Former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway and City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair will face a Nov. 3 runoff for the open District 4 seat on the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
Neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold needed to win outright in the May 19 primary, which drew six candidates. Callaway led with 32.9% of the vote. Sinclair finished second at 21.4%, the Hillsboro News Times reported. Under Oregon law, the top two finishers advance to a runoff when no one earns a majority.
The five-member Board of Commissioners governs services for unincorporated communities including Bethany, Cedar Mill and Oak Hills, so the outcome will shape decisions on roads, land use and public safety across the area. The District 4 race joins the county chair contest between Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece, which we reported Sept. 3. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 14.
District 4 covers western Washington County, including most of Hillsboro, North Plains, Cornelius and Forest Grove, as well as Banks, Gaston and smaller communities. The seat is open because Commissioner Jerry Willey, who also served as board vice chair, announced plans to retire in 2025.
Who's running
Callaway served two terms as Hillsboro mayor through 2025 and sat on the city council from 2011 to 2016. Before entering politics, he worked as a teacher and school administrator in the Banks and Hillsboro school districts. He has lived in Washington County for 35 years, according to his March 2026 campaign announcement.
His priorities include increasing access to housing, boosting public safety resources and replacing the county's 100-year-old courthouse, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Callaway had raised $42,000 by the May primary, the most of any District 4 candidate. He is endorsed by Willey, Commissioner Jason Snider, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Labor Council and District Attorney Kevin Barton, according to OPB.
Sinclair was first elected to the Hillsboro City Council in 2022. She founded and directs Eat Drink Washington County, a nonprofit that promotes local food, farms and small businesses.
Her campaign centers on a county-wide data center moratorium, reforming System Development Charges (SDCs) to support affordable housing and protecting the county's 1,800 family farms. State legislators Khanh Pham and Susan McLain are among her backers.
After primary results showed her advancing, Sinclair told the Beaverton Valley Times on May 22: "I'm incredibly proud of the 'smart growth' movement that has rallied behind this grassroots campaign."
