Union County commissioner filings: Who’s filed in Oregon and North Carolina

Union County (Oregon)

The local filing snapshot recorded by the Union County Clerk’s Office shows two county commission seats on the 2026 ballot and a compact window to enter the race: incumbents had until Tuesday, March 3, to file and “all other candidates have until 5 p.m. on March 10 to file.” As reported March 4, the immediate picture is clear — one declared candidate for Position 1 and a multi-candidate field for Position 2, while Position 3 is not on the 2026 ballot.

Position 1: a single filer so far “So far, only one candidate — Cory Miller — had filed to run for Position 1.” That leaves the seat in a fragile status heading into the March 10 deadline: incumbent Commissioner Paul Anderes “has not filed for reelection, according to information on file as of March 4 with the Union County Clerk’s Office.” If Anderes remains off the ballot, voters will face a contest with at least one challenger already on record; if additional filings arrive before 5 p.m. on March 10, the field could expand.

Position 2: Scarfo seeks a third term amid challengers Incumbent Matt Scarfo “is seeking a third term in Position 2. Scarfo was first elected to the board in 2018 and reelected in 2022.” The March 4 filings show two challengers alongside Scarfo: Donna Beverage and Rosa Rice. That combination creates a three-way contest for a seat held by Scarfo since 2018, and it could reshape the board’s balance depending on turnout and campaign dynamics.

Legal context and institutional implications Donna Beverage’s filing brings a contested legal and institutional backdrop: “Beverage previously served two terms in Position 3 on the Union County Board of Commissioners, which is currently held by Jake Seavert. Beverage did not run again during the 2024 election due to a local ordinance that limited commissioners to two four-year terms. Union County Circuit Court has since ruled the ordinance unconstitutional.” That court ruling reopens questions about term-limit language in county rules and creates an immediate verification task — obtaining the court opinion, case number and appellate status — before fully assessing the precedent and its effect on this election.

Position sequencing and ballot timing “Position 1 and Position 2 are elected at the same time while the election for Position 3 runs in the intervening years.” That schedule means the 2026 contests will determine who serves alongside Jake Seavert through the next cycle. With incumbents’ filing deadlines already passed and the general filing window closing March 10, voters and watchdogs should expect final candidate lists from the Union County Clerk’s Office shortly after that deadline.

What to watch next (Oregon)

• Confirm the final filing list from the Union County Clerk’s Office immediately after 5 p.m. on March 10 to capture any late entrants.
• Obtain the Union County Circuit Court ruling text that found the term-limit ordinance unconstitutional — docket number, judge and reasoning — before reporting further on its implications.
• Seek statements from Cory Miller, Matt Scarfo, Donna Beverage, Rosa Rice, Paul Anderes and Jake Seavert to put filings into policy context and to clarify campaign priorities and timelines.

Separate: Union County (North Carolina)

Filing window, turnout dates and party context The Union County Board of Elections in North Carolina opened filing on Dec. 1, 2025 and accepted candidate filings through Dec. 19, 2025. “The Union County Board of Elections welcomed several candidates Dec. 1 for the first day of filing. Candidates will continue filing for 2026 election races through Dec. 19.” Registered voters in that jurisdiction “will have the opportunity to vote in the March 3 primary and Nov. 3 general election.” The county’s December filing window and a partisan primary schedule create an earlier calendar than Oregon’s March deadlines and produce clear party-line contests.

Who filed for the Union County Board of Commissioners (N.C.) The official Dec. 19 candidate printout lists multiple commission filings, with party affiliations and addresses. On the Republican side the file shows: Wyatt Dunn (filed 12/05/2025; Matthews), Sam Harris (filed 12/01/2025; Monroe), Brian W. Helms (filed 12/01/2025; Monroe), Elizabeth Lee (filed 12/01/2025; Waxhaw), Melissa M. Merrell (filed 12/01/2025; Matthews) and Patrick Tyson (filed 12/01/2025; Monroe). The Democratic filing recorded in the excerpt lists Christina Dupont (filed 12/12/2025; Monroe) for the county commission. That produces a striking early tally: six Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate appear on the commission lists in the official printout.

Candidate backgrounds and local detail The Charlotte Weekly's coverage supplied immediate biographical context for some entrants: “Lee is an information technology professional with experience at the City of Charlotte and leadership roles within a large health care system.” The paper also noted that “Tyson owns a residential construction business that specializes in custom homes. He served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 1989 to 1998 and has been involved in missions work.” Those background items frame the partisan fields with occupational and service credentials voters can evaluate before the March primary.

Other contests visible in the printout The Dec. 19 printout is broader than commissioners, showing school board and legislative filings and the party lines attached to them. Examples include Alexis Stadler filing for Union County Board of Education at-large (DEM) on 12/01/2025 and Dean Arp filing in NC House District 069 (REP) on 12/01/2025. The document metadata — Dec 19, 2025 Page 3 of 6 CONT_CAND_rpt_3.rpt 12:03 pm — indicates an official board printout that captures the filing window’s close; some lines in the excerpt are truncated and merit retrieval of the full report for clarity.

What this means for voters and local institutions (N.C.) A crowded Republican field with a single Democratic entrant in the available excerpt signals competitive primaries where intraparty contests may decide November’s ballot composition. The March 3 primary is likely to winnow multiple GOP contenders; the Nov. 3 general will then present the district choices to the broader electorate. The partisan shift noted in Charlotte Weekly coverage — such as Monroe’s change from nonpartisan to partisan races — will reshape campaign messaging, fundraising requirements and voter outreach strategies this cycle.

Verification and follow-up (both jurisdictions)

• Obtain the final and complete candidate lists from the Union County (OR) Clerk’s Office after the March 10, 5 p.m. deadline and from the Union County (NC) Board of Elections post–Dec. 19 closure to ensure no truncated entries are omitted.
• Request the court opinion and docket number for the Oregon term-limit ruling cited in filings to determine legal standing and any potential appeals.
• Secure statements from named candidates in both states to document platforms and timelines; for North Carolina, confirm which commissioner seats are at-large versus numbered and how party labels will appear on the ballot.
• Confirm whether Oregon’s county commissioner races are being run on a nonpartisan ballot this cycle, since the La Grande Observer excerpt does not list party affiliations.

Conclusion Two distinct Union Counties are already shaping the slate of county governance for 2026. In Oregon, a March 10 filing deadline will finalize contest fields for Positions 1 and 2 after a March 3 incumbents’ cutoff; in North Carolina, a December filing window produced multiple Republican commission hopefuls and at least one Democratic filing, setting up partisan primaries on March 3. The immediate next milestones — the March 10 final filings in Oregon and the March 3 primaries in North Carolina — will determine which names appear on the ballot and which institutional questions, like the Oregon term-limit ruling, migrate from filing-room paperwork into substantive campaign debates.