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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Last year's wildfires heat up mushroom season in Northwest ... Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo set for June 2-4 at The Expo ... Police seek hit-and-run driver that injured pedestrian in Medford ... Last year's wildfires heat up mushroom season in Northwest ... Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo set for June 2-4 at The Expo ... Police seek hit-and-run driver that injured pedestrian in Medford ... OUR VIEW Our View: Harney County voters set an example Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News More than half of eligible Jackson County voters — 54.4 percent — cast ballots on Tuesday. That's a respectable showing, but the good folks of Harney County put us to shame. It's true there are 126,881 registered voters in Jackson County, while Harney County boasts only 4,371. But 3,152 of them voted on Tuesday. That's a 72.1 percent turnout — the best in the state. There were more candidates for county positions than usual, and overshadowing every race was the specter of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation. You may recall that Harney County went through some trying times recently when a group of self-proclaimed constitutionalists seized control of the refuge on Jan. 2, seeking the release of two Burns ranchers imprisoned for setting fires on federal land and demanding that the federal government turn over control of public land to local governments. Most of the occupiers were not from Harney County or even from Oregon. As the standoff dragged on for 41 days, it divided the local community. In a sense, Tuesday's primary was a referendum on the occupation itself. Voters told reporters they were scrutinizing candidates' public statements and Voters Pamphlet entries for clues as to where they stood on the occupation and on the larger issue of who should control public land. When the votes were counted, candidates who opposed the occupation had won resounding victories. An open seat for county judge — essentially the chairperson of the board of commissioners in Harney County's system — drew eight candidates. Current county commissioner Pete Runnels, who opposed the occupation, won 53 percent of the vote and will not have to face a runoff in November. In the seven-way race for one of the county commissioner seats, two candidates who opposed the occupation will face off in November, including the incumbent, who decided to run at the last minute because he felt the county needed consistent leadership. At a time when politics at the national level has deteriorated into shouting matches and both political parties are divided against themselves, Harney County voters came together and delivered a message, loud and clear. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501