When Coos County voters receive their ballots for the May 15 special district election, which will be mailed out Friday, they will find several contested races to consider.

Four seats on the Coos County Airport District Board.

Two chairs up for grabs on the boards of both Southwestern Oregon Community College and the South Coast Education Services District.

Those registered in Coquille also will be asked to choose between two candidates running for the fifth position on the Coquille School Board. But it would be difficult to call the race contested, considering one, Kathy Hagen, said she plans to vote for Katie Kindgren, her opponent.

The primary reason voters will have a choice next month, according to Hagen, is because the incumbent waited until the last hour to file for the position.

It was not too long ago, however, that the challenger was an incumbent herself.

Hagen, 65, had served on the School Board for six years when she resigned in January, citing the poor health of her husband as her primary reason for stepping down. As the filing deadline for the May election neared, her husband's condition had improved, so she thought about running for her old spot on the board. When Hagen went to the Coos County Elections Office, however, she learned Clifford Wheeler had already filed for the position.

“I didn't want to run against him, because he's a young father with kids in the school district and he should be there,” she said.

When she returned to the election office on deadline day to file, March 15, she learned no one had filed for position No. 5, currently held by Kindgren.

“I went in the morning and again at noon and no one had filed,” she said.

So rather than risk having no candidate run for the seat, Hagen tossed her hat into the ring.

Around 4 p.m. that day, Kindgren, 49, arrived to file her paperwork and learned she would be facing a six-year veteran of the board.

“I was surprised,” said Kindgren, who joined the board in 2005.

Neither woman was able to point to any major distinction in the candidacy, though Kindgren said her continuity with the board would be an advantage.

“We (on the board) are all headed in the same direction,” she said. “Keeping that general consensus of the board is important at this time.”

Kindgren said the Board has made progress recently, but will continue to face challenges, including financial ones.

“We need to look at funding and how to do the best we can with the resources we have without jeopardizing the values and programs we have in place for the benefit of our students,” she said.

While Hagen has been absent for the last three months, she has spent many years in elected office. In addition to her six months with the school district, she has served on the Coquille City Council for the past 12 years.

“I think I was a good School Board member and I think I could be again,” Hagen said, though she declined to comment on what issues she views as important for the school district.

Still, when it comes time to fill out her own ballot, Hagen said she plans to vote for Kindgren.

“If she is elected, Katie will be great,” she said.

Kindgren had the same sentiments about her opponent.

“We are equally as qualified,” she said. “It's up to the public to choose the better candidate.”