Two Washington County Commission races head to voters Tuesday, Nov. 3, and one of them features the commissioner who represents Bethany and Cedar Mill.

District 2 Commissioner Pam Treece is running for commission chair against fellow Commissioner Nafisa Fai. In a separate race, former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway faces Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair for the District 4 seat. All four candidates advanced from the May primary, OPB reported Oct. 29.

The chair seat opened after Kathryn Harrington resigned. Treece and Fai are both sitting commissioners.

The chair race hits close to home

Treece's District 2 covers Helvetia, Bethany, Cedar Mill, Rock Creek and portions of Hillsboro and Beaverton, according to OPB. First elected in 2018, she was the first person in over 30 years to unseat an incumbent Washington County commissioner.

Treece said she has served as District 2 commissioner since 2019 and held regional leadership roles including the Metropolitan Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) and committees focused on transportation, infrastructure and economic development.

Fai, the District 1 commissioner covering parts of Beaverton, Aloha, Cooper Mountain, Garden Home and Raleigh Hills, was first elected in 2020. OPB reported she became the first person of color to serve on the board in Oregon's most diverse county.

Fai led the May primary with 39% of the vote to Treece's 33%, according to OPB. Republican challenger Jenny Kamprath took 27%.

Money and endorsements

Treece has outraised Fai since the primary. As of Oct. 27, Treece had raised over $275,000 in post-primary donations, according to OPB. The outlet listed her biggest contributors as Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle at $40,000, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce at $25,000 and Las Vegas management executive Jeff Swickard at $25,000.

Fai raised just over $182,000 in post-primary donations over the same period, OPB reported. Her largest contribution was $25,000 from AFSCME, the public employees union.

Looking at full-year 2026 totals, the Beaverton Valley Times reported Treece had collected $464,579 in cash contributions as of Oct. 26. Fai had raised almost $393,979 in cash over the same period.

Treece is backed by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, local firefighters and police unions, several county mayors and Washington County's other two commissioners. She stressed her endorsement from 10 of the county's mayors, according to OPB.

Fai has the backing of the county Democratic Party, local public employees unions, the Jane Fonda Climate PAC and former Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Treece returned a $10,000 donation from Harrington after the outgoing chair made an obscene gesture at Fai during a public meeting. The Beaverton Valley Times reported Treece returned the money on Sept. 16, the day after the incident.

Both candidates listed affordability as a top voter concern, OPB reported. Treece said the commission can focus on workforce development and job creation. Fai said she has also heard concerns about preserving agricultural land in the western half of the county.

On data centers, Fai proposed a county moratorium. Treece told OPB she believes the county does not need to continue building them.

District 4: a five-to-one fundraising gap

As we reported Oct. 29, Callaway's campaign had far outraised Sinclair's. As of Oct. 27, Callaway had raised $94,000 in post-primary contributions compared to Sinclair's $14,000, according to OPB. His two largest donations of $15,000 each, from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and a Democratic Central Committee, alone exceeded Sinclair's total.

Sinclair described her campaign as entirely "grassroots," OPB reported.

The district stretches from Hillsboro across Forest Grove, North Plains and Banks to the county's northwest corner. Callaway served 14 years on the Hillsboro City Council as councilor and mayor. Sinclair was elected to the Hillsboro City Council in 2022 after serving on the city's planning commission.

How to vote

Ballots must be postmarked or dropped at an official drop site by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Local drop sites include the Bethany Community Library at 15325 N.W. Central Dr., Suite J-8, and the Cedar Mill Community Library at 1080 N.W. Saltzman Road, according to the Beaverton Valley Times. No postage is required to mail a ballot.