Michelle Vlach-Ing, a criminal defense attorney, parenting time coordinator and temporary judge for the city of Salem, has won the race for Marion County Circuit Court judge after a two-week close contest. Her opponent, Salem attorney David Carlson, conceded the race Wednesday, Vlach-Ing’s campaign announced on Facebook. The latest ballot counts Friday morning had Vlach-Ing ahead with 55,442 votes, 49.91%, to Carlson’s 54,854. About 308 ballots remain to be counted, Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess said Thursday evening, fewer than the 588-vote margin separating the two. Voters still have until Nov. 26 to correct missing or mismatched signature issues on ballots. Voters whose ballots were rejected because of signature problems should have received a letter in the mail from the clerk’s office. Any ballots fixed before the deadline would also be counted. Marion County will certify election results by Dec. 2. Vlach-Ing will be sworn to the bench in January. “I am profoundly grateful to Marion County voters who recognized my character and work ethic. This victory belongs to those who believe in a future where public safety and justice go hand-in-hand,” she told Salem Reporter in an email Friday. Carlson did not respond to an email or voice message Friday. “I commend David Carlson and his supporters for their efforts and the dedication they brought to this race. Marion County voters had the privilege of choosing from four exceptional lawyers,” she said, referring to Carlson and Salem attorneys Martin Habekost and Matthew Tracey, who ran in the May primary earlier this year. Vlach-Ing trailed behind Carlson in initial ballot counts, but took the lead last week. The race was one of several close local contests.  High voter turnout, a large number of ballots returned on Election Day, and a high share of write-in votes have all contributed to the pace of counting in the Marion County elections office. Vlach-Ing also led the May primary, when the race was a four-person contest. She and Carlson advanced as the top two candidates for the seat vacated by retiring Judge Donald Abar. When incumbent circuit judges retire mid-term, the governor temporarily appoints their successor until the next election. But Abar retired at the end of his term, leaving that decision in the hands of Marion County voters. A circuit judge in Oregon is a nonpartisan position for which there is rarely a contested race. The position has a six-year term. The county’s 15 circuit court judges preside over criminal and civil cases as well as sentence criminal defendants. Vlach-Ing recently told Salem Reporter that most of her current work involves criminal defense. She also works as a parenting time coordinator in cases which have concluded, helping resolve disputes of high conflict between parents and keep them from ending up back in court. Vlach-Ing serves around two to four days a month as a pro tem judge in the Salem Municipal Court, handling matters including arraignment, bench trials, jury trials, special motions and settlement conferences. The full-time judge is often conflicted out of cases due to her former work as a defense attorney, prompting Vlach-Ing to step in and take her place. In recent years, she has worked as an arbitrator and resolved over 1,000 mediation cases outside of court, including domestic relations, business matters and neighborhood disputes.  She has also practiced civil law in contract enforcement, intellectual property law, representing creditors, small claims, landlord and tenant issues, restraining order cases, banks and businesses, family law and criminal defense. Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Vlach-Ing wins Marion County judge race appeared first on Salem Reporter.