Election Roundup: Candidate forums ahead of May 19 primary

With the May 19 primary election now less than six weeks away, a series of candidate forums in Forest Grove will give voters in western Washington County the chance to hear directly from those on the ballot.

There are more than a dozen races on the May 19 primary ballot in western Washington County, from county commissioner to state legislature to Metro Council. As a one-person newsroom, we cannot provide the kind of wall-to-wall coverage that a larger outlet might. What we can do is keep you informed about what is crossing our desk each week: candidate forums, campaign activity, endorsements and other developments. This is that roundup. Please bear with us as we refine the format over the next couple of weeks.

Three candidate forums in Forest Grove

Indivisible Forest Grove is hosting a series of three candidate forums on Wednesdays, April 15, 22 and 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way, Forest Grove , according to a flyer provided by forum organizers Kristin Ludwig and Kathe Welch. Dr. Don Schweitzer of Pacific University will moderate, Ludwig said in an email.

Candidates listed on the forum flyer include:

House District 29: Susan McLain, Mark Watson (April 15)

Senate District 15: Nelly Donis-Purcell, Harold Hutchison, Myrna Munoz, Janeen Sollman (April 15)

Washington County Commission District 4: Steve Callaway, Kimberly Culbertson, Ayla Hofler, Anthony Martin, Paul Schaefer, Kipperlyn Sinclair (April 22)

Washington County Commission Chair: Nafisa Fai, Jenny Kamprath, Pam Treece (April 22)

Metro Council District 4: Miles Palacios, Alex Phan (April 29)

Metro Council President: Bruce Broussard, Chris Christensen, Philip Fensterer, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Ken Ross (April 29)

This newspaper did not confirm if each candidate would attend.

County candidate forum in Hillsboro

A separate forum focused on Washington County commissioner races is set for Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Washington County Public Services Building Auditorium in Hillsboro, with an option to attend via Zoom. The forum, hosted as part of the All CPO Community Meeting and moderated by the League of Women Voters , will feature candidates for Commissioner At-Large and District 4, according to an April 3 announcement from the Washington County Office of Access and Opportunity. Spanish and sign language interpretation will be available. Questions can be submitted in advance to oao@washingtoncountyor.gov.

County Commission District 4: Six candidates on the ballot

Six candidates have filed for the Washington County Commissioner District 4 seat, according to the Washington County Elections Division: Steve Callaway, Kimberly Culbertson, Ayla Hofler, Anthony Martin, Paul Schaefer and Kipperlyn Sinclair.

Ayla Hofler, who is running for the District 4 seat, has scheduled a series of meet-and-greet events across the district, according to an itinerary she provided. Upcoming events through April 17 include:

April 10 -- North Plains, Hitchin' Post, 5-8 p.m.

April 11 – Forest Grove, Dauntless Winery Tasting Room downtown, 3-6 p.m.

April 12 – Forest Grove, Centro Cultural, 3-6 p.m.

April 17 -- Banks, Stelly's Deli, 6-8 p.m.

Additional events are scheduled through May 9 across the district. Watch this roundup for more dates for more candidate events.

Upcoming election dates

April 15, 22, 29 – Indivisible FG Candidate Forums, 6-8 p.m., United Church of Christ, Forest Grove

April 20 – Out-of-state ballots mailed

April 24 – All CPO/LWV Candidate Forum, 6 p.m., Hillsboro

April 28 – Last day to register or change party affiliation

April 29 – Ballots mailed to all registered voters

May 19 – Primary Election Day

This is a recurring feature. News in the Grove tracks endorsements, campaign events, candidate forums and other election developments through the May 19 primary. Have a tip? Email chas@newsinthegrove.com.