A six-term Central Oregon Coast County Commissioner passed away Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, due to worsening health conditions halting the recall election in Lincoln County against 66-year old Clair Hall. Hall, chair of the three-member Board in Newport, was accused of allegedly participating in chaotic meetings and clashes with other commissioners leading to her recall after 21-years on the Board. It was the county’s first recall effort of an elected official in 132-years. Clair, a transgender who came out in 2018, previously worked as a reporter for KNPT Radio in Newport as Bill Hall and was a graduate of Pacific University, Forest Grove. As a County Commissioner, Hall was a champion for the Homeless and an advocate for Affordable Housing.