Washington County voters will decide two open commissioner seats this fall after no candidate won a majority in the May 19 primary.

County Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece will face off for the county chair position. In the District 4 race, Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway will run against Hillsboro City Council Member Kipperlyn Sinclair. Ballots mail Oct. 14 for the Nov. 3 election, Valley Times News reported.

The county chair leads Washington County's five-member Board of Commissioners and represents the entire county, including Tigard and Tualatin. Chair Kathryn Harrington did not seek reelection.

Fai, Treece Advance From Crowded Chair Field

Fai, the District 1 commissioner, topped the primary field with 39.1% of the vote. Treece, the District 2 commissioner, followed with 33.1%.

Candidates Split Over Data Center Oversight

The two have staked out different approaches to data centers, one of the biggest policy debates in Washington County this year. Fai pushed the board to pause data center development until the county could set standards, saying in an Aug. 24 press release that local governments need time and information to make responsible, long-term decisions about data center growth. Treece took a narrower view at an Aug. 25 board meeting, saying the county's role is limited to taxation and assessment and that residents with data center concerns should be directed to the cities where those facilities are located. Treece later announced she would join Fai's data center workgroup, according to OregonLive.

Board Rejects Moratorium After Parcel Review

The board decided Sept. 2 not to adopt a moratorium after county staff found only eight parcels in unincorporated Washington County that met data center criteria. All were already developed. Tigard directed staff to stand down on a moratorium for similar reasons.

Callaway, Sinclair Vie for Open District 4 Seat

In the District 4 race, Callaway led a six-candidate field with 32.9%. Sinclair received 21.4%. District 4 covers western Washington County, including most of Hillsboro, North Plains, Cornelius and Forest Grove. Commissioner Jerry Willey, who announced plans to retire, is vacating the seat.

Sinclair Makes Data Centers a Campaign Focus

Sinclair has made data centers a central campaign issue. After the Hillsboro City Council passed a 120-day data center moratorium on July 27, she called the pause "critical to protect our water, our power grid, and our air quality before irreversible damage is done," according to the Hillsboro Herald.

No on-record statements from Callaway about the District 4 commissioner race were available in public records as of publication.