Vale resident Jim Mendiola says he wants to bring transparency to county government and will run for Malheur County commissioner. (The Enterprise/File).
VALE – Longtime Vale resident Jim Mendiola announced this week he will run for the Malheur County commissioner slot currently held by real estate broker Larry Wilson.
Mendiola, a former Vale 4th of July Rodeo Board president, said the notion to run for office isn’t a new one and now seemed like a good time.
“I have been thinking about it for several years,” he said. “So I just decided to pull the trigger and start from here.”
Mendiola operates Jim Mendiola Gravel Products in Vale and has been a fixture on the local rodeo scene for decades.
“I think we need a change,” said Mendiola. “I think we need to have some transparency in the (county) court.”
Born in Ontario and raised in Vale, Mendiola said he is looking forward to the upcoming election.
“Everybody I talked to was pretty excited about someone doing it. I don’t know how well I will do against an incumbent but we will see,” said Mendiola.
Wilson confirmed Wednesday he has filed for a third term as a commissioner.
Wilson has been an active supporter of the proposed $26 million rail reload center north of Nyssa.
“I ran again because I want to see this rail center completed and then I will probably be done running,” said Wilson.
Wilson was first elected to the county court in November 2012. Both men are running on the Republican ticket.
The deadline to file for the county commissioner election is March 10.
The two others on the county court, Judge Dan Joyce and Commissioner Don Hodge, aren’t up for re-election this year.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected] or 541-473-3377.
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