Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall has decided he will not be seeking reelection this year. He would have almost certainly been successful if he had, but he is looking to return to Eastern Oregon where his adult children live.
Van Arsdall had served as Baker County’s undersheriff before the Benton County Board of Commissioners offered to appoint him to the top-slot position here. That was back in 2021, after Sheriff Scott Jackson retired mid-term.
Van Arsdall went on to subsequently seek voter approval to continue leading the Sheriff’s office. He ran unopposed.
In an interview with Brad Fuqua of Philomath News, Van Arsdall said, “I’ve got to be honest with you — I miss my kids”
“My wife and I sat down — we’ve been married for over 30 years and we’ve always done everything as a team — and at the end of the day, it boiled down to our kids. We want to be around our kids,” said Van Arsdall. “My daughter’s married and my son’s getting married and we are going to have grandkids eventually, so I just want to be around my kids more.”
Van Arsdall also said he was proud to have kept the Sherrif’s office fully staffed during his tenure. That has been a challenge for other Oregon counties. He has had some disappointments, saying he would have liked seeing the Benton County jail bond approved, and that it would be helpful for the state to fund more parole-probation officers. Parole- probation officers are funded through the state.
Van Arsdall started his law enforcement career as a reserve deputy at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in the 1990s. He then served 18 years with the Corvallis Police Department, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. He then moved to Baker County, where he rose to the rank of undersheriff before being appointed to lead the Benton County office.
Who will likely replace Van Arsdall
As stands, it’s anticipated Van Arsdall will serve the rest of his term, which expires the end of this year.
Sheriff Deputy Sgt. Scott Bressler has filed for the May 19 primary election. Because he is running unopposed, voters can expect to see him on their November general election ballot as well.
Bressler’s filing states a law enforcement work history dating back to 1988. He has served a total of more than 37 years.
By Hallie Greenberg
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