Mitchell Kelly Holds Lead in Clark County Auditor Race

Mitchell Kelly leads Eileen Quiring O'Brien in the race for Clark County auditor, according to early Tuesday returns.

As of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Kelly had more than 56% of the vote. Quiring O'Brien held 43%. County officials plan to update the results again on Wednesday.

The contest gained attention after Greg Kimsey stepped down from the role following nearly 30 years of service. The auditor oversees local elections, audits county agencies, and issues marriage licenses. In Clark County, the office also manages elections for the 3rd Congressional District and parts of the 17th and 18th Legislative Districts.

Kelly, a financial reporting manager in the auditor's office, described the early numbers as very encouraging when reached by phone. He noted that supporters wanted professional leadership in the office. He told OPB that he is humbled and grateful to the people who supported him.

Quiring O'Brien, a former Clark County Councilor and Oregon state lawmaker, did not respond to a request for comment about the initial results.

Both candidates campaigned on boosting confidence in the office amid allegations of non-citizen voting and worries about USPS mail processing delays. Kelly proposed a mostly business-as-usual approach. He said he hopes to improve communication between the auditor's office and the public so residents better understand the election process.

Quiring O'Brien promised to reform the office. She pledged to lead an outside audit and clean the county's voter rolls to remove excess voters who had moved or died. She also regularly tried to discredit Kelly and Kimsey in a series of YouTube videos.