Parking Committee and has served on the Medford Community Services and Development Commission, the Rogue Valley Transportation District Budget Committee and Medford Citizen Academy. Keating has previously been director of Rogue Valley Transportation District, director of the Jackson County Library District, a Medford Parks and Rec commissioner, Medford Budget Committee member, Medford Landmarks and Historic Preservation Committee and Jackson County Library Advisory Committee member.

Ashland

• City Council Position 1: Teresa Cisneros, who works as an Indian education facilitator, is running against retired business management consultant Douglas Knauer. Cisnero’s prior governmental experience includes as a presidential campaigning regional representative and as the Oregon State Education Association’s union president. Knauer has previously served as an Ashland planning commissioner.
• City Council Position 2: Jeff Dahle, an outgoing Position 3 councilor who works as the owner and president of a technical consulting businesses, as a professional pilot and as an NCAA referee, is running for Position 2 against preschool educator Kelly Marcotulli. Dahle’s prior governmental experience includes chairing the Ashland Airport Commission and an appointment to the Ashland Budget Committee that he recused after his appointment to the City Council.
• City Council Position 3: Dylan Bloom, an outgoing Position 2 councilor who works as a service advisor, is running against Eric Navickas, a former city councilor and budget committee member who works as an organic farmer and residential designer.
• Ashland Parks Commissioner Position 1: Longtime parks commissioner Michael Gardiner is challenging Fer Mejia, who currently works as a family engagement and outreach supervisor with the Oregon Child Development Coalition, for the Position 1 seat. Gardiner has previously served on the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission from 2002-10 and 2012-22, and has served on the Ashland Planning Commission, Transportation Commission and Citizens Budget Committee.
• Ashland Parks Commissioner Position 2: Ian Cropper, who works as a software engineering manager, is facing retiree Rick Vann and physician Daniel Weiner for the Position 2 seat. None of the three candidates have prior governmental experience.

Central Point

• Mayor: Outgoing City Councilor Taneea Browning, a partner at CraterWorks LLC, will face challenger Zachary Sutton, who works as a screenwriter and director at Films Against Empires LLC. Find full coverage on the two candidates running for mayor at rv-times.com later this week and in the Times’ Saturday, Oct. 19, print edition.

Eagle Point

• City Council: Four candidates are vying for three open seats on Eagle Point’s city council. They include incumbent Stacy Fields, who works as the director of Bridging Communities, and newcomers Lena Beach, who works as a merchandiser at HomeGoods; Tim Holdeman, who is unemployed; and Kira Zavala, who works as the vice president of communications and programs at The Chamber of Medford and Jackson County.

Phoenix

Mayor: Incumbent mayor Terry Baker will face challenger Al Muelhoefer. Find full coverage

• at rv-times.com and in the Times’ Saturday, Oct. 12, print edition.
• City Council: Five candidates are vying for three open positions. They include incumbent City Councilor Krista Peterson, who works as a self-employed property manager; incumbent City Councilor Karen Shrader, who works as an executive administrator for Harry & David and parent company 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.; Susan Chester, who works as a professional organizer and formerly owned The Black Sheep in Ashland until 2017; Nicole Suetos, who is unemployed; and Virginia Caberos, who works as the chapter director of Unite Oregon.

Talent

• City Council Seat 2: Incumbent City Councilor Ana Byers, who works as the executive director of Rogue World Music, will face challenger Philip “Jack” Lanni, a retiree after 37 years of public service.
• City Council Seat 4: Russell Hodgdon, who works as a designer for hat company Sunday Afternoons, will face Rosario Medina, who works as an adjunct professor at Rogue Community College and is the lead preschool teacher in the Phoenix-Talent School District.
• City Council Seat 6: Incumbent Daniel Collay, who works as executive director of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and director of operations for Willow-Witt Ranch, will face challenger Anthony Moyious, who until recently owned and operated The Grotto Pizzeria in Talent.

Jacksonville

• City Council: Four candidates are vying for three open seats, including incumbent City Councilor Steve Casaleggio, a retired municipal bond attorney; incumbent City Councilor Andrea Thompson, a retired university professor; John Jorgenson, a retired retail executive; and Michelle Erwin, who describes in the Voters Pamphlet occupations in film production, marketing and as a barista.

