Washington County voters will decide two commission races on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with data center expansion in the Silicon Forest splitting candidates along progressive and moderate lines.

Commissioner Nafisa Fai and Commissioner Pam Treece are competing for commission chair. Former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway and current Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair are running for the District 4 seat. All four advanced from a May primary, OPB reported. Both District 4 candidates are Hillsboro insiders, and the data center debate centers on the city's Silicon Forest corridor.

The races come amid what OPB described as an affordability crisis and backlash over data center growth in the county.

Chair race: Fai vs. Treece

Fai, a District 1 commissioner first elected in 2020, proposed in August that the county temporarily pause new data center permitting. The commission did not adopt her moratorium. But commissioners adopted a resolution the week of Oct. 27 acknowledging community concerns and supporting moratoriums under consideration by cities like Hillsboro, according to OPB.

Treece, the District 2 commissioner first elected in 2018, told OPB she believes the county does not need to continue building data centers. At an earlier board meeting, Treece said the county's role on data centers is limited to assessment and taxation, according to a report in the Hillsboro Herald.

In the May primary, Fai finished with 39% of the vote to Treece's 33%.

Fai has the backing of the Washington County Democratic Party, public employees unions, the Jane Fonda Climate PAC and former Gov. John Kitzhaber, OPB reported. As of Oct. 27, her campaign had raised just over $182,000 since the May primary. Her largest contribution was $25,000 from AFSCME.

Treece has endorsements from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, local firefighters and police unions, several county mayors, and Washington County's other two commissioners. She raised over $275,000 since the May primary as of Oct. 27. Her biggest contributors include Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle at $40,000 and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce at $25,000.

The chair seat opened after Kathryn Harrington resigned. Harrington made an obscene gesture at Fai during a public meeting in September, OPB reported. Treece returned Harrington's $10,000 donation and rejected her endorsement after the incident.

District 4: Callaway vs. Sinclair

District 4 covers much of Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Cornelius, North Plains and Banks. The seat is being vacated by Jerry Willey, who announced plans to retire in 2025.

Callaway served 14 years on the Hillsboro City Council as councilor and mayor and previously worked as a school administrator. He took what The Oregonian described as a more neutral stance on data centers.

Sinclair, who founded the nonprofit Eat Drink Washington County, was elected to the Hillsboro City Council in 2022. She listed stemming data center expansion and protecting local farmland among her top priorities, according to The Oregonian. She told the Hillsboro News Times she was the first elected official in Washington County to call for a data center moratorium.

In May, Callaway led the six-candidate field with about 33% of the vote. Sinclair received about 21%.

The fundraising gap is wide. As of Oct. 27, Callaway's campaign had raised $94,000 since the May primary, according to OPB. Sinclair raised $14,000 in the same period. Asked about the disparity, Sinclair said her campaign is entirely "grassroots," OPB reported.

All candidates in both races appear on every Washington County ballot. Ballots were mailed Oct. 14.