Kipperlyn Sinclair seeks Washington County District 4 seat

Kipperlyn Sinclair, a Hillsboro City Councilor, is one of six candidates running for Washington County Commissioner, District 4.

Sinclair did not respond to a request for an interview; the following information is from her voters' pamphlet entry.

Background

Sinclair lists her occupation as founder and director of Eat Drink Washington County, which she describes as a "local food web supporting regenerative agriculture."

Her occupational background, according to her pamphlet statement, includes eight years of civic leadership on Hillsboro boards and commissions, work as a specialty food business owner and work as a food consultant. She did not list an educational background.

Sinclair lists her prior governmental experience as her current Hillsboro City Council seat, the presidency of the Hillsboro Transportation Committee and membership on the TriMet TV Highway Transit & Safety Policy/Budget Committee, a regional disaster preparedness organization, the Washington County Small Business Entrepreneurs Council, the Hillsboro Public Engagement Committee, the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Hillsboro and the Civic Leadership Academy.

Running for office

Sinclair's pamphlet statement is headlined "Elect a leader for people."

"Local government is about people, place, policy, and priorities," she wrote. "Home is our community's greatest investment."

She wrote that Washington County faces a $20.5 million deficit and that "working families shouldn't bear the burden." She criticized what she called "the political pipeline" for continuing "business-as-usual" in a way that sacrifices "prime farmland for corporate data centers" and raises utility rates.

"We need leaders for people, not corporate interests," she wrote.

"My commitment to constitutional human rights is absolute," Sinclair wrote. "I have defended community values from the Planning Commission to the City Council, and was the only City Councilor to testify against SB 1586 in Salem."

Sinclair listed three priorities.

On sprawl, she wrote that she would end data center tax breaks, halt expansion onto prime farmland and tax existing facilities "to reduce our deficit, protect the power grid, and lower utility costs." She called for corporations to "pay their fair share and fully fund schools."

On local investment, she wrote that she would activate Economic Improvement Districts along Main Streets and encourage transit-oriented affordable housing and mixed-use spaces "to keep investment local."

On the economy, Sinclair wrote that agriculture generates $7 billion annually in the county "yet food insecurity persists," and called for farm-to-market distribution hubs to support local farmers, expand fresh food access and build "a resilient supply chain."

Sinclair listed her campaign website as kipperlynsinclair.com.

Her pamphlet endorsers include state Sen. Khanh Pham, state Rep. Susan McLain, Hillsboro Councilors Olivia Alcaire and Cristian Salgado, Beaverton Councilor Nadia Hasan, North Plains Councilor Katie Reding, Barbie Minor of Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District and Nellie McMahan of Friends of Smart Growth, among others.

The May 19 election closes at 8 p.m. Find a ballot drop site, a voters' pamphlet, and more information on voting online.

Additional candidate interviews will be published as they become available