The county is often described as politically competitive. The races pit longtime Commissioner Paul Savas against former commissioner Mark Shull for Position 2, and appointed Commissioner Diana Helm against Democratic challenger R.W. Smith for Position 4. All four advanced from the May primary.

Savas, a Republican first elected in 2010, is seeking another term after nearly 16 years on the commission. Shull, also a Republican, served one term after winning election in 2020, then lost his 2024 re-election bid to Democrat Melissa Fireside.

Campaign finance filings show a wide gap between the Position 2 candidates. As of Oct. 21, Savas had raised more than $105,000, while Shull had reported $1,870. Savas’ largest contributions included money from carpenters and electricians’ unions and Cherrydon MHP, a mobile-home park company. Shull’s largest listed contribution was $1,000 from the founder of a private security firm.

Savas, who owns an engine-tuning business, has said the county should encourage economic development and high-paying jobs while expanding essential services without raising taxes. He also wants to revisit the sheriff’s office levy after voters rejected its renewal and an increase in May. The levy covers about 17% of the office’s operating expenses, and the county plans to ask voters to approve a renewal next May, before the current funding expires in June.

Shull’s campaign platform calls for reducing regulations, keeping county government lean and prioritizing core services without tax increases. It also emphasizes public safety, homelessness and repealing Oregon’s sanctuary laws. Shortly after Shull took office in 2021, fellow commissioners called for his resignation after anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant social media posts from 2019 and 2020 resurfaced. Shull has challenged questions about the posts and asked for evidence of them; their content has been preserved in public reporting.

Position 4 incumbent Helm was appointed in early 2025 after Fireside resigned following her indictment on fraud charges. Helm, a former city councilor and mayor of Damascus, has endorsements from commissioners across the political spectrum, several county mayors and the union representing sheriff’s deputies. She had raised about $30,000 since the primary as of Oct. 21, including contributions from firefighters and sheriff’s deputies unions and Cherrydon.

Smith, a Milwaukie volunteer and former member of the county’s community action board and climate advisory committee, says he studied environmental science after working for oil-services company Halliburton. He is campaigning against data center development and has described its expansion as a “virus.” Smith said he had raised $727 by Oct. 21, below the $1,500 threshold that triggers campaign finance reporting. His endorsements include the county Democratic Party, Milwaukie officials, former county commissioners and the other candidates who ran in the May primary.

The commission unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated parts of the county on Oct. 22. Helm has said her earlier comments that the county “can and should have data centers” were taken out of context. She said she wanted the county to prepare for possible industry interest, while neither endorsing nor opposing the facilities outright.

Helm has said affordability is the county’s most pressing concern and pointed to efforts to speed up housing permits. Smith has also raised the cost of living and proposed tax incentives to encourage rural communities to grow more food locally. Helm has cited public safety as another voter concern and said the county is working on a sheriff’s levy renewal at a different rate from the measure voters rejected in May.