Former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway and Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair will square off Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the open District 4 seat on the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Results are not yet available. Initial results are expected shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on the Oregon Secretary of State's website at results.oregonvotes.gov. Tallies will continue to be updated in the days that follow.

As we reported Oct. 31, this is one of two county commission runoffs on the ballot. Even though District 4 covers western Washington County, including most of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, North Plains, Cornelius and Banks, the seat is elected at-large, according to the Beaverton Valley Times. That means every Washington County voter, including residents of Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills and West Haven-Sylvan, will see this race on their ballot.

Why the runoff

Neither candidate won a majority in the May primary. Callaway led a six-candidate field with 32.9% of the vote. Sinclair finished second at 21.4%, the Beaverton Valley Times reported. The seat is being vacated by Commissioner Jerry Willey, who announced plans to retire in 2025.

The candidates

Callaway, a former eight-year Hillsboro mayor, said in a candidate questionnaire published by the Beaverton Valley Times that he also had a career in public education as a teacher, vice principal and principal. He pointed to regional leadership roles in transportation, economic development and public services.

Sinclair described herself as an entrepreneur and public servant. She founded Grandma Chonga's Salsa and co-founded Eat Drink Washington County, a local agriculture promotion effort. She has served on the Hillsboro Planning Commission and a regional disaster preparedness committee, according to her questionnaire responses.

Key issues

Affordability and data-center growth have dominated the race, KGW reported.

Callaway told KGW he supports the existing statewide data-center moratorium and wants conversations about incentives and farmland protection during the pause. On affordability, he said the county has control over fees and taxes through entities like Clean Water Services and pledged to watch those costs carefully.

Sinclair, in a statement to KGW, said the county "needs a commissioner who will hold the line to protect our farmland, our air, our water, and our public dollars." She has called for a data-center moratorium and said she joined a lawsuit against Hillsboro and the county over data-center tax abatements approved without public input, according to her Beaverton Valley Times questionnaire responses.

Campaign money

Callaway held a significant fundraising lead. As of Oct. 28, he had raised $132,837 in cash contributions plus $2,065 in in-kind donations, the Hillsboro News-Times reported. His top donors included the Washington County Chamber of Commerce PAC ($15,000), the Plumbers & Steamfitters PAC 221 ($10,580) and the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors PAC ($10,000).

Sinclair had collected $25,512 in cash and $7,430 in in-kind contributions over the same period. Her largest in-kind supporter was Friends of Smart Growth, a PAC focused on livability and conservation in North Plains and Washington County, which gave $4,277.

How to vote

Oregon votes entirely by mail. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 or dropped at an official drop site by 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Beaverton Valley Times. Nearby drop sites include the Bethany Community Library at 15325 N.W. Central Drive, Suite J-8, and the Cedar Mill Community Library at 1080 N.W. Saltzman Road. Voters can use any official drop site in the state.

Sign the outer envelope. Unsigned ballots are not counted.