A Republican incumbent and a Democratic challenger vying for a congressional seat in Oregon are each seeking to appeal to moderates and independent voters as the most centrist candidate.
Oregon favors Democrats overall. The state hasn’t had a Republican senator since 2009, and it has supported the Democratic candidate for president every year since it backed former President Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, the state’s 5th Congressional District, just south of Portland, is more competitive.
The area leans left, as President Joe Biden won the district by 8 points in 2020. However, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) won the seat during the 2022 midterm elections against Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who was perceived as too left-leaning as the state grappled with how leaders handled the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout.
Chavez-DeRemer’s seat is crucial for Republicans to maintain their majority. Democrats only need to flip four seats to win back control from Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) handpicked Janelle Bynum, a Democratic state representative, to run on the Democratic ticket and try to dislodge Chavez-DeRemer.
So far, nearly $12 million has been spent on advertising for both Bynum and Chavez-DeRemer.
“We could not afford to lose that seat again,” Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), who serves as finance chairman for the New Democrat Coalition’s Action Fund, told the Washington Post.
In this district, the largest bloc of registered voters is those unaffiliated with any party.
Chavez-DeRemer has highlighted that she’s been focused on matters that affect everyone. She’s made strides to improve labor and education standards and crack down on the drug trade. Chavez-DeRemer co-sponsored a bill signed into law that imposes sanctions on criminals who trade fentanyl.
However, she’s also sided with Republicans on votes such as banning federal funds from covering a service for a woman’s abortion if she crossed state lines. Abortion is a major concern this election cycle that Republicans have struggled to find a strong message on since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
“I’m never pro-choice enough for the left,” she said. “I’m never pro-life enough for the right. [I’m] where most Americans are. They have said they want access. I will not break that promise, and I will protect their access to abortion.”
Chavez-DeRemer said she is not in support of a federal abortion ban, and she has played a part in limiting Republicans from introducing abortion ban legislation.
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Bynum also opposed a national abortion ban and is seeking to paint Chavez-DeRemer as someone who puts “MAGA extremism” over Oregonians. Bynum touted her role in passing bipartisan legislation, such as the Oregon CHIPS Act, and going against Democrats in Measure 110, which decriminalized the possession of hard drugs, such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
“I’ll work with anyone – Democrat, Republican, or Independent – to stand up for Oregon,” Bynum told OPB.
