Kate Ristau holds a narrow lead in Tigard's eight-candidate City Council race, according to Oregon State Politics tracker data sourced from Washington County Elections.
Three seats are open. Ristau had 17.1% of the vote (10,173 votes), followed by Sue Garino at 16.9% (10,042) and Gabriel Elijio Velásquez at 16.0% (9,477), the tracker showed. Incumbent Tom Anderson had 12.8% (7,589) and John Goodhouse had 11.9% (7,046).
The order at the top has shifted since election night. The Valley Times reported Nov. 4 that Garino led with 17.5%, Ristau had 17.2% and Velásquez had 15.8%. The Valley Times also listed Yousef K. Allouzi at 13.8%, Anderson at 12.9%, Goodhouse at 11.9%, Jeff Darland at 7.8% and Shawne Martinez at 2.8%.
Oregon law allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to count if they arrive by Nov. 10, so totals will keep changing. Results are set to be certified by Nov. 30.
As we reported Nov. 5, all three front-runners said they are focused on what comes next if their leads hold.
Garino, an on-call program development specialist with the Tigard Police Department, spent 18 years as a property and evidence specialist for the department before her current role, according to her filing document. She wrote in an email to the Valley Times that she sees challenges ahead "particularly around affordability, fiscal responsibility and protecting our core services."
Ristau, executive director of Willamette Writers and a former Tigard Library Board chair, told the Valley Times she looks forward to "doing the homework, to engaging my fellow council members on hard choices and to shaping the budget."
Velásquez, 27, works as a clinic services specialist at Legacy Medical Group. A Tigard High School graduate, he chairs the Tigard Town Center Advisory Commission and has served on the Tigard Safe Streets Taskforce. He told the Valley Times he wants to focus on affordability, safety and economic mobility.
"It's truly humbling to see how many folks came together to support my campaign for city council," Velásquez said.
He said he believes he is tied for the youngest person elected to the Tigard City Council, noting that Councilor Jake Schlack was also 27 when elected in 2024. The two share the same birthday, Velásquez said.
Anderson, the lone incumbent in the race, was appointed to his seat in December and previously served on the council from 2017 through 2020, according to the Valley Times. Goodhouse, a former councilor from 2015 to 2022, owns Beach Hut Deli in Tigard.
Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 can still arrive through Nov. 10. Washington County Elections will certify final results by Nov. 30.
