As the race for Potter County Commissioner for Precinct 2 develops, voters are hearing from two candidates with deep ties to the community: incumbent Blair Schaffer and challenger Jeff Raef. Both men bring local roots, professional experience, and distinct governing priorities to the campaign, offering residents different perspectives on leadership and the future direction of the precinct.
Blair Schaffer’s background is closely tied to public service and long-standing family connections in Potter County. Raised in Amarillo, Schaffer attended local schools including Palo Duro High School before entering a career in emergency services. He became a firefighter and earned certification as an EMT Intermediate, eventually serving with the Amarillo Fire Department, where he has spent many years responding to community needs.
Schaffer’s campaign highlights both his public safety experience and his family’s century-long presence in the county. He frequently points to those roots as shaping his commitment to local service. Alongside his wife Blanca and their extended family, he emphasizes the importance of community connection and stability in leadership.
In addition to his firefighting career, Schaffer has experience as a business owner. That background, he has indicated, helped him develop skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and organizational leadership. These experiences have influenced his approach to governance during his time as county commissioner.
Since taking office, Schaffer has pursued a platform centered on infrastructure improvements, neighborhood revitalization, and communication with constituents. His tenure has included hosting quarterly town hall meetings intended to gather resident feedback and increase transparency in local decision-making.
He has also been involved in infrastructure-related advocacy, including support for projects such as improvements to the Southeast 3rd underpass. Schaffer has participated in local development initiatives through his work with TIRZ 2, which focuses on redevelopment and beautification efforts within the precinct.
Administrative modernization has also been part of Schaffer’s work. He contributed to the selection of updated software systems designed to improve operational efficiency across Potter County departments such as human resources, auditing, and purchasing.
Looking ahead, Schaffer’s stated priorities focus on expanding revitalization efforts, strengthening infrastructure systems, and supporting economic growth throughout Precinct 2. His campaign messaging emphasizes accessibility to residents and continuity in leadership grounded in community service.
Challenger Jeff Raef presents a different professional pathway, rooted primarily in small business ownership and private-sector experience. Like Schaffer, Raef is also a lifelong resident of Potter County and attended local schools, including Palo Duro High School, before continuing his education at Amarillo College.
Raef’s campaign underscores his generational ties to the area, referencing family history connected to business development along Route 66. For more than 25 years, he operated a small business in the county, working out of buildings that had once housed his grandfather’s enterprise.
His business career, he suggests, shaped his views on financial stewardship and operational efficiency. Raef has emphasized the lessons learned from managing budgets, controlling costs, and ensuring productivity in a competitive environment.
After closing his business, Raef transitioned into a career as a professional truck driver. That role has provided daily interaction with county infrastructure and transportation systems, which he views as offering firsthand insight into road conditions and logistical challenges across the precinct.
Raef’s campaign is centered on fiscal conservatism and a focus on efficiency in county operations. He has identified cost management and prioritization of essential services as key components of his approach to governance.
Public safety also features prominently in his platform. Raef has expressed support for strengthening law enforcement resources and improving retention initiatives for deputies. His campaign frames these efforts as essential to maintaining safe communities throughout Potter County.
Another major issue highlighted by Raef is the county jail system. He has called for accelerated action to address capacity challenges and inspection concerns, presenting this as a pressing infrastructure and management issue requiring decisive attention.
Raef also emphasizes cultural continuity within the county, highlighting the importance of preserving what he describes as the local character and traditions that define Potter County communities.
In addition to his fiscal priorities, Raef identifies strongly with constitutional principles and individual rights. He notes his membership in the National Rifle Association as part of his broader emphasis on personal freedoms and public safety.
While both candidates share lifelong connections to Potter County and family-centered messaging, their professional backgrounds create notable contrasts.
Schaffer’s experience lies primarily in public safety and governmental service. His campaign focuses on continuity, infrastructure progress, and community engagement through town halls and development initiatives.
Raef’s experience stems from entrepreneurship and private-sector management. His campaign stresses financial oversight, operational efficiency, and rapid action on infrastructure challenges, particularly within the jail system.
Infrastructure emerges as an area of overlap between the two candidates, though their approaches differ in emphasis. Schaffer highlights ongoing projects and collaborative planning, while Raef focuses on urgency and cost-effectiveness in addressing what he views as systemic challenges.
Public safety is another shared concern. Schaffer’s firefighting career provides direct emergency response experience, while Raef’s platform centers on law enforcement support and retention.
Economic development and revitalization also appear in both campaigns. Schaffer frames growth through redevelopment initiatives and modernization efforts, while Raef connects economic stability to fiscal discipline and reduced waste.
As the election approaches, voters in Precinct 2 are presented with two candidates whose life experiences reflect different pathways to public service. One brings a career rooted in emergency response and current governmental leadership. The other offers a background in business ownership and private-sector operations.
