Primary election results: Incumbent Bill Burgess holds huge lead in Marion County clerk race

Incumbent Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess held a commanding lead against challengers Anna Munson and Jo Anne Lepley in initial primary election results on Wednesday.

“Appreciative of people showing that they have confidence in this race because there certainly is an element of election deniers or folks who want us to go back to pre-1980 days for Marion County,” Burgess said.

“And I’m glad that more people affirmed what we’ve done and where we are," he said. "I look at it as a victory not just for me, but for my team.”

Burgess was challenged by a former employee, Anna Munson, and and a current employee , Jo Anne Lepley, in the non-partisan race for the four-year position.

In early results, Burgess held more than the 50% of the vote needed to avoid the race going to November's general election.

“I am gratified with those results, those initial results,” Burgess said. “If those results stay, I won’t have to have a runoff in November and I will be the only person on the ballot."

Burgess, formerly a pharmacy manager, has been Marion County Clerk since first being elected in 2005. He has been re-elected five times. He also was on the Salem City Council for eight years.

Munson is a retired ultra sonographer. She worked for the Marion County elections department from 2016 through 2022. She said that if elected she would work to reaffirm the public about their right to vote, include the public in the elections process and offer education programs, such as hosting high school civics classes.

Lepley worked as a city recorder in Bandon for four years and was a town clerk for communities in Maine. She has worked for the Marion County Clerk’s office since 2002 and campaigned on issues such as ensuring the county clerk's office offers the services it advertises, such as issuing passports, being more transparent about the the clerk's schedule and educating and training the elections staff.

Burgess' campaign raised $7,594 and spent $2,318 as of May 10. Lepley's campaign raised $893 and spent $1,075. Munson's campaign raised $12,018 and spent $9,647.

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Primary election results: Incumbent Bill Burgess holds huge lead in Marion County clerk race