Democrat Flips Republican Seat to Become First Black Lawmaker to Represent Oregon in Congress

Oregon elected its first Black representative on Tuesday, flipping the seat from Republican to Democrat after a Republican representative won its election in 2022.

A former Oregon State Representative, Janelle Bynum was elected to represent Oregon's 5th Congressional District. She defeated Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the former mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, in a close race that was ultimately declared by Thursday evening.

The race was called 48% to 45% by tallies as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"I am beyond honored that my neighbors have chosen me to be the next congresswoman for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District," Bynum said in a statement Friday. "My work has always been a love letter to Oregon's children. I ran for office to make their futures brighter, and I'll do just that in Washington — for their education, for their reproductive freedoms, for their job opportunities, and so much more."

"I am proud to be the first — but not the last — Black Member of Congress from Oregon, and I'm grateful for what this moment means not just for my children, but for all young people across our state to see that change is possible," she continued.

Though all of the votes are yet to be counted, Bynum has earned a lead over Chavez-DeRemer substantial enough to win her the election. Furthermore, the votes that remain to be counted were cast in areas where she already has a multiple point advantage.

The race, which was highly contested, was considered a "toss-up" due to recent redistricting that has made the political alignments of Oregon's 5th district highly unpredictable. Chavez-DeRemer won representation of the district in 2022 after it was redrawn following the 2020 Census. It drew in millions in campaign contributions, becoming the 11th most expensive U.S. House campaign in the country this election cycle.