Butte Falls

• Mayor: Incumbent Trish Callahan, a retired barbecue restaurant owner and retired insurance agent, is facing challenger Loretta Ellis, who works as the preschool director and teacher at Butte Falls Community School Partnership and owns Ellis and Associates Legal Document Services.
• City Council Position 1: Incumbent City Councilor Delena Oden will face challenger Jeffrey Brown, who is a small business owner.
• City Council Position 2: Incumbent City Councilor Alvin Thompson, a retired timber faller and former Eagle Point Irrigation District board member, will face Marc Ellis, who works as a school bus driver and is a retired federal government employee after 40 years.
• City Council Position 3: Neal Ellis, a retired timber faller and logger and former mayor, is running against Shone Ellis, who works as a library branch manager for Jackson County Library Services, and James “Ed” Peeples, who is retired.

Jackson County Circuit Court

Judge Position 11: Incumbent Matthew Rowan, who was appointed to the bench earlier this summer, will face challenger Johan Pietila, who currently works as Jackson County’s assistant county counsel. Find full coverage

• at rv-times.com and in the Times’ Saturday, Oct. 12, print edition.

Uncontested races

Medford

• City Council Ward 1: City Councilor Mike Kerlinger, who works as a real estate agent, is the sole candidate for the Ward 1 seat.
• City Council Ward 2: City Councilor John Quinn, who works as the chief deputy district attorney for Siskiyou County and lives in Medford, is running for Ward 2 city council. Quinn’s local governmental experience includes as a member of the Medford Planning Commission, a member of the Rogue Valley Sewer Services board of directors, the Rogue Valley Council of Governments board of directors.

Ashland

• Mayor: Incumbent Tonya Graham is the sole candidate for the mayor’s seat. Graham is the executive director of the Geos Institute, where she works as a climate adaptation specialist.
• City Council Position 5: Incumbent Gina DuQuenne, who works as the sales manager at the Neuman Hotel Group, is the sole candidate for Position 5.

Central Point

• City Council Ward 4: Brian Whitaker, who works in home care, is the sole candidate for the Ward 4 seat. His prior governmental experience includes serving as the elected city clerk in New Castle, Delaware, from 2017 to 2021.
• City Councilmember-at-large: Incumbents Robert “Rob” Hernandez and Michael Parsons are running again. Hernandez was first elected to the city council in 2017 and was previously appointed to the Central Point Planning Commission. Parsons was first appointed to the council in 2018 and reelected in 2020. He is also a member of the Rogue Valley Sewer Service board of directors, the Jackson County Civil Service Commission and the Central Point Parks and Recreation Foundation board.

Eagle Point

• Mayor: Incumbent Kathy Sell, who works as the owner of Ridgeback Forest Management LLC, is the sole candidate.

Rogue River

• Mayor: Pam VanArsdale, who works as a real estate agent, is the sole candidate.
• City Council: Three candidates are seeking one of three open seats. They are incumbent city councilors Grace Howell, who is retired; Barb Hilty, who is not employed; and Barbara Gregory, who is not employed.

Jacksonville

• Mayor: Donna Bowen, who works as a vice president of operations for various brokerage firms, including Shearson/American Express and A.G. Edwards, is the sole candidate.

Gold Hill

• Mayor: Incumbent Ronald Palmer, who lists his occupation as retired military and as a business owner, is the sole candidate.
• City Council: Three candidates are running for one of three open council seats. They are incumbent city councilors Melia Biedscheid; Jerry Frazier, who works as a construction job estimator; and RJ Wright, who works as an advancement strategist for nonprofit organizations.

Shady Cove

• Mayor: Jon Ball, who is retired and owned printing and sign companies, is the sole candidate.
• City Council: Two incumbents are each running for one of two open seats. They are City Councilor Steve Mitchell, a retired building official; and incumbent City Councilor Kathryn Nuckles, who owns a systems engineering company.

Jackson County Circuit Court

• Judge Position 1: Incumbent Judge Jeremy Markiewicz, who was appointed to the bench in 2022, is the sole candidate for Position 1 Circuit Court Judge. Prior to his appointment, Markiewicz spent 17 years at the Jackson County District Attorney’s office and reached the rank of Chief Deputy DA prior to his appointment.
• Judge Position 8: Incumbent Sara Collins, who was appointed to the bench in 2023, is the sole candidate for Position 8 Circuit Court Judge. Collins is a South Medford High School graduate who got her bachelor’s degree at University of Oregon and her law degree at the University of Oregon School of Law. She has worked as a public defender in Lane and Jackson counties, worked as an associate attorney for local law firm Hornecker Cowling, LLP, and was a founding partner of Collins Rowan, LLP, a private practice that was wound down earlier this year when legal partner Matthew Rowan was appointed judge.

Jackson County Justice Court

• Justice of the Peace: Incumbent Justice of the Peace Joe Charter, who served in the role handling traffic court and municipal code violations from 2004-19 before being appointed to the seat in January, is the sole candidate.