After an unusually competitive May primary, two Salem men are vying for the Marion County judicial seat vacated by suspended judge Vance Day.

Races for positions on Marion County's circuit court are typically uncontested and quiet. Incumbents usually run unopposed and garner 99 percent of the vote.

But with Day signaling he wasn't going to run in the face of a looming three-year suspension for misconduct, the race for his seat drew three candidates.

Daniel Wren, a judge pro tem at the Marion County Circuit Court, came out on top in the May primary but garnering 43 percent of the vote was not enough to win the race outright.

MORE:Marion County judge candidates headed for November runoff election

In November, he will face off with the second-place finisher, Anthony "the Bear" Behrens, a senior policy adviser and legislative liaison for the State of Oregon. Behrens collected 36 percent of the vote in May.

With 21 percent of the vote, Jon Weiner, a Salem attorney and municipal court judge pro tem, failed to earn enough votes to continue to November's runoff election. He has since endorsed Wren.

Circuit court judges are tasked with a wide array of life-altering decisions, including overseeing criminal and civil trials, ruling on bail amounts, determining what evidence is allowed into proceedings and sentencing people to jail or prison.

Daniel Wren

Wren knows many people casting votes in November's election may never have to appear in court, but voters understand the importance of having a fair, community-involved judge on the bench.

"They want a judge, at the end of the day, who will ultimately treat people with dignity and respect, treat people with fairness, and protect the vulnerable — victims of crimes, children, the elderly, people with mental health issues," he said. "Those are people that need protecting."

For the past two years, Wren has been working as a judge pro tem in the Marion County Court Annex, hearing 70 to 100 cases a day, including arraignments, bail hearings and probation violation hearings.

Wren said he believes those serving on the bench should demonstrate integrity, fairness and a judicial temperament.

"That's what a judge does and that's why you need somebody in there that has that experience and that desire to really help people in this community," he said. "I left my private practice in 2016 because I felt like it was time for me to serve and give back to my community."

After starting a family and embarking on a career in sales after college, Wren's wife encouraged him to follow his longtime dream of becoming an attorney. He graduated from Willamette College of Law in 2005.

Almost immediately, he knew he wanted to work toward becoming a judge.

Wren went on to clerk for the Marion County District Attorney's Office, start his own practice litigating civil and criminal cases and got involved with the Juvenile Advocacy Consortium helping DHS-involved families, youth offenders and parents.

Wren pointed to the creation of the Veterans Treatment Court as an example of his community-minded judicial philosophy. In 2011, Wren was one of the attorneys who worked to bring the treatment court to Marion County.

"It's that type of philosophy of wanting to help people, to share with them your knowledge, help get them on the path to housing, VA benefits, medications, mental health treatment, addiction treatment ... because I respect the job that they did for our country and just wanted to give back and help them," he said.

Anthony Behrens

Behrens, or "The Bear", as he was dubbed on billboards, yard signs and the May ballot, said he wants to run a fair, respectful courtroom without any bias.

"You want to make sure you listen to everybody, not cut people off, not be arrogant or rude," he said. "My whole thing is you treat the people that come before you like customers. They come to you for justice."

Behrens said he earned his ursine nickname working as a prosecutor in Umatilla County after he graduated from Willamette University's College of Law, where he garnered a reputation of being easy-going and affable like a bear.

"But once you poke them, they get really aggressive," Behrens said. "It's like: Play fair with me, I'll play fair with you, but if you start to get a little out of line, I'm going to call you on it."

Behrens has worked as the legislative liaison and senior policy adviser for the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services for the past decade and previously served as a judge pro tem in Marion County from 2005 to 2007 and as an administrative law judge for the Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings from 2000 to 2005.

MORE:Three Salem candidates compete for suspended Judge Vance Day's seat

"I've been a public servant for over 20 years, and I feel really passionately about serving people," he said.

Behrens is self-funding his own campaign and estimates he has spent about $40,000 of his own money on the signs, billboards and other promotions.

"(Self-funding) is something very important to me," he said. "I don't want to feel like I'm beholden to anyone."

In the days leading up to the May primary, Behrens told the Statesman Journal he felt some nastiness during the campaign, like missing campaign signs and lack of establishment support.

"I'm an outsider ... and they definitely see me as a threat," he said.

"One of my goals is to help more people like me get on the bench — people with more diverse experience, with greater experience that surpasses the courtroom."

The campaign

Wren pointed to his own experience — especially the past two years he's been serving as pro tem judge — as what makes him a better choice for Marion County.

"I think what qualifies me more than Mr. Behrens is the recency of my experience," he said. "For the past 12 years now, I've practiced in a courtroom almost every day and for the past two years, I've just been proving the type of judicial candidate I am and the type of judge that I would be with the way that I interact with the people that appear before me."'

Behrens, who worked as a Marion County judge pro tem more than a decade ago, said he doesn't see why that would matter.

"Being a judge ... is like riding a bike," he said, adding that he had two years of judicial experience and five years of "quasi-judicial experience" as an administrative law judge.

"If you take a look at my experience compared to his, there's really not a comparison," Behrens said.

Wren has garnered more local, big-name endorsements: Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers, outgoing Marion County District Attorney Walt Beglau, district attorney-elect Paige Clarkson, Mayor Chuck Bennett and all 13 sitting Marion County judges.

The endorsements of law enforcement, local attorneys and judges speak to his broad-based support, Wren said.

Behrens said he's collected several endorsements, including Judge Christopher Brauer, the district attorney who first hired him before becoming an Umatilla County judge as well as former Senate President Fred Heard, but he also questioned the value of endorsements.

"That's a real problem with our system," he said. "People look at these endorsements like they mean anything."

Wren countered that, for months, he has met with community members to introduce himself and explain why he is the best person for the job. Behrens has had those same opportunities to seek endorsements, he added.

MORE:Suspended Judge Vance Day takes misconduct case to U.S. Supreme Court

"Endorsements matter to demonstrate that community members from diverse perspectives believe I am the right person to serve as a judge in Marion County," he said. "Voters should not only look at endorsements but examine a candidate’s current service and qualifications when making their decision."

Behrens said he was happy with how he performed in the May primary.

"I think people are tired of politics," he said. "I am a kind of refreshing candidate."

Wren dismissed Behrens' labeling of his candidacy as a "political machine."

"I'm not sure what (he is) referencing," Wren said. "Since January 2018, I have been working hard to let the people of Marion County know who I am and why I am the best candidate for this position."

This includes going to city council meetings, going door-to-door and neighborhood association meetings. So far, he's spent about $18,000 on his campaign and received almost $27,000 in contributions. Judicial candidates do not ask for contributions, but community members are free to donate to their campaigns.

"I look at all the support I have received and I’m truly humbled by their confidence in me," he said. "Those endorsing me are from all sides and have determined I am the neutral party this position needs to decide the issues that will come before the court."

Ballots for the November election will be mailed to registered voters on Oct. 17. Voted ballots must be received by an elections office or a dropped off at an official Oregon ballot drop site by 8 p.m. on Nov. 6.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

The Candidates

Anthony Behrens

Occupation: Legislative liaison and senior policy adviser for the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services

City of residence: Salem

Family: Married with one son

Website: behrens4judge.com

Social media: facebook.com/Behrens4Judge

Daniel Wren

Occupation: Pro tem judge and hearings referee at the Marion County Circuit Court

City of residence: Salem

Family: Married with three children

Website: danwrenforjudge.com

Social media: facebook.com/danwrenforjudge