Establishment-linked Democrat will defeat progressive rival in key House primary in Oregon, CNN projects

Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum will win the Democratic primary in the state’s 5th Congressional District, CNN projects, as establishment Democrats get their preferred candidate in a race that could help determine control of the US House.

Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum will win the Democratic primary in the state’s 5th Congressional District, CNN projects, as establishment Democrats get their preferred candidate in a race that could help determine control of the US House. With her victory over the more progressive Jamie McLeod Skinner, Bynum will take on Republican freshman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who was unopposed in her primary Tuesday. Many Oregon Democratic leaders and national groups rallied around Bynum’s House bid, seeing her as the stronger candidate to take on Chavez-DeRemer. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured more than $1 million into the race on Bynum’s behalf and named her to its “Red to Blue” list for strong recruits. The 5th District, which stretches south from the Portland suburbs to Bend, is a top Democratic target as one of 16 GOP-held seats that Joe Biden would have carried in 2020 under the current lines. Bynum, who runs four McDonalds franchises in the Portland area, is currently serving her fourth term in the Oregon House. She won her first two terms with victories over none other than Chavez-DeRemer. McLeod-Skinner, an attorney, was the 2022 Democratic nominee for the seat – she upset moderate Rep. Kurt Schrader in the primary before narrowly losing to Chavez-DeRemer in the general election. In this year’s race, she had the backing of progressive groups, including the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. In the final weeks of the campaign, she was also supported on air by a group called Health Equity Now, which touted her support for “Medicare for All.” The group has ties to Republican operatives.