Twelve people arranged themselves in a row at the front of a room at Beaverton’s Elsie Stuhr Center last Wednesday evening to ask for the same thing – votes.

The 12 were candidates in six different municipal races on the May 19 ballot: the Board of Commissioners Chair for Washington County, seats on the Washington County board from Districts Two and Four, and three Beaverton City Council seats (Districts One, Two and Five.) They had come at the invitation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Jewish Community Relations Council to discuss matters of import to Portland’s Jewish Community in a forum moderated by the Federation’s Director of Educational Initiatives and Associate Director of Community Relations Rachel Nelson.

All three candidates seeking the Washington County Commission Chair position were on hand – current Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece along with Jenny Kamprath. When the candidates were asked about how they would address concerns about antisemitism, Fai spoke first.

“I lead by bringing people together, and I don’t confuse collaboration with inaction,” she said. “So, what you have is a commitment to make sure that our sheriff is involved, our law enforcement, our [district attorney], that anything that is a safety concern is taken seriously.”

“In the political world that we live in right now, the bounds for unacceptable behavior have just gone way too far. We know it, we see it, we feel it. Antisemitism, as you talked about, is on the rise,” Treece said. “It’s a very real thing, and we need to implement systems to combat that.”

“I’m a relationship builder, so I would want to reach out, find out what the problems are, how we can help, how we can facilitate that, not just for your community, but any community who feels unsafe,” Kamprath said. “I, personally, am on the right side of the aisle, and I know a lot of people in that same position that don’t feel safe, because if they speak out about anything, they get attacked. So, it comes in all forms, and I think it needs to end.”

Both candidates for Beaverton’s City Council Position Five – the incumbent, John Dugger, and his challenger, Antonio Pirog - were on hand for Wednesday’s forum.

“I’m the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected in this role in Beaverton, so I know what it’s like to receive threats. I’ve received them at my house on multiple occasions. I know their impact, and I strongly condemn bias and hate,” Duggar said on addressing antisemitism. “We’ve started and funded an equity office in Beaverton for the first time. That has to continue. We’ve stood up to the Trump Administration, the executive orders on [diversity, equity and inclusion]. We’ve won our lawsuits. Now that will continue.”

“Safe streets and secure communities require physical infrastructure, and that costs money. If our city’s checkbook fails, our safety net fails. We have to secure our financial foundation before we can guarantee public safety,” Pirog said.

Four of the six candidates for Washington County’s commissioner District Four, representing Hillsboro, Forest Grove and points west, were present. They also addressed the question of how to tackle growing antisemitism.

“One of my favorite sayings is you can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up,” Steve Callaway, the former mayor of Beaverton, said. “So, when we had our Jewish community open their Shabbat, I showed up. When they received their Torah, I was there. When we have our annual Menorah lighting, I’m there, and by being present, you hear what’s happening, you know what’s happening, you create relationships.”

“I’m a constitutionalist, and I find that the founding of this country is on Judeo-Christian principles, and when people don’t understand that anymore, we have chaos and we have no peace and we have no prosperity,” Ayla Hofler said. “I feel that one of the origins of all this antisemitic rhetoric is coming from our universities and our schools, and I think since the schools are a part of our county, they need to know that there’s a zero tolerance for this.”

“I think it’s really important that we address all forms of bias crimes, antisemitism, racism, bigotry, Islamophobia, transphobia. It’s very important, because these are all on the rise, and we need to stand up. I think the first thing we need to do is educate our community about the resources they have to be able to report,” Anthony Martin, the former Hillsboro City Council President, said. “I also think it’s really critical that the county reinvest in diversity, equity and inclusion, because that is an absolutely critical component of making sure that everyone feels welcome.”

“Our nation was founded on rule of law, our county, our country, have laws. Many of them are to keep people safe, families safe, and to that end, I think the primary role that I perceive as a board is to make sure the sheriff’s office is fully funded,” Paul Schafer said. “One of the things I would pride myself on is being able to listen to my constituents. I may not agree with them, they may not agree with me, but you need to have that communication and hear both sides, hear all sides.”

Kimberly Culbertson and Kipperlyn Sinclair, the other two candidates for District Four, did not attend.

“I have shown that I have a deep, deep commitment to racial equity as someone who grew up in a multiracial family,” Felicita Monteblanco, who is running to represent county commissioner District Two, which that includes North Beaverton, Rock Creek and Bethany, said on the subject. “The thing that comes up for me in this question is that the budget is our moral document and our reflection of our values as an entity, and so we need to make sure we have the resources to ensure we can fight back.”

Neither of her opponents for the seat, Stevan Kirkpatrick and Blayne Soleymani-Pearson, were present at the forum.

“This is a personal question for me because I have Jewish family members. I think the first thing is to listen to the community, Rachel Philip, seeking Beaverton City Council Position One, said of addressing antisemitism. “It’s listening to our community, doing work with groups like Jewish Federation, and then we go back to the city, to make sure that law enforcement knows what’s going on.”

Her opponents, Evelyn Cocher and Marvin Rydberg, did not attend.

Kevin Teater, a candidate for Beaverton City Council Position Two, said that “my goal as one of your local leaders is to be that grounding source of stability in our own communities, so that no matter what’s going on in the in the world or across the nation, that you will feel at home here, that you feel like you have leadership who cares, who is willing to listen, who is willing to take action to make sure you feel safe, that you feel like your families can thrive.”

His opponent, David Kearns, did not attend.

The candidates also addressed questions on the role of local elected officials in addressing global affairs as well as audience questions on schools, DEI and data centers.

“Hosting a candidate forum in Washington County felt important for this election. 20 percent of the Jewish community lives in the western suburbs, and elections are critical cornerstones of our democracy,” Nelson told The Jewish Review. “Hearing directly from candidates and knowing the ones who were invited and chose not to respond, is so important as we respond to anti-Jewish hate and bias in our community in addition to all the other concerns of being a Beaverton and Washington County constituent.”