Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer campaigns in Bend as new poll shows close race with challenger Janelle Bynum

(Update: adding video, comment from Chavez-DeRemer, Bynum, CASA)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Rep. Lori Chavez DeRemer made two campaign stops in Bend on Wednesday, on the heels of a weekend visit by Democratic opponent Janelle Bynum, as a new poll found the closely watched race as close as ever.

Poll data from Noble Predictive Insights that included more than 400 voters in the survey found 43% backed the Democrat and 42% for the Republican, a gap well within the 4.8% margin of error.

The Republican incumbent met with local businesses and community leaders at the Bend Chamber to learn more about their priorities and the challenges they are facing.

"I think that we're on the precipice of finding some good policy," Chavez-DeRemer said. "But we have to continue these conversations with business owners and with employees, and what that looks like."

"Businesses are working hard to make sure that they can support their employees about where that child care can come from, how they can be a part of that equation to fund it," she added.

During her recent visit to Bend, Bynum says she met with community leaders, focusing on housing and Medicare.

"Housing - whether it's tiny homes, communities, transitioning people from, you know, rural areas where they're not able to access housing as well to full-time, long-term stable housing," Bynum told us Wednesday. "So we are on a mission to make sure that we are meeting voters where they're at."

Chavez-DeRemer also visited Wednesday with Bend's chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates, also known as CASA.

The organization's executive director says the congresswoman helped secure $1.7 million in federal funding to train and support the volunteers.

Heather Dion says, "What that will do is it will make it so that even this that this loss of VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) funding does not affect children in foster care, that we will be able to continue serving children here in central Oregon and across the state of Oregon."

Chavez-DeRemer said, "These are Oregon issues. These are American issues. These are our future issues of our children. Sometimes, often a gap in funding causes a whole program sometimes to default. And I, I know that I would not want that."

During the Central Oregon stop , Chavez-DeRemer received an award for Advocacy of American Businesses from the US Chamber of Commerce, but her opponent questioned the recognition.

Bynum said, "I know that at our work, my work in particular as the leader of the Small Business and Economic Development Committee has been transformational in shifting the conversation in this state. I haven't seen a shift in any of the work that she's been doing. And of course, your friends can give you awards, but the proof is in the pudding."

Bynum says she plans to bring her campaign back to Bend next weekend.

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