Hermiston mayoral candidate Doug Primmer, a Hermiston city councilor, discusses wanting to provide more resources for mental health and addiction April 4, 2024, at a candidates forum at Hermiston City Hall. Voters on May 21 elected Primmer as the city’s next mayor.

HERMISTON — Hermiston will have a new mayor next year if the voting trend holds up and it will be Doug Primmer, the Hermiston City Council president.

Primmer received 1,032 votes or 50.6% of the total to top three other mayoral candidates in the election May 21, according to unofficial results from the Umatilla County Elections Division. City Councilor Jackie Linton was second with 495 votes or 24.3%, Councilor Nancy Peterson received 331 votes or 16.2% and Manuel Salazar, a Hermiston High School senior, received 173 votes or 8.5%. There also were nine write-ins.

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade will certify election results no later than June 27. If the count holds, Primmer will finish with more than 50% of the total and become Hermiston’s next mayor. If he falls short of a majority of the votes, the top two finishers will face off in November’s election.

“It’s definitely humbling,” Primmer said. “I would have been very happy to just be one of the top two.”

Primmer will become Hermiston’s 28th mayor and will succeed Mayor Dave Drotzmann, who chose not to run for reelection to run for state senator for District 29. Drotzmann is one of Hermiston’s longest-serving mayors, having taken office in December 2012. Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash won the Senate District 29 race.

Linton said she was happy for Primmer.

“He’ll do an awesome job,” she said, adding that the race was a “great” experience.

“I met so many awesome people and it made me fall in love with Hermiston all over again,” Linton said.

Primmer, 60, was born in Seattle and moved to Hermiston with his family in 1977. He chalked up his apparent victory to his roots in the community. He has been on the council since 2012. He retired after a 31-year career with the Oregon Department of Corrections. He was recently recognized for 40 years of service with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office as a rescue diver and reserve patrol officer.

“With me, people know what they are getting,” Primmer said. “People know what I stand for. And being on the council helps considerably.”

Primmer said he will likely start attending the West End Mayors meetings between now and January, but added he has a pretty good knowledge of the role of mayor.

“I’ve been council president for six of the 12 years I’ve been on the council,” he said, “so I know where everything is.”