Cheri Brubaker (Lincoln County Commissioner Board Position 1, Oregon, candidate 2026)
Cheri Brubaker is running for election to the Lincoln County Commissioner Board Position 1 in Oregon. Brubaker is on the ballot in the primary on May 19, 2026.[source]
Brubaker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
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Click here to view Ballotpedia's local election coverage in Oregon by county in 2026.
Biography
Cheri Brubaker provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on April 8, 2026:
- High school: St. Margaret's School
- Bachelor's: Columbia College
- Profession: Field Representative
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign website
Elections
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for Lincoln County Commissioner Board Position 1
The following candidates are running in the primary for Lincoln County Commissioner Board Position 1 on May 19, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Cheri Brubaker (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Dru Earls (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Carter McEntee (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Casey Miller (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Nicholle Moody (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Cathie Rigby (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Cheri Brubaker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brubaker's responses.
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I've always been a writer — it's how I process the world. I joined the Newport News-Times as a reporter, contributed to The News Guard and YachatsNews, and served as news director and host of Hotline at Yaquina Bay Communications — covering this county from city halls to fire boards and community living rooms. When I reported on an illegal encampment at Five Rivers on the Siuslaw National Forest, it led to a collective cleanup and to Lincoln County's $500,000 Abandoned RV Abatement Program. Asking the right questions and telling the story led to real results. For the last three years I served as Field Representative for Congresswoman Val Hoyle, helping direct more than $5 million in federal funding to Lincoln County — for fire districts, affordable housing, and workforce training. I helped people cut through federal red tape and built relationships across local, state, and federal governments.
I'm not coming to the Board of Commissioners to learn on the job. I am coming ready to work — with the experience, the relationships, and the understanding of how to get things done effectively.- Relationships are at the core of everything that happens in our communities. Roads get fixed, funding gets secured, problems get solved — because the right people know each other, trust each other, and work together.
I've spent my career building those relationships. As a journalist I earned the trust of the people running Lincoln County. As Field Representative for Congresswoman Val Hoyle I built relationships across federal agencies, state government, city halls, county offices, and special districts.
They're people who know my work. That's what I'm bringing to this Board. - Our county is many communities. From Cascade Head to Cape Perpetua, and our eastern communities — Siletz, Toledo, and the many unincorporated areas — each with their own history and needs. A commissioner has to show up for everyone. I know the people in this county. I know the issues. And I know how to bring people together. We all want the same things. Good roads. Clean water. Safe communities. A thriving economy. These aren't partisan issues — they're what county government must deliver. I'm here to find common ground and get things done.
- Lincoln County is facing a $4 million budget shortfall. How we handle it — whether we protect our medical clinics, keep our communities safe, and share the burden fairly — are decisions the board must make openly, with public input and thoughtful discussion. Honest government means clear policy, adopted on the record, and a budget process that's open and explained. It means showing up to hard conversations, telling the truth even when it's complicated, and making difficult decisions thoughtfully and openly. I am running for County Commissioner to rebuild public trust, strengthen our communities, and to make sure county government works effectively for the people it serves.
For Lincoln County that means creating more housing, preserving access to healthcare like the Lincoln Community Health Center, supporting our blue economy and job growth, and taking seriously what it means to live on a coast facing seismic risk, coastal erosion, landslides, and wildfire.
Joanne Kittel, Yachats
Bud Shoemake, Logsden
Former Depoe Bay Mayor Kathy Short
Susan Wahlke, Lincoln City
Nicole Clark, Otis
Howard Wright, Newport
David Wood, Waldport
Patricia Mac Nielsen, Waldport
Oliver and Nina Beckert
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
