Kelly D. Lemarr, the chief family law judge at Washington County Circuit Court, is on the Nov. 3 Oregon general election ballot. She is certified for Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Position 5, according to BallotReady election data. The race is nonpartisan.
In her 2020 Oregon State Bar Judicial Voters Guide response, Lemarr said she ran for judge because Washington County needed more judges with a family law background and a judiciary more reflective of the community it serves. She noted that at the time only four of fifteen judges in Washington County were women and only two had a family law background.
Candidate information
- Name: Kelly D. Lemarr
- Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, District 20, Position 5
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, George Fox College (1999), according to BallotReady profile data; juris doctor and Certificate of Dispute Resolution, Willamette University College of Law (2003), according to her Judicial Voters Guide response
- Bar admission: Oregon State Bar, 2003, according to her Judicial Voters Guide response
Experience and public service
Lemarr serves as chief family law judge at Washington County Circuit Court, according to BallotReady profile data. She has also served as co-chair of the Washington County Local Family Law Advisory Committee, according to her written testimony on HB 3180 before the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
Before joining the bench, Lemarr said she worked as an attorney and later branch manager at St. Andrew Legal Clinic between 2004 and 2008. She also said she worked as an associate attorney at David Owens & Associates from 2006 to 2008, according to her Judicial Voters Guide response. She said she began serving as a pro tem judge at Washington County Circuit Court in June 2018.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Lemarr said a judge must have substantive knowledge and reasoning to render appropriate decisions, a commitment to procedural fairness, transparency in decision making and respect for self-represented litigants. She said she believes the justice system must continually look for ways to improve access to justice for all Oregonians, according to her Judicial Voters Guide response.
Access to justice: Lemarr said she would seek to improve the experience of low-income and self-represented parties. She said her priorities include improving and expanding self-help legal forms, supporting pro bono efforts for limited-service representation and developing more training for court staff and judges, according to her Judicial Voters Guide response.
Courthouse funding: Lemarr submitted written testimony in support of HB 3180, which requested $1.25 million in state matching funds for the courthouse replacement project in Washington County. She cited overcrowding, lack of space for families and self-represented litigants and the need for a seismically sound facility, according to her testimony before the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
The Tigard Today candidate questionnaire was sent to Kelly Lemarr's campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 12, 2026. The policy positions below are drawn from her public campaign website and public records.
