Ballots for EWEB Commissioner Wards 1 and 8 indicate an early lead for Morris

Initial vote counts released for Tuesday's primary election showed Tim Morris leading Kim Arscott in the race for commissioner of Ward 1 and 8 on the Eugene Water and Electrical Board.

As of the latest vote counts on Thursday, Morris had 67.3% of the vote, compared to Arscott's 32.7% and making it unlikely there would be enough ballots left to count to make a difference.

Morris attended the Democratic Party’s watch party at the Bier Stein in Eugene on Tuesday night and said he was feeling excited and grateful for the early results.

“Every committee or commission or work group that I've participated in has been an incredible learning opportunity. I get to work with partners across the state who all come from different backgrounds and different perspectives and different focuses,” Morris said. “I have been grateful to absorb all of that knowledge and experience and then use it not only as I potentially step into this role at EWEB but also just in my daily life.”

The results were still preliminary, though. While most ballots were already counted, the county clerk's office isn't required to certify election results until June 17.

There are five EWEB commissioners who serve four-year terms governing policy and direction for the utility provider. Four are elected to represent specific wards and one position represents the area “at large.”

Wards 1 and 8 occupy central and west Eugene. The wards have been represented by current board president Matt McRae, who is not seeking another term as commissioner. Two candidates are running for the position, Kim Arscott and Tim Morris.

Arscott is a principal broker at Hybrid Real Estate. She is the president of Eugene Realtors and supports local organizations such as the Junior League of Eugene, the Chamber of Commerce and Pet Partners.

Morris is a founding member and the current Executive Director of the Springfield Eugene Tenant Association and has served on numerous local committees and boards, including the Lane County Housing Policy Board, the Lane County Budget Committee and the Lane Community College Budget Committee.

Hannarose McGuinness is The Register-Guard’s growth and development reporter. Contact her at 541-844-9859 or hmcguinness@registerguard.com

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Election results: Morris leads Arscott for EWEB commissioner