![\"Claire](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/XH7N5OR5KRF3FC6C6T6FHMVG2Y.jpg\")
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Claire Hall, as seen in this 2024 photo, served on the Lincoln County board of commissioners for 21 years. She died suddenly Sunday in Portland from health complications.<\/p>\n
Quinton Smith \/ Lincoln Chronicle<\/p>\n
Longtime Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall died late Sunday in a Portland hospital amid worsening health conditions and a contentious recall election. She was 66.<\/p>\n
Hall\u2019s death comes the week of a historic recall election \u2013 the first time in the county\u2019s 132-year history that voters are being asked if a commissioner should be recalled from office.<\/p>\n
With her death, the recall election underway is void.<\/p>\n
Hall fell in her office in September, fracturing her hip, shoulder and several ribs. She was later hospitalized in Corvallis with further health issues and then complications from surgery.<\/p>\n
Although she had only recently begun attending commission meetings remotely, in the last weeks of her life she assured constituents that despite her health issues she was ready to fight the recall and had the strength to attend to county business.<\/p>\n
Hall served as county commissioner for 21 years building a reputation as an advocate for unhoused people and affordable housing, and was popular with progressives. She also publicly came out as transgender in 2018 while holding office.<\/p>\n
But over the past 15 months her leadership as commission chair were fraught with division, increasingly chaotic meetings and clashes between commissioners, the county counsel and some department heads which energized a recall effort.<\/p>\n
Hall was scheduled to hold an online town hall meeting Saturday, but organizers announced that morning that it was canceled because Hall had a stomach flu.<\/p>\n
Now the Jan. 9 recall is basically void, county Clerk Amy Southwell told the Lincoln Chronicle. Ballot collection boxes around the county will be locked Monday, she said. After getting in touch with the Secretary of State\u2019s office, Southwell said she is still identifying procedurally if the ballots that have already been cast need to be counted.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of how anyone voted, this is a loss of life and that\u2019s saddening,\u201d Southwell said.<\/p>\n
Plans for a memorial service are pending.<\/p>\n
Reactions pour in<\/p>\n
Christine Jamison of Otter Rock, the petitioner leading the recall effort, told the Chronicle that she was saddened by Hall\u2019s death and \u201cpray for peace for her family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Elton of Gleneden Beach, who formed a separate political action committee and has spent more than $40,000 on advertising urging Hall\u2019s recall, also expressed his condolences.<\/p>\n
\u201cHall was a ferocious fighter for the homeless, for warming shelters and helping the downtrodden, the little guy struggling to survive,\u201d Elton said. \u201cNobody worked harder than Hall on affordable housing. I am shocked and saddened by this death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eliot Sekuler of Gleneden Beach, who had advocated with Lincoln County Democrats to keep Hall in office and worked on her campaign, said the commissioner will be remembered for her courage, service and skill.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer unwavering progressive values and the experience she brought to her role as a public servant were invaluable to our county\u2019s government and her dedication to helping others, including our most marginalized neighbors was extraordinary,\u201d Sekuler said. \u201cClaire Hall\u2019s character, intelligence and courage will long serve as an example for leadership in local government and, on a personal level, she was unfailingly warm and considerate. It was an honor to know her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before becoming a commissioner, Hall had a career in journalism. She held a bachelor\u2019s degree in communications from Pacific University and a master\u2019s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She worked as a producer for the Portland school district\u2019s radio station then a reporter for Newport News Times, followed by 15 years for Newport radio stations.<\/p>\n
Hall left journalism in 2004 when she won a seat on the county commission. Over the last 21 years she has been an advocate for people facing homelessness, affordable housing issues, reining in short-term rentals, and healthcare. She served on local, state and national boards for homeless and housing issues, on the Governor\u2019s Council on Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Oregon Ending Homelessness Advisory Council.<\/p>\n
Hall was in her sixth, four-year term in office. In 2020, she campaigned for re-election for the first time after coming out as transgender and won that election by more than 2,800 votes.<\/p>\n
When she ran for re-election in 2024 she faced four challengers in the May primary and defeated Rick Beasley, a controversial newsman and registered Republican from Depoe Bay by just 115 votes, It was the closest commissioner race in decades.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the county announced Hall\u2019s death due to a \u201cbrief illness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire prioritized others before herself, led with kindness, and created countless services to improve the lives of community members. Her strength, grace, and compassion left an indelible mark on all who knew her,\u201d the statement said. \u201cShe will be deeply missed and forever remembered for the kindness she gave so freely, and the legacy she leaves in Lincoln County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Casey Miller, who had disagreed with Hall repeatedly the past year, released a statement expressing his sadness for her death.<\/p>\n
\u201cChair Claire Hall devoted many years of her life to public service in Lincoln County, and her work reflected a deep commitment to the community she served,\u201d Miller said. \u201cRegardless of differences that may arise in public life, the loss of a colleague and community member is a moment for reflection, compassion, and respect. My thoughts are with her family, loved ones, and all those who worked alongside her during her years of service to Lincoln County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Walter Chuck echoed a similar sentiment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very sad day for Lincoln County,\u201d Chuck said.<\/p>\n
The appointment process<\/p>\n
The county has an established procedure to fill commission vacancies \u2013 the most recent being last March when Hall and Miller voted to appoint Chuck to fill the vacancy created by Kaety Jacobson\u2019s resignation. Chuck\u2019s appointment was the first since 2012.<\/p>\n
Last year, once the county announced the procedure, it gave candidates two weeks to apply. The 26 people who applied were narrowed to four finalists, one of whom dropped out before Hall and Miller interviewed the remaining three.<\/p>\n
The only legal requirements to apply are that an office seeker have been a resident of the county for one year and be a registered voter. The commission positions are nonpartisan and considered full-time jobs with a salary starting at $94,000 a year, not including a full range of benefits.<\/p>\n
Shayla Escudero is a reporter for the Lincoln Chronicle<\/a>. This republished story is part of OPB\u2019s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit opb.org\/partnerships<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Claire Hall, as seen in this 2024 photo, served on the Lincoln County board of commissioners for 21…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":496366,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[50,134449,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-496365","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"category-us","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-oregon-coast","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115847933715828393","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/496366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}