County Sheriff
Deschutes County, Oregon
My vote power
Above average
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Above average · 63 out of 100
This district is a good deal smaller than its state, so each vote here carries more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 206,334 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(4,254,293 ÷ 206,334) ÷ ln(50,000) = 63.98, measured against a statewide vote in OR (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Above average representation → My vote power: Above average.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Running police patrols and deputies in the county
- Running the county jail
- Carrying out evictions, warrants, and other court orders
Affects: Immigration, Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control,
Candidates
Nonpartisan · declared
Detective lieutenant with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office for more than 18 years, SWAT commander and U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance veteran. Priorities: public safety accountability and treating law-enforcement staff with dignity and respect.
Nonpartisan · declared
James Mac McLaughlin is a 2026 candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff in Oregon and a longtime Deschutes County Sheriff's Office lieutenant; the reviewed sources did not establish prior elected or appointed public office.
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Deschutes County Sheriff, a 20-year veteran of the sheriff's office who rose through every rank and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Priorities: rebuilding trust through transparency and fiscal accountability, and deputy staffing and well-being.
Sources: deschutescounty.gov2