Republican candidate Lori Chavez-DeRemer beat Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the election to represent Oregon’s 5th District, marking the first time since 1994 that a Republican was elected.
Prior to Tuesday night’s victory, Chavez-DeRemer had served as the mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, from 2010-2018, making her the city’s first woman and Latina elected mayor, according to her campaign site.
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The election between the two candidates was hotly contested leading up to Tuesday night, with Chavez-DeRemer winning 54 out of 100 simulated races, according to FiveThirtyEight. Roughly two weeks ahead of the election, however, the University of Virginia Center for Politics changed its rating for the race from “toss-up” to “leans Republican.” The change contrasted with its prediction made in June, when the university rated the race as “leans Democratic,” according to OregonLive.
Chavez-DeRemer and McLeod-Skinner had different approaches to winning the election, with Chavez-DeRemer having her campaign focus on issues such as immigration, drug smuggling at the border, and critical race theory. McLeod-Skinner, meanwhile, focused on issues such as abortion and climate change, with the latter issue, she said, having a major impact on the area around Santiam Pass in Oregon, according to OPB.
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Both candidates had been endorsed by a number of politicians and organizations, with notable endorsements from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for Chavez-DeRemer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for McLeod-Skinner.
