Douglas County Commissioner Jere McElhaney has filed for another four-year term.

“This commission has accomplished a lot,” McElhaney said. “We’ve got good ideas for the future. I think it’s best if we can keep the same team in place and keep going and not have any major interruptions and finish what we’ve started.”

McElhaney, 46, represents the 3rd District, which covers western Douglas County, including Lecompton, and much of west Lawrence.

The Republican is the first candidate to formally enter the race for one of the two commission seats up for election Nov. 2. The other seat represents the 2nd District, which covers eastern Douglas County, including North Law-rence, Baldwin and Eudora.

Commissioner Bob Johnson, also a Republican, has said that he was leaning toward a re-election bid but had not yet decided. The filing deadline is noon June 10. Primaries are Aug. 3.

McElhaney owns McElhaney Fence Builders. He is a lifelong resident of Douglas County.

As commissioner, McElhaney has led efforts to clean up Wells Overlook Park and pushed for improvements to the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds. He was the commission’s project manager for a $2.1 million upgrade to the Douglas County Youth Services detention center in North Lawrence. He was commission chairman in 2002.

McElhaney and his wife, Debbie, live less than a mile south of the Wakarusa River, at 1353 North 1100 Road, and have three children: Ryan, a student at Kansas State University; Chase, a sixth-grader at Broken Arrow School; and Chandler, a third-grader at Broken Arrow.