The Metro Council seat that covers much of northern Washington County is up for grabs on the May 17 ballot.

The District 4 seat is currently occupied by Juan Carlos González, who was first elected in 2018. González, seeking a second four-year term, is being challenged by local business owner James A. Ball.

González, who works as communications director for Centro Cultural de Washington County, has served previously on various government committees, including the Governor's Regional Solutions Advisory Committee and the Forest Grove Community Enhancement Program Committee.

Ball, owner of ProLift Garage Doors and a former financial analyst for Intel, is challenging González for the seat. His only prior governmental experience is as a Republican Party precinct committee person, though he ran previously for House District 36 in 2020, losing to Democrat Lisa Reynolds by a 66-point margin.

Both Ball and Reynolds lived in Portland at the time of their 2020 contest, and both have since relocated to Washington County.

Reynolds moved to Oak Hills after last year's redistricting to run for an open House seat in Washington County, rather than potentially face friend and colleague Rep. Maxine Dexter in a Democratic primary.

Ball moved to Hillsboro last year, enabling him to run for Metro Council District 4. He is familiar with the area, having previously worked at Intel.

González also lives in Hillsboro. He grew up and works in Cornelius.

Both Metro Council candidates stress their commitment to addressing the homelessness crisis and lack of affordable housing in the area, according to their Voters' Pamphlet statements. The Metro Council is responsible for disbursing the funds made possible through the 2018 affordable housing bond, as well as the homeless services bond approved in 2020.

Metro's District 4 comprises the communities of Bethany, Cornelius, Forest Grove and Hillsboro, plus parts of Beaverton and Aloha.

Each Metro councilor serves four-year terms.

Voters within the district will be able to cast their votes for this seat on the May 17 primary ballot. Whichever candidate receives a majority is elected to a full term beginning Jan. 7, 2023.