Baker CityNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Baker City Council Election 2026

3 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election Day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

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The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Three of the seven council seats are on the ballot, held now by Gratton Miller, Randy Schiewe and Doni Bruland, who is not eligible to run again under the charter's term-limits clause.

Election Day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Brett Smith · Pacific Green
    • Tina Kotek · Democrat, Working Families
    • Christine Drazan · Republican, Libertarian
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • David Brock Smith · Republican
    • Jeff Merkley · Democrat, Working Families
    • Gary Lyndon Dye · Libertarian
    • Chris Henry · Progressive, Pacific Green
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 2
  • State House of RepresentativesDistrict 60
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Main Street lanes3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council tabled a proposal to restripe part of Main Street from four lanes to three; a citizen petition to require a public vote did not qualify for the November ballot.

What's on the tableWhether and when the council restripes Main Street between Campbell Street and Auburn Avenue.

  • The council voted 5-0 on January 13, 2026 to table the discussion; a motion by Councilor Miller to change the configuration died for lack of a second. Baker City Herald · Jan 13, 2026
  • A committee appointed by the council voted unanimously in November 2025 to recommend changing the section from four lanes to three. Baker City Herald · Jul 2, 2026
  • City officials said 118 of 154 petition signature sheets could not be accepted, so the petition apparently would not make the November 3 ballot; backers have up to two years to try again. Baker City Herald · Jul 2, 2026
02City budget and personnel costs3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council cut the public safety fee in half and held water and sewer rates flat for the year starting July 1, 2026, while the city manager warns of rising retirement and health costs.

What's on the tableHow the city balances revenue against rising PERS and health insurance costs, including the public safety fee.

03City manager pay2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council gave City Manager Barry Murphy a $20,000 bonus in June 2026 and then approved a new contract with a $140,000 salary and no bonuses.

What's on the tableHow the council compensates and evaluates the city manager, whom it hires and can fire at any time.

04Water system funding1 sourced fact

Where it standsThe council chose three water-system projects to pursue under a Department of Energy grant application.

What's on the tableWhich water and wastewater upgrades the city funds and builds.

2 notes on these statements

Doni Bruland holds one of the three seats on the ballot and is not eligible to run again because of the charter's term-limits clause. Baker City Herald · Jul 2, 2026

Randy Schiewe was appointed 3-2 on February 10, 2026 to fill the vacancy left by Stephen Carr, who resigned in October 2025; his current term ends December 31, 2026. Baker City Herald · Feb 23, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should the city do about Main Street's four lanes between Campbell Street and Auburn Avenue?

  2. 2. Should the council pay the city manager performance bonuses?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Roger Coles, Randy Daugherty, Loran Joseph, Helen Loennig3 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • The City Council has 7 members elected by the city's voters; the councilors choose one of their own as mayor for a 2-year term. City of Baker City
  • All seven councilors hold equal voting power, and the mayor presides over the council. City of Baker City
  • The council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m. at city hall and chooses the city manager, who runs day-to-day operations. Baker City Herald · Jul 2, 2026

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