Baker County Commission Candidates Reveal Campaign Finance Filings Ahead of May Primary

Bill Harvey has raised more money than any other declared candidate in Baker County's Commission chair race, reporting $7,570 in cash contributions and $245 in in-kind donations to his committee as of March 12, according to filings in Oregon's ORESTAR campaign finance database summarized by the Baker City Herald.

Harvey registered his committee on Jan. 23, 2026, and contributions began arriving within days. Patricia L. Reed and Lorrie Harvey each gave $1,000 on Jan. 28, Sharon Bannister contributed $500 on Jan. 30, and Robert D. Harvey added another $1,000 on Feb. 2. That same day, Rock Creek Developments LLC, a company owned by Bill Harvey and his wife, Lorrie, contributed $500. John A. Fisher gave $1,000 on Feb. 12, and Rick Harvey added $300 on Feb. 26. Lorrie Harvey also appears in the filings as an in-kind contributor, with $100 on Jan. 30 and $145.69 on Feb. 17, for a combined in-kind total of $245. The committee reported one expenditure in the available filing excerpt: $600 to the Oregon Secretary of State on Feb. 26.

Harvey faces incumbent chair Shane Alderson, Kody Justus, and Whitney Rilee in the May 19 primary. Alderson's committee has been dormant since its creation in 2022, when he first won the chair position, and lists no contributions or expenditures since then. Justus, who ran for a part-time commission seat in 2022 before withdrawing ahead of that November's general election, also carries a committee with no activity since 2022. Rilee had not registered a committee at all as of March 12.

The chair race carries particular weight this cycle because Baker County voters will also decide in May whether to restructure county government entirely. The Commission chair currently serves as the county's chief administrator and earns $101,088 annually, double the pay of the two part-time commissioners. A yes vote would shift the county to a model in which all three commissioners share equal duties and compensation, with a hired full-time administrator absorbing many of the administrative responsibilities the chair now holds.

In the contest for Commission position 2, four candidates are competing for the seat being vacated by incumbent Christina Witham, who is not seeking reelection. The field includes James Marcrum, Casey Aldrich, Danny Johnson, and Peter Hall. Of the four, Aldrich is the only one with itemized contributions reported in the available ORESTAR filings. His committee had received $1,174.67 in cash contributions as of March 12, including a $500 donation from Baker County Republican Women on March 5 and a $200 miscellaneous contribution on March 9.

Oregon campaign finance law requires candidates to establish a campaign account, file a Statement of Organization designating a candidate committee, and report contribution and expenditure transactions with the Elections Division. Candidates can review requirements through the Campaign Finance Manual and ORESTAR user manuals at oregonvotes.gov. All candidates must be U.S. citizens and registered voters; those seeking a County Commissioner seat should confirm specific qualifications with the Baker County Clerk.

The May 19 primary will test not only which candidates advance but whether Baker County voters opt to fundamentally alter the office they are choosing to fill.