Alderson faces Bill Harvey and Whitney Rilee in Baker chairman race

Baker County’s race for commission chairman expanded to three candidates after incumbent Shane Alderson and two challengers filed ahead of the March 10, 2026, deadline, injecting a policy fight over how county government should be run.

Alderson, who was elected in 2022 to a four-year term and filed for reelection in September 2025, now faces former chairman Bill Harvey and Whitney Rilee. Bill Harvey and Whitney Rilee both filed as candidates on Friday, Jan. 23. Harvey served eight years as chairman before retiring in 2022 and previously spent 12 years on the Baker County Planning Commission. Harvey, 72, is a building contractor. Whitney Rilee is the victim assistant program director in the Baker County district attorney’s office.

The contest is unfolding alongside a proposed structural change to county government pushed by commissioners Christina Witham and Michelle Kaseberg. For several decades, including during Harvey’s tenure, Baker County voters elected one full-time commission chairman to handle day-to-day administrative duties. Witham and Kaseberg have promoted a ballot measure likely to propose making all three commissioners’ duties equal, permitting the board to select annually one commissioner to serve as chair, potentially equalizing salaries, and allowing the board to hire a full-time administrator to assume many responsibilities the chair now performs. The measure’s language has not been finalized, and proponents say it would redistribute responsibilities and professionalize administration.

Harvey criticized the current board dynamic and cast the reform as a rollback of voter control. He said he was disappointed by the “animosity” he sees among the current commissioners and that he will “actively campaign against” the measure. Harvey argued the change could remove voters’ power to decide who oversees county operations by replacing an elected chair with an unelected administrator, saying, “That’s not the way I want to see Baker County go.”

The commission’s other seats factor into the governance debate. Christina Witham holds Position 2 but is not seeking reelection; James A. Marcrum of Baker City filed for Position 2 on Sept. 15. Michelle Kaseberg, elected in November 2024, began a four-year term on Jan. 1, 2025.

The dispute matters for local residents because it addresses who controls daily county operations, how accountable leaders will be to voters, and how budget and staffing decisions could change. If voters approve a governance overhaul, the county could shift toward a manager-style administration, altering lines of responsibility and possibly affecting service delivery and fiscal management.

With the filing period open through March 10, the race and the ballot measure campaign will shape conversations about accountability and voter authority at Baker County Courthouse over the coming months. Voters can expect further clarification on the measure’s language and competing arguments as candidates campaign toward the November ballot and county meetings weigh next steps.