Eight candidates vie for three Lane County commissioner seats

Eight people have filed for three seats on the Lane County Board of Commissioners, turning the May 19 primary into a race with direct stakes for roads, public safety, land use and county services from Eugene to Springfield and out into rural Lane County.

That matters because the five-member board is not a ceremonial body. Under the Lane County Home Rule Charter, commissioners have legislative and administrative authority over county government, and they serve four-year terms as the county’s top elected decision-makers. The board’s 2026 leadership already reflects those pressures, with Ryan Ceniga serving as chair and Heather Buch as vice chair.

The county’s next budget fight is one of the biggest tests facing whoever wins. Lane County says its proposed fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget is balanced and preserves critical services, but it also eliminates about 15 full-time positions. County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky said 60% of the county’s budget has historically come from state or federal funding sources, and those dollars are shrinking.

That is why the commission race goes far beyond campaign biographies. Commissioners help decide how Lane County responds to mounting costs in public safety, public health, homelessness services and land-use planning, while also deciding how much money reaches roads, parks and neighborhood programs. The county’s budget messaging has already made clear that financial planning is becoming harder as revenues tighten and obligations stay high.

Public safety will be especially watched. Lane County’s proposed budget avoids cuts to the sheriff’s office and the district attorney’s office, a signal that those services remain protected even as staffing elsewhere is reduced. Voters will decide whether they want commissioners who hold the line on those priorities, or who push for a different balance between service levels and spending restraint.

The election calendar adds urgency. Ballots began going out May 1, the last day Lane County may mail ballots is May 14, Election Day is May 19, and the election will be certified June 15.

Springfield and East Lane County are a focal point in the race, with three candidates competing there under a district map that reflects Lane County’s post-2022 redistricting changes. For voters trying to sort through an otherwise crowded ballot, the central question is simple: who will control the county’s toughest decisions when money is tight and demands on local government keep growing?