Oregon’s Democratic state representative, Janelle Bynum, has declared victory in the 5th Congressional District, making history as the first Black congresswoman from a state that once barred Black residents from living within its borders when it joined the Union. Projections on Friday morning indicated that Bynum would secure the win based on an analysis of the remaining votes.
As she addressed her supporters at her campaign headquarters on Friday afternoon, Bynum reflected on the historical significance of her victory. By midday, she held a lead of nearly 8,600 votes, outpacing Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer by 2.5 points. Chavez-DeRemer made history herself in 2022 as one of Oregon’s first Latina members of Congress. Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas has also declared victory in her reelection bid for the 6th Congressional District, though the Associated Press has not officially called that race. Salinas’ opponent, Republican Mike Erickson, stated on Wednesday that he is awaiting further vote counts before making a statement.
Chavez-DeRemer has not publicly addressed the race since Tuesday night, when she urged her supporters to be patient as the vote counting continues. Her campaign spokesperson did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Friday.
Bynum noted that she had not received any communication from Chavez-DeRemer, but this did not come as a surprise, given their previous encounters. Bynum had previously defeated Chavez-DeRemer in state House races in 2016 and 2018.
In addition to Bynum’s victory, Oregon voters overwhelmingly supported Vice President Kamala Harris, giving her a 13-point lead, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office. The state also reelected Democratic incumbent Val Hoyle in the 4th Congressional District. If Bynum’s and Salinas’ victories are confirmed, Oregon will have only one Republican representative in Congress, Cliff Bentz, who was reelected to a third term with a significant 31-point lead over Democrat Dan Ruby in the Republican-dominated 2nd Congressional District.
Before entering politics, Bynum worked as an engineer before relocating to Oregon, her husband’s home state, about 20 years ago. After struggling to find an engineering job following the dot-com bubble burst, she and her husband took over his mother’s McDonald’s franchise. Through her conversations with neighbors during her initial campaign for the state House in 2016, she discovered many shared similar challenges in Oregon.
The 5th Congressional District race has garnered significant attention, with candidates raising over $12 million by mid-October and additional millions spent by interest groups. Both national Democrats and Republicans viewed this race as critical in determining control of the House, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee placing Bynum in its competitive “Red to Blue” program to support her in the primary.
