Janelle Bynum did it again. For the third time in her political career, she went head-to-head with Lori Chavez-DeRemer and walked away with the win. This wasn't just some local spat in a suburban neighborhood anymore, though. This was for a seat in the United States Congress, and the stakes were basically through the roof.
The Oregon 5th congressional district 2024 race was one of those "make or break" battles that determined the vibe of the House of Representatives. Honestly, everyone was watching this one. Why? Because the 5th is a weird, beautiful mess of a district. It stretches from the hipster-adjacent suburbs of Portland, winds through the agricultural heart of the Willamette Valley, and then hops over the Cascades into the high desert of Bend. It's a "purple" district in a state that people usually think of as a deep, permanent blue.
Why the Oregon 5th Congressional District 2024 Race Was Such a Mess
You've gotta understand the history here to see why this flip was a big deal. For years, Kurt Schrader—a moderate Democrat who basically lived in the "middle"—held this seat with a tight grip. Then came the 2022 redistricting. The lines changed, things got more competitive, and Schrader lost his primary to a more progressive challenger. That opened the door for Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer to swoop in and flip the seat red for the first time in decades.
Fast forward to 2024. The Democrats were desperate to get it back. They didn't just want anyone; they wanted someone who had a proven track record of beating Chavez-DeRemer. Janelle Bynum was the obvious choice. She'd beaten her in 2016. She'd beaten her in 2018. Both times were for state legislative seats in Clackamas County.
📖 Related: Why the tsunami 2004 indonesia video footage still haunts the internet decades later
It felt like a heavyweight trilogy fight. The money poured in—over $26 million in outside spending according to some estimates. If you lived in the district, you couldn't turn on a TV or open YouTube without seeing an attack ad.
The Candidates and the Clash of Vibes
Lori Chavez-DeRemer tried to play the "common sense moderate" card. She focused heavily on the economy and public safety. Her team kept pointing at Bynum’s legislative record, trying to paint her as soft on crime. On the other side, Bynum went for the jugular on national issues. She leaned hard into abortion rights and tied Chavez-DeRemer to Donald Trump.
It was a classic "local vs. national" messaging war. Bynum, a mother of four and an engineer who owns a few McDonald's franchises, talked about being a regular Oregonian. Chavez-DeRemer, the former mayor of Happy Valley, tried to stick to the kitchen-table issues that usually win over undecided voters in the suburbs.
What Actually Happened on Election Night
The results didn't come in all at once. Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, and in a race this close, the "blue shift" is real. Early on, it looked like it could be a long night (or week).
By the time the dust settled, Bynum secured 191,365 votes, which was about 47.7%. Chavez-DeRemer trailed with 180,420 votes, or 45.0%. The rest of the votes were split between third-party candidates like Brett Smith (Independent), Sonja Feintech (Libertarian), and Andrea Townsend (Pacific Green).
- Janelle Bynum: 191,365 votes (47.7%)
- Lori Chavez-DeRemer: 180,420 votes (45.0%)
- Margin: 10,945 votes
It wasn't a landslide, but in a district this split, a nearly 3-point win is a clear statement. Bynum made history, too. She became Oregon's first Black member of Congress. She mentioned in her victory speech that she's only one generation removed from segregation. That’s heavy stuff for a state that has a pretty checkered history with racial exclusion.
The Clackamas Factor
Clackamas County was the kingmaker. It’s the biggest chunk of the district, and it’s been drifting leftward for a while. Bynum won Clackamas by about 6 percentage points. That basically mirrored the voter registration advantage Democrats have there.
Chavez-DeRemer did well in Marion and Linn counties—the more rural, conservative-leaning parts of the district. But you just can't win the 5th if you lose Clackamas and Deschutes (Bend) by those margins. Bend has become a massive engine for Democratic votes in recent years, and 2024 was no exception.
What This Means for You Now
If you live in the district or just care about West Coast politics, this flip changes the math in D.C. Even though Republicans kept control of the House, losing an incumbent like Chavez-DeRemer is a sting.
Bynum has promised to focus on things like:
- Lowering housing costs (which are insane in Oregon).
- Stricter gun laws.
- Protecting reproductive rights at the federal level.
- Curbing climate change impacts, especially wildfires that have gutted parts of the district like Santiam Canyon.
The "Santiam Canyon" factor is actually something most people outside the state miss. Those rural areas are still recovering from the 2020 fires. There’s a lot of distrust of the government there. Bynum is going to have to work incredibly hard to prove to those voters that a Democrat from the Portland suburbs actually cares about their timber towns.
Actionable Insights for Oregon Voters
The Oregon 5th congressional district 2024 election proved that "swing districts" are alive and well. If you want to stay engaged or see how this affects your daily life, here is what you should do:
- Track the 119th Congress: Watch how Bynum votes on agricultural subsidies and wildfire prevention. These are the lifeblood issues for the southern and eastern parts of the district.
- Check Local Town Halls: Bynum was known in the state house for being accessible. See if she maintains that in D.C. by attending her constituent meetings in places like Albany or Redmond.
- Watch the 2026 Map: This district will be a target again. National Republicans will likely pour money back into this seat in two years to try and "flip the flip."
- Verify Your Registration: If you moved to Bend or the Portland outskirts recently, ensure your registration is current via the Oregon Secretary of State website. Your vote clearly matters here more than in most "safe" districts.
The era of the "moderate middle" in Oregon's 5th is officially in a new chapter. Whether Bynum can hold the coalition of suburban moms and rural farmers together is the next big question.