Commissioner Pam Treece leads Commissioner Nafisa Fai by 1,864 votes in the race for Washington County Commission chair, with the outcome still uncertain.

As of Nov. 6 results, Treece held 50% of the vote to Fai's 49.1%, The Oregonian reported. Roughly 23,600 ballots remained to be counted. The Oregonian's analysis found Fai would need about 54% of remaining votes to overtake Treece, a margin Fai had not reached in any ballot update since election night.

The next results update is scheduled for Nov. 13, according to the Washington County Elections Office. Certified final results are due Nov. 30.

Neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded. In statements reported by The Oregonian, both struck a wait-and-see tone. Treece called it "a long campaign" and said she was "humbled by the support." Fai thanked volunteers and said the final results were not yet known.

The winner will chair the five-member Board of Commissioners, which oversees the county's $2 billion budget, according to The Oregonian. The position pays $149,777 a year.

What's at stake for Beaverton

Both candidates represent districts that include parts of Beaverton. Fai has served as District 1 commissioner since January 2021, covering Aloha, Beaverton, Cooper Mountain, Garden Home and nearby areas, according to News in the Grove. Treece has served as District 2 commissioner since January 2019, representing Bethany, Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Helvetia, Rock Creek and parts of Beaverton and Hillsboro.

The race to replace former Chair Kathryn Harrington drew heavy spending and sharp contrasts. Treece raised $612,476 and Fai raised $548,725, The Oregonian reported. Treece's donors included Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle and Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Fai's biggest backers included AFSCME Council 75 and SEIU Local 49.

A turbulent campaign

The contest played out against months of turmoil at the county. Harrington resigned effective Oct. 2 after making an obscene gesture toward Fai during a public meeting in September, OPB reported. Vice Chair Jerry Willey has presided over board meetings since.

Treece returned a $10,000 donation from Harrington and removed Harrington's endorsement from her campaign website after the incident, The Oregonian reported.

The race also tested progressive strength in Washington County. OPB reported that Fai aligned with a coalition of left-leaning candidates, while Treece ran with the backing of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, local firefighters and police unions, and several county mayors.

On policy, both candidates said the county does not need more data centers, according to News in the Grove. Fai called for a pause on data center development. Treece wrote that she supports "pursuing a legally appropriate moratorium on new development where the county has authority."

Voter turnout in Washington County topped 66% as of Nov. 5, with 271,723 of 410,619 registered voters returning ballots, according to county turnout data.

The elections office will release its next update at 4 p.m. Nov. 13, with additional updates scheduled through Nov. 27. Residents can view results on the county elections website.