Washington County · September 15, 2026 · Supportive Oregonians
Featured image: illustrative stock photograph of a microphone in an empty conference hall. Photo by Borta/Pexels. The photograph does not depict the Washington County meeting.
Kathryn Harrington Apologizes for Middle-Finger Gesture at Nafisa Fai
Washington County, Oregon, Chair Kathryn Harrington apologized on September 15, 2026, after directing a middle-finger gesture toward Commissioner Nafisa Fai during a public work session. Commissioner Pam Treece, who is running against Fai for chair, said she would remove Harrington’s endorsement from her website and return a campaign contribution. KGW reported the incident and the officials’ responses.
Kathryn Harrington and Nafisa Fai: meeting video and timestamps
The recording below is Washington County’s September 15 morning roundtable, Part 1. Playback begins at 21:50 to include the discussion and seating movements before the gesture. The original recording remains available in full.
Video: Washington County, Oregon. Open the full 33-minute recording on YouTube.
What both commissioners did
The exchange began before Harrington raised her middle finger. While addressing Commissioner Jason Snider, Harrington asked Fai to stop obstructing her sightline. Fai adjusted her seating position and subsequently moved again as the discussion continued. Harrington placed her hands on the table, pushed her chair back and then directed the middle-finger gesture toward Fai. Fai interrupted Snider to ask whether others had seen it. The discussion then resumed. The sequence is visible in the county recording and was documented by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
At approximately 22:29–22:31, Fai makes a brief hand gesture and moves her head while facing Harrington. That visible movement is part of the exchange. The recording alone does not establish what Fai intended to communicate or whether she meant to provoke Harrington. Readers can review the movement, the preceding sightline request and Harrington’s middle-finger gesture in the embedded recording.
In a statement reported by KGW, Harrington apologized to Fai, her fellow commissioners, county employees and the community. She described her response as “unprofessional” and her reaction as “very plainly not appropriate.” Fai said the conduct showed disrespect toward the people the commissioners represent. Treece called for an apology and said she would work with colleagues to consider further action. Read the reported statements.
Treece also said that disagreement between candidates should not prevent them from treating one another respectfully. Her statement announced the removal of Harrington’s endorsement and the return of her contribution. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Treece’s response.
Washington County, Oregon, chair race and endorsements
Harrington and Fai are Democrats, while the county chair race is nonpartisan. The county’s 2026 Democratic precinct committee candidate records list Harrington as a Democrat; OPB identifies Fai as a Democrat and explains the nonpartisan status of the chair position. County election record; OPB’s May 7 report.
Fai and Treece are the two candidates listed by the county elections office for the November 3, 2026 runoff for the at-large chair position. The official election page lists the contest and candidates.
Harrington’s current term as chair expires in December 2026. Fai represents District 1, with a current term ending in December 2028. Treece represents District 2, with a term ending in December 2026. Those offices and terms appear in the county’s directory.
The Washington County Democrats’ August 24 endorsement list names Fai for county chair. Harrington had backed Treece before Tuesday’s incident; Treece’s subsequent statement announced that she would remove that endorsement from her website. Party endorsement list; Treece’s response, reported by KGW.
Readers can find agendas, minutes and additional recordings through the Board of County Commissioners website.
Published by Supportive Oregonians. This report draws on the county’s recording, official election records, the party’s published endorsement list and linked local reporting. Sources checked September 15, 2026.