Willamette Week Endorses State Representative Janelle Bynum for OR-05

Today, Willamette Week endorsed Janelle Bynum for Oregon's 5th Congressional District over vulnerable anti-abortion Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer for a second time.

While House Republicans like Chavez-DeRemer present an active "threat to reproductive rights," WW writes, "it is important that Oregon's 5th be represented by a candidate who shares the views of the vast majority of Oregonians. That candidate is Janelle Bynum."

Willamette Week also highlighted Bynum's "independent-minded, effective" legislating in the State House.

The endorsement follows three debates in OR-05, where Bynum called out Chavez-DeRemer's support for a nationwide abortion ban and lengthy record voting against Social Security and Medicare.

Read more below.

Willamette Week: WW's Fall 2024 Endorsements: Federal
Editorial Board | October 16, 2024

• When Oregon gained a sixth congressional seat in 2020 and redrew boundaries for the other districts, this one-which covers the fir-lined hills south of Oregon City all the way to Bend-remains the most balanced in Oregon in terms of voter registration. (Democrats outnumber Republicans by just over 25,000 voters, or about 4.6% of the electorate.) This contest features a rematch between two candidates who've run against each other before: incumbent U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), and state Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley).

• In those earlier contests for state legislative seats, Bynum, 49, who with her husband owns four McDonald's franchises, defeated Chavez-DeRemer, the former mayor of Happy Valley. Chavez-DeRemer returned to politics in 2022 with a run for this seat, defeating Democratic nominee Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who had ousted incumbent U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader in the primary.

• Meanwhile, Bynum built a strong track record in Salem. In 2021, for example, she sponsored a large package of police reform bills after George Floyd's murder that she and her co-sponsor, state Rep. Ron Noble (R-McMinnville), a retired police chief, got through both chambers. The package strengthened background checks for police; tightened rules on traffic stops; clarified what officers can wear on their uniforms; and required officers to report misconduct within 72 hours.

• More recently, Bynum was chief sponsor of the Oregon CHIPS Act, which will provide funding incentives for tech businesses. As a small business owner, she's been willing to push back on labor on multiple bills and openly challenged then-House Speaker Tina Kotek to make space for her and other lawmakers of color in leadership.

• We're picking Bynum for two reasons: First, she's been an independent-minded, effective legislator in Salem for four sessions, able to pass challenging legislation and willing to say no to her friends. Second, she is pro-choice. Chavez-DeRemer, who declined to attend our endorsement interview, is not a bad person or a lousy candidate, but given the current threat to reproductive rights, it is important that Oregon's 5th be represented by a candidate who shares the views of the vast majority of Oregonians. That candidate is Janelle Bynum.