Voters send Collins back to the bench, Marikos faces runoff
Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2024
- Circuit Judge Robert Collins Jr., left, and Irrigon Municipal Court Judge Thomas J. Creasing Jr. answer questions April 19, 2024, at a forum for local circuit court candidates at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. Voters on May 21 reelected Collins.
Voters in Umatilla and Morrow counties on Election Day, May 21, sent Judge Robert W. Collins back to Position 1 in the circuit courts of the 6th Judicial District, and there will be a runoff in November for Position 5.
Collins received 70.8% of the vote, or 7,087 votes, in Umatilla County, and 65.3%, or 1,103 votes, in Morrow County. He ran against Thomas Creasing, who attracted 2,885 votes in Umatilla County and 578 votes in Morrow County.
Collins will retire in 2026, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 75 for judges in Oregon.
But none of the four candidates in the race for Position 5 received more than 50% of the vote. Instead, incumbent Judge Joanna Marikos will face attorney John Ballard in a runoff.
In Umatilla County, Marikos received 36.2% of the vote, or 3,569 votes, and Ballard received 28.6%, or 2,822 votes.
Ballard did better in Morrow County, receiving 35.2% of the votes, or 623 votes, against 31.7% or 561 votes for Marikos.
Jill Weygandt, an attorney in private practice, and Jameson Hayes, a Umatilla County deputy district attorney, also were seeking the Position 5 seat. Hayes received 26.1% of the vote in Umatilla County and 23.7% of the votes in Morrow County. Weygandt received 9.2% of the votes in Umatilla County and 8.8% in Morrow County.
