Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson filed Thursday to run for a sixth term on the board. He was first in line at the elections office on filing day for the 2016 primary election.
Sorenson represents South Eugene on the Lane County Board. Looking ahead to a hoped-for sixth term, Sorenson says it's important to have a strong, progressive voice. The other 4 members of the non-partisan board are conservative-leaning. Sorenson has been the lone dissenter in some high-profile board decisions, including one opposing Oregon's new stronger back-ground checks for gun buyers.
"It was after the law was passed and after the governor signed it, the board said that they weren't going to fund and they weren't going to respect the law. And that 4-1 vote, I think, is very important for the public to understand, that here's the county government saying they're not going to even follow the law."
Sorenson is also critical of fellow board members' push for more logging on Lane County's public land. So far, no one has announced a challenge to Sorenson for the board seat. Candidates have until March to file for the May primary.
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