Janelle Bynum wins 5th Congressional District Democratic primary

Janelle Bynum defeated Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the race to become the Democratic candidate to face Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, in what’s shaping up to be one of the most closely watched congressional races across the country this November.

According to the latest results from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, Bynum had 69% of the vote to McLeod-Skinner’s 30%.

"I'm honored to be your Democratic nominee in #OR05," Bynum wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on election night May 21. "As a mother of four, I’m running to make the future brighter for them and every child across Oregon. And with your support, I know we'll bring this fight to Congress. Onward to November!"

McLeod-Skinner conceded to Bynum as several news outlets, including the Associated Press, called the race in Bynum's favor.

"To my family, team, volunteers, and Oregonians, thank you for your support and hard work," McLeod-Skinner wrote in a message shared with Pamplin Media Group. "I’m so proud that our work has been driven by, and for, everyday Oregonians — fighting for a better future for all of us! I would like to congratulate Janelle Bynum on becoming the Democratic nominee for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District. I also want to express my appreciation to our families, who sacrifice more than people realize when a loved one runs for office. It’s now time for Democrats to unite behind our shared goal of defeating the MAGA extremist agenda and winning this seat in November, so we can take back the House of Representatives."

McLeod-Skinner, a lawyer from central Oregon, won the last Democratic primary for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District in 2022, topping Kurt Schrader, who had served as representative for the district since 2009. McLeod-Skinner went on to lose to Republican Chavez-DeRemer, the former mayor of Happy Valley.

Now Bynum, a state representative from Happy Valley, will look to win the seat back for Democrats, with politicos expecting the race to be one of the nation’s closest toss-up congressional contests that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 5th Congressional District spans Clackamas County, Deschutes County and Linn County as well as parts of Marion and Multnomah Counties.

This is Oregon’s second election affected by the new postmark rule. Ballots dropped off by 8 p.m. Tuesday or postmarked by then will count. In 2022, county election offices received a large amount of ballots at the last minute, delaying the final results in some races.

This story will be updated.