Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
October, 26 2023 
CONTACT: Blakely Wall, press@janellebynum.com 

Gov. Kotek: “Janelle is the type of change we need to see in D.C. She’ll give Oregon families the representation they deserve in the halls of Congress.” 

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek broke the norm to endorse State Representative Janelle Bynum in the Democratic primary for Oregon’s 6th Congressional seat, currently held by vulnerable Republican extremist Lori Chavez-DeRemer. 

In case you missed it: 

Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek endorses Janelle Bynum for Congress 
Julia Shumway | October 24, 2023 

• Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek will back state Rep. Janelle Bynum in her run for Congress, placing a heavy thumb on the scale in a hotly contested Democratic primary. 

• Democrats, both statewide and nationally, consider defeating Chavez-DeRemer a top priority. 

• “Who we send to Congress to represent Oregon is incredibly important, especially now when our values are under attack at the federal level,” Kotek said in a statement. “Oregonians deserve a leader who shares their beliefs and puts our families before politics when it matters most. That’s why we need to elect Janelle – a leader with the tenacity, compassion and commitment to deliver real results for Oregon families.” 

• Kotek praised Bynum’s “bipartisan track record” in the state House on issues including gun violence prevention, affordable housing and reproductive rights. Bynum has served in the House since 2017, and she twice beat current U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer in legislative races. 

• Kotek is the latest high-profile Oregon Democrat to get behind Bynum, joining U.S. Reps. Andrea Salinas and Suzanne Bonamici, state Treasurer Tobias Read, several state senators and 21 Democratic state representatives. 

• “From our time serving together as state representatives to now, Governor Kotek knows that I’ll never shy away from the fight for Oregonians,” Bynum said. “The last few weeks of chaos and dysfunction have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Republican extremists like Lori Chavez-DeRemer are incapable of governing with our community’s best interests in mind, and our district needs a change.” 

• Polling and fundraising show a close race between Bynum and McLeod-Skinner, with Peterson trailing the two Democratic frontrunners. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district, which stretches from Bend to east Portland. 

Willamette Week: Rep. Janelle Bynum Scores Endorsement From Gov. Tina Kotek in Highly Competitive 5th Congressional District Primary 
October 24, 2023 

• Gov. Tina Kotek endorsed state Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley) today in what will be a hotly contested Democratic primary in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District. 

• Bynum, now in her fourth term in the Oregon House, is competing with Jamie McLeod-Skinner and Metro Council President Lynn Peterson for the nomination and the opportunity to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) 

• The 5th District belonged to Democrats from 1997 to 2023. In the 2022 Democratic primary, McLeod-Skinner, a lawyer and engineer from Terrebone, knocked off incumbent U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) before losing in the general election to Chavez-DeRemer, the former mayor of Happy Valley. 

• Democrats hold about a 25,000-voter registration advantage in the district (about 5% of voters) and so are eager to try to reclaim the seat next year, when national pundits expect the 5th District to be among the most closely contested in the nation. All of that makes an early endorsement from Kotek particularly valuable to Bynum, who served with Kotek in the Oregon House—and publicly challenged the then-House speaker to create space for people of color to lead. 

• “Today, I’m excited to endorse Janelle Bynum,” Kotek said. “With a bipartisan track record in the statehouse to prove it—on everything from gun violence prevention and affordable housing initiatives to reproductive rights—Janelle is the type of change we need to see in D.C. She’ll give Oregon families the representation they deserve in the halls of Congress.” 

• “I’m proud to have earned Gov. Kotek’s endorsement,” Bynum said. “Our district needs a change. I’m ready to bring Oregonians’ concerns to the forefront on the federal level, focus on delivering the resources my neighbors need, and get Congress working again.”

Daily Kos: Oregon Governor Tina Kotek Endorses Janelle Bynum
October 25, 2023 

• State Rep. Janelle Bynum on Tuesday publicized an endorsement from Gov. Tina Kotek ahead of next year's Democratic primary to face freshman GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. 

• Bynum beat [Chavez-DeRemer]in 2016 and 2018 to win her seat in the legislature. 

The Cascadia Advocate: Watch three OR-05 Democratic contenders make the case for their party’s nomination 
October 21, 2023 

• Democrats would very much like to take OR-05 back next year and help elect a Democratic majority in the United States House of Representatives. Chavez-DeRemer is the only Republican member of Congress from the Pacific Northwest who is considered to be at risk of losing her seat, because the other seats held by Republicans are all in districts that have very conservative electorates. 

• The Democratic Party of Oregon gave Bynum, McLeod-Skinner, and Peterson the opportunity to make a pitch to Summit attendees during a nearly hourlong forum moderated by recently elected DPO Chair Rosa Colquitt. 

• The forum consisted of opening statements, questions asked by Colquitt which were provided to the candidates in advance, and closing statements. 

• Janelle Bynum told attendees that she is known for showing up and taking action, citing her tradition of taco town halls, where people invite her to a town hall opportunity and provide tacos for attendees to enjoy. 

• All candidates affirmed that they will be strong, pro-labor U.S. representatives. Bynum spoke about her upbringing, mentioning her parents and how they were furloughed numerous times. Bynum is a champion for paid family leave and providing pathways for young people to enter the building trades. 

• The third question was about climate damage. Bynum said she thinks about the issue from the perspective of a mom working to leave a better planet behind for her children. She’d also like to make Oregon a hub for clean energy and show how a pivot away from fossil fuels can be realized.

• “We’ve all gathered here today for the very same reason. Elections have consequences, and we cannot afford another Lori Chavez-DeRemer term. With her representing us in Congress, our voices aren’t at the table. The needs of our community aren’t being prioritized. And instead, we have a representative who’s more interested in pleasing the extreme members of her party and special interests than anyone else than actually legislating.” 

• “The numbers don’t lie. I’m the only one that has beaten her twice and will beat her again. That’s because the toughest challenges of our time, whether it be climate or housing or safety, I will always bring people together.” 

• “We will always have tough discussions and we will always find common ground. And because of that ethos, I have an actual track record of tangible success.” Because parents recognize when their kids are learning, community members know when their community is safer, commuters recognize when their drive to work gets a little bit better, and working people are excited about the investments in the economy and the creation of good jobs close to home. 

• “Our children are watching as their fates are being decided in our halls of power. Decision makers should be the adults in the room. And sadly, that’s not the case. Our children deserve better. And Oregon deserves better. And that’s why I’m running for Congress.” 

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