Oregon's 5th District pits GOP incumbent, 2 Dem challengers
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The battle for Oregon's 5th Congressional District pits a Republican incumbent seeking re-election for the first time against two Democrats trying to take the seat back for their party.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer won in 2022, scoring a narrow victory over Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner. This time, McLeod-Skinner is back in the race and hoping to fend off a formidable challenger, Janelle Bynum, in the Democratic primary.
The 5th Congressional District includes Portland's southeast suburbs, most of Clackamas County, parts of Marion County, all of Linn County and the most populated section of Deschutes County, including Bend.
Chavez-DeRemer, formerly the mayor of Happy Valley, favors tougher border policies and calls Oregon a "border state" because of the fentanyl crisis. She supports full funding of law enforcement and, as a member of the House Transportation Committee, emphasizes more infrastructure and lower taxes. She also supports continued aid to Israel and in her public statements emphasizes bipartisanship.
"This district is a split district. The Democrats did have this seat for over 28 years. I believe I won this seat because people were frustrated with what was happening," she told KOIN 6 News. "We can't be one-sided in this divided country and this divided Congress. The only way to get good policy done is to work across the aisle."
But McLeod-Skinner said Chavez-DeRemer merely says all that but doesn't vote that way.
"When you look at her votes, they are not bipartisan. Her votes have been hurting Oregonians," McLeod-Skinner said. "And she's endorsed Trump. Donald Trump is trying to destroy our democracy."
In 2022, McLeod-Skinner knocked off longtime Democratic representative Kurt Schrader in the primary before losing to Chavez-DeRemer by 2 points in the general election.
She's run for statewide office several times, including Secretary of State. An attorney, engineer and natural resource consultant from Central Oregon, McLeod-Skinner is back with her progressive agenda: "A woman's right to reproductive care, contraception, the right to vote, the right to organize, there's also our environment. We're facing wildfire destruction in the Santiam Pass."
But she has a tough battle in the Democratic primary from State Rep. Janelle Bynum.
Bynum, who owns several area McDonald's with her husband, has already beaten Chavez-DeRemer twice in state legislative races in 2016 and 2018. She touts her accomplishments in Salem as qualifications for earning the right to represent Oregon's 5th District in Washington, DC.
"We all know that Washington is broken. Republican extremists have taken over, stoking culture wars and stalling our government processes," Bynum said. "I've just recently worked to pass one of Oregon's largest economic investments with the Oregon Chips Act. I helped pass police accountability bills. I made sure that we protect reproductive rights. I've done all of those things better than anyone else on the ballot and especially better than Lori Chavez-DeRemer could ever dream of doing."
Bynum has picked up significant Democrat support for the primary, including Gov. Tina Kotek and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"You know," McLeod-Skinner said,"some folks on the ground have put their thumb on the scale. But it comes down to voters in the district, and I've got a strong base of support throughout the district that's going to be the key for the primary and the general."
This race has garnered national attention because it could affect the balance of power in the House of Representatives. At this time, the GOP has a 6-vote edge in the House with at least two dozen competitive congressional races across the country.
But the incumbent is confident she can keep the 5th District in Republican hands.
"Nobody's going to outwork me," Chavez-DeRemer said. "We'll see who my opponent is after the primary."