Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty has endorsed former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway in the Washington County District 4 commissioner race. The endorsement strengthens Callaway's position against Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair in a runoff where the candidates diverge sharply on data center tax policy.

Callaway and Sinclair will face off in the Nov. 3 election for the seat being vacated by retiring Commissioner Jerry Willey. All Washington County voters will cast a ballot in the race, not just District 4 residents, because commissioners are elected at-large.

Beaty's endorsement, first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, places her alongside Willey, Commissioner Jason Snider, Commissioner-elect Felicita Monteblanco and Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace in backing Callaway.

Sinclair's endorsers include the Oregon Working Families Party, the Service Employees International Union of Oregon, Washington County Democrats and fellow Hillsboro City Councilor Olivia Alcaire.

Data centers split the race

The two candidates offer different approaches to data center growth in Washington County, which has become the focal point of Oregon's debate over the industry's tax breaks and environmental footprint.

Sinclair has pledged to push for an independent audit of the Hillsboro Enterprise Zone Program and to renegotiate the county's intergovernmental agreement with Hillsboro to eliminate data center tax breaks. In an Oct. 1 Valley Times Q&A, Sinclair said she was the first elected official in the county to call for a data center moratorium. She also said she joined a lawsuit against Hillsboro and Washington County over the approvals and helped pass a 120-day halt on new developments in Hillsboro.

Callaway, who served as Hillsboro mayor from 2016 through 2024, told The Oregonian he saw both the economic value data centers can bring and the questions their growth raises. In a Sept. 25 interview with OPB, he said, "We need to come up with incentives that address data centers … And we need to make sure that resources are protected."

A county staff analysis found few opportunities for large-scale data centers in unincorporated Washington County, where the county holds direct land-use authority.

Money and momentum

Campaign finance records show a wide fundraising gap. Callaway had raised $112,562 as of Sept. 30, with sizable donations from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce's political arm, the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors PAC and the Hillsboro Professional Fire Fighters PAC.

Sinclair had raised $20,737, with support from the Democratic Party of Oregon, Commissioner Nafisa Fai and state senate candidate Myrna Muñoz.

Callaway led the six-candidate May 19 primary with 32.9% of the vote. Sinclair finished second at 21.4%.

What's next

The League of Women Voters of Oregon is hosting a candidate forum at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Charles D. Cameron Public Services Building, 155 N. First Ave., Hillsboro. The forum will also cover the county chair race.

Ballots go out Wednesday, Oct. 14. The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 13.