Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon's hottest U.S. district

Editor's note: For the 2024 election, OPB has been diligently tracking local elections, providing comprehensive coverage of campaigns and measures. See the results of the presidential race, key congressional battles and other results on OPB's elections page.

Janelle Bynum, center, delivers an acceptance speech at her campaign headquarters in Clackamas, Ore., after winning the race to represent Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, Nov. 8, 2024.

Anna Lück / OPB

Janelle Bynum, an Oregon lawmaker from Happy Valley, declared victory in the race for Oregon's 5th Congressional District.

I am beyond honored that my neighbors chose me to be the next congresswoman for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, Bynum said in a statement Friday after The Oregonian/OregonLive called the race for her. My work has always been a love letter to the children of Oregon. I ran for office to make their futures better, and that's exactly what I will do in Washington for their education, for their reproductive freedoms, for their job opportunities and so much more.

If the results hold, Bynum would become Oregon's first black member of Congress, flipping the district in one of the nation's highest-profile elections and helping Democrats maintain their increasingly slim hope of controlling the U.S. House of Representatives next year.

As of Friday morning, Bynum defeated Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer with about 48% of the vote, compared to the incumbent's 45%. She was in the lead with 8,575 votes.

Bynum's lead comes as the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives remains in play, with a handful of races yet to be decided in this year's elections. But the race would be a significant victory for the Democratic Party nationally as it recovers from losing control of the White House and U.S. Senate this week. And it would continue a trend this election cycle: The Pacific Northwest has been a rare sign of life for the Democratic Party, with statewide candidate victories in Oregon and Washington and another big race in the House, Washington's 3rd Congressional District, won by incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp. Perez.

At a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Clackamas Friday afternoon, a handful of Bynums' supporters hugged, applauded and gathered around Bynum.

It's not lost on me that I'm a generation away from segregation, Bynum said. It is not lost on me to write the story. And I'm proud to be the first, but not the last, black member of Congress from Oregon.

WATCH: Janelle Bynum Delivers Her Acceptance Speech at Clackamas

This would be the third time Bynum has beaten Chavez-DeRemer in political races, having previously beaten her twice in Oregon House races. When asked if Chavez-DeRemer had conceded, Bynum responded: She didn't do it in 2016. She didn't do it in 2018. And I haven't heard from her in 2024.

The Chavez-DeRemers campaign did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Bynums' supporters described his victory as a beacon of hope in an otherwise dark week for Democrats across America.

“When I found out Janelle Bynum won, it was a ray of sunshine in a very dark time,” said volunteer Jordan Hiller.

And they called his victory a milestone in Oregon, a state with a long history of what they describe as systemic racism.

Oregon's story is fairly recent and pretty terrible, said Marcia Schneider, a Democratic Party activist in Multnomah County. And the fact that we can achieve this shows progress, and that's really good.

The race attracted millions of dollars in campaign contributions and this year became the 11th most expensive congressional campaign in the country with more than $26 million in outside spending, according to the nonprofit Open Secrets, which tracks outside spending in political races.

Oregon's 5th Congressional District, which stretches from suburban Portland south to Albany and east to Bend, was held for seven terms by Democrat Kurt Schrader, and Speaker Joe Biden won here in 2020. Two years ago, Chavez-DeRemer flipped the seat for Republicans, winning by just two percentage points.

Bynum is a mother of four who worked as an engineer and owned four McDonald's restaurants. She served in the Legislature as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, helping pass a police reform package and a bill to boost the local semi industry. -drivers.

In Congress, Bynum said she would push for many of the Democratic Party's policies nationally, enacting stricter gun laws, reducing housing and drug costs, and seeking to slow down climate change.

State Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat from Clackamas County, won the 5th Congressional District seat.

Courtesy of

Bynum ran with the support of most of Oregon's top Democrats, including Gov. Tina Kotek, as well as powerful political groups like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the national campaign area for Democrats in Bedroom.

She trailed Chavez-DeRemer, with more than $5.8 million in total contributions, much of which came in the final months of the race. Bynum spent much of her campaign seeking to tie the outgoing president to President-elect Donald Trump, whom she supported, and the slide in abortion rights across the country.

The 5th Congressional District is a true swing seat that spans Oregon's urban, suburban, and rural communities. In unofficial results, Bynum was winning in Clackamas, Deschutes and Multnomah counties, and Chavez-DeRemer was leading in Marion and Linn counties.

The work is far from done, Bynum said. It's time the Oregon Five were represented by a true member of their community, someone who shows up when they're needed and stands up for them even when the issues are tough.

Votes are still being counted in a number of swing districts elsewhere in the country that could decide which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Janelle Bynum is currently an Oregon lawmaker. OPB regrets this error.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos