Washington County voters will choose a new county chair this fall after Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece both advanced from a three-candidate May primary without winning a majority.

Ballots go out to all registered voters Wednesday, Oct. 14, for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 runoff, according to the Washington County Elections Division. The last day to register or update party affiliation is Oct. 13.

The chair race matters directly to Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills and West Haven-Sylvan residents. The county chair leads the five-member Board of Commissioners, which governs services, land use and budgets across unincorporated Washington County. Chair Kathryn Harrington did not seek reelection, leaving the seat open for the first time since 2018.

Neither candidate won outright.

Fai, who represents District 1, finished first in the May 19 primary with 39.1% of the vote. Treece, who represents District 2, took 33.1%, as the Beaverton Valley Times reported. A third candidate, Jenny Kamprath, trailed with 28%, according to The Oregonian. No candidate cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff.

Treece's District 2 seat covers Cedar Mill, Rock Creek, north Beaverton, Raleigh Hills and Helvetia, according to OPB. If Fai wins the chair position, the commission would need to appoint someone to fill her District 1 seat, which runs through 2028, OPB reported.

First elected in 2020, Fai made history as the first Black and first Muslim commissioner on the board. Her fundraising through the primary brought in roughly $292,000, with endorsements from public employee unions and several Portland-area elected officials, The Oregonian reported.

Treece joined the board in 2018 after leading the Westside Economic Alliance. She raised nearly $325,000 through the primary and was endorsed by most of the county's mayors and former Gov. Barbara Roberts, The Oregonian reported.

District 4 runoff

A second commission runoff will also appear on ballots countywide. The District 4 race covers western Washington County and likely will not appear on Bethany-area ballots, but the outcome will shape the board's makeup.

Former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway led a six-candidate field with 32.9% in the District 4 primary. He faces Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair, who received 21.4%, the Beaverton Valley Times reported.

District 4 includes most of Hillsboro, North Plains, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston. Commissioner Jerry Willey, who announced plans to retire in 2025, is vacating the seat.

Callaway has endorsements from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Labor Council, District Attorney Kevin Barton and Commissioners Willey and Jason Snider, according to OPB. Sinclair has backing from two state legislators and two Hillsboro city councilors.

Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.