With six weeks to go, the Oregonian Covers the County Clerk Contest

This year is different. Hall is facing Catherine McMullen, a Multnomah County elections specialist with a long list of endorsements and $125,000 raised so far, more than any of Hall’s opponents since at least 2010. McMullen is running a polished campaign in the county that’s a mix of suburban Portland and rural communities. ..

“Past attempts to unseat Sherry Hall were blamed on partisan antics, but her recent blunders were so dangerous, egregious and so poorly managed that at this point people realize, regardless of party affiliation, that you can either do the job or you can’t. And she can’t,” Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck, a Democrat, said in an email…

In an interview, McMullen said her experience makes her the right candidate to replace Hall…

McMullen says she’s mounting a targeted campaign to meet voters face-to-face and plans to debut digital ads and mailers. McMullen also enjoys the full support of local Democratic officials and funders, including the Clackamas County Democratic Party, which has contributed $8,500 through a committee so far. Jan Lee, the party chair, said McMullen is an “outstanding candidate.” McMullen has also raked in funding from local unions and more than $50,000 from the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors.

McMullen said voters know the county elections office has caused problems, including the May primary snafu, but they might not know which office Hall holds. A lack of interest among voters was apparent in 2018, when more than 52,000 voters who voted in other state and county races skipped marking the county clerk’s race altogether.