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

Neither candidate won the majority needed to avoid a runoff after a six-candidate primary on May 19, the Beaverton Valley Times reported. Callaway led the field with 32.9% of the vote. Sinclair finished second at 21.4%.

The winner will replace Commissioner Jerry Willey, who announced plans to retire in 2025. District 4 covers most of Hillsboro, along with North Plains, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Banks, Gaston and several rural communities.

The candidates

Callaway, an educator by trade who worked as a teacher, principal and vice principal, held the Hillsboro mayor's office from 2017 to 2025, according to the Banks Post. His campaign lists affordability and housing, transportation, public safety and environmental stewardship among its priorities, according to Ballotpedia. The Washington County Chamber PAC endorsed Callaway for the seat.

Sinclair was elected to the Hillsboro City Council in 2022 and is not seeking reelection to her Ward 2 seat, according to the Hillsboro News-Times. Two candidates, Karim Delgado and Ivette Pantoja, are running for the council seat she is leaving.

Sinclair has made data center growth a central campaign issue. She championed the Hillsboro City Council's unanimous vote on July 27 to enact a 120-day moratorium on new data center applications, as the Hillsboro Herald reported. In a July 29 interview with the Herald, Sinclair contrasted the county's agricultural roots with its rapid tech growth: "Hillsboro and Washington County used to be known for our agricultural system. Now in the era of AI… it's data centers."

After the moratorium vote on July 27, Sinclair told the Hillsboro Herald that the upcoming election cycle would shape Hillsboro and Washington County "for generations to come."

County chair race also headed to runoff

District 4 is not the only contested county seat. County Chair Kathryn Harrington did not seek reelection. Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece advanced to a separate November runoff for that position, the Beaverton Valley Times reported. Fai led with 39.1% and Treece followed at 33.1%.

Ballots arrive in mailboxes Wednesday, Oct. 14. Voters can track registration and drop-off locations through the Washington County Elections Office.