Despite the vote by Deschutes Democrats’ rank-and-file membership to endorse James “Mac” McLaughlin for sheriff in late August, the party’s top brass later revoked that endorsement.
On Aug. 24, members of the executive committee wrote in a letter to party members that the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing internal investigation into McLaughlin for alleged harassment and misconduct forced their decision to withdraw the endorsement.
In the letter, the executive board, which includes Chair Jason Burge, Vice Chairs Megan Perkins and Jake Jenkins and Secretary Dianne Berry, said the party’s reputation may be sullied if it endorses a candidate with misconduct on his record.
“We have to consider potential damage to the party and our endorsed candidates,” the letter said.
members of the media and public waited to hear whether top brass would uphold its revocation of its endorsement
of sheriff candidate James “Mac” McLaughlin. Credit: Peter Madsen
The precinct committee persons had previously voted 50.2% (136) in favor of endorsing McLaughlin, with 49.8% (135) voting not to endorse him. (Some 51 voters abstained.)
The Deschutes Dems officers had met with McLaughlin prior to the endorsement vote to address concerns regarding alleged workplace misconduct, they said in the letter.
“We decided to allow the PCPs to vote even though there were serious concerns about the ongoing investigation,” the letter indicated.
The issue became a major focus at a raucous Sept. 10 meeting of the Deschutes Democrats at the Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Bend, where precinct committee persons, local political candidates and members of the media and public waited to hear one juicy agenda item: the Central Committee Approval of Emergency Action of the Executive Committee.
After hearing heated testimony both for and against the endorsement, the Deschutes Democrats rank-and-file voted to confirm the executive committee’s decision to overturn its endorsement of McLaughlin. Jason Burge, the chair of the Deschutes Democrats read the results: PCPs voted 77 to 60 in approval of the executive committee’s decision to revoke McLaughlin’s endorsement.
had voted to sustain the top brass’ revocation of its endorsement of sheriff candidate James McLaughlin Credit: Peter Madsen
Endorsements from a party can be a major boon for a candidate. Electoral hopefuls who are endorsed by the Deschutes Democrats are included in campaign mailers that get sent to area voters, helping to raise their profiles along with other candidates on the Democratic slate.
While the room fell silent after the vote reading, it was anything but during the lead up to that announcement. About 20 precinct committee persons gave 2-minute testimonies, either for or against the executive committee’s decision.
Sept. 10 that endorsing James McLaughlin is a mistake, owing to the ongoing investigation into
McLaughlin’s alleged misconduct. Porter has endorsed Ty Rupert on the interim sheriff’s campaign website. Credit: Peter Madsen
Jim Porter, the former chief of the Bend Police Department, voiced his support for the party leaders’ decision. A longtime Democrat and PCP, Porter said he was a “unicorn in the room.”
“You don’t see many Democrats as chiefs of police or sheriffs; it just doesn’t happen,” Porter said.
He said members of the Deschutes Democratic Party should “be easy on the board” regarding its decision to rescind the endorsement, adding that more information regarding the internal investigation into McLaughlin was coming in by the day. He pointed out that former Sheriff Kent van der Kamp, who was also internally investigated during the last election, resigned seven months into the job for dishonesty.
“If we put our endorsement on somebody who’s under investigation, we’re endorsing somebody who could potentially end in that same spot.”
The subsequent speaker, Chris Barringer, a current Bend PD Officer and former DCSO sergeant, outed himself as the “second unicorn in the room — a proud, unapologetic liberal Democrat cop.”
Barringer, clarifying that he spoke only in his capacity as a citizen, asked the crowd: “Where is the presumption of innocence?”
Paul Akehurst, the subject of the Feb. 25 SWAT arrest, was wanted for using a stolen gasoline credit card, eluding officers and driving without a license.
He also brought Porter’s testimony into question, noting that the former police chief’s support for McLaughlin’s opponent, candidate and current Sheriff Ty Rupert, is listed on Rupert’s campaign website.
David Welton offered testimony that focused on the Deschutes Democrats’ refining its endorsement process. Fellow PCP Connie Peterson spoke similarly, saying she supports the executive committee’s decision to rescind the endorsement, yet said the endorsement process should be more dynamic than listening to a candidate’s five-minute speech and reading their written statement.
“We’re not allowed to ask questions of a candidate where everyone can hear the answer,” Peterson said.
David Baker-Yuill, the founder of 5051 Central Oregon, which is known for its weekly protests at the downtown Bend Peace Corner, had argued for PCPs to overturn the revoking of the sheriff endorsement and uphold the initial endorsement, citing what he says are transparency concerns regarding Rupert’s administration.
During the meeting, McLaughlin hung in the rear of the room.
In speaking with the Source after the PCP vote, McLaughlin said he sees the revocation as a “small setback.”
“I appreciate the passion in that room,” McLaughlin said. “I’m a little overwhelmed, even a little emotional by the support that I did get.”
A longtime registered Republican, McLaughlin joined the Democratic Party in July. McLaughlin says he understands folks’ skepticism. He attributes that, in part, to a lack of information regarding the ongoing third-party investigation of his alleged misconduct.
Rupert handed that internal investigation off to Jim Band, an investigator and retired chief of the Oregon City Police Department, in early June.
It’s still not clear when the investigation will wrap up. McLaughlin says considering this opacity, he understands some folks’ skepticism, “given how polarizing the sheriff’s office race has historically become,” he said.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect specifically for the PCPs. They activate, they mobilize, they care,” he added.
The period after the November election, McLaughlin said, “is an opportunity for me to continue to show people inside this community what we can actually do at the office.”
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