While elections nationwide saw a shift towards conservative candidates, the House of Representatives seat in Oregon’s District 5 flipped to be Democrat. Janelle Bynum won the seat by 2.4% in a highly contested race against one term Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-Deremer.
Bynum will finish her fourth term as State House Representative for Happy Valley and North Clackamas before transitioning into Congress. She marketed herself as a “common sense, pragmatic leader” who would look to work across the aisle according to her campaign. Her campaign focused on issues like housing affordability, climate change, and the cost of health care.
Chavez-Deremer’s campaign ran similar messaging, calling her “one of the most bipartisan members” of Congress. Chavez-Deremer endorsed President-elect Donald Trump last March in his campaign for presidency.
District 5, which includes counties like Clackamas and Multnomah as well as Linn and Marion, is unique in Oregon. It combines the Portland metropolitan area which traditionally leans towards Democratic candidates with the growing Bend region and rural areas that have voted Republican in the past.
LHS falls into Clackamas County, where Bynum won by a 6% margin. In LHS’s mock election Bynum won with a higher margin of 62.4%.
The race was heavily funded with Bynum raising $3.4 million from June 1 to Sept. 30. It was the eleventh most costly in the US House’s history with candidates garnering a combined total of $25 million from outside groups, according to Open Secrets, a site that tracks the cost of elections. The race became key for both Democrats and Republicans who looked to flip or maintain control of the House.
Bynum declared victory on Nov. 8, six days before the race was called by the Associated Press. Chavez-Deremer then conceded the race on Nov. 14.
Bynum will become the first Black member of Congress from Oregon when she takes office in January.