Oregon Capital Chornicle: “Bend elected officials who backed McLeod-Skinner in 2022 endorse [Janelle] Bynum” for 2024 Bid

Mar

2024

PRESS RELEASE

Oregon Capital Chornicle: “Bend elected officials who backed McLeod-Skinner in 2022 endorse [Janelle] Bynum” for 2024 Bid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March, 18 2024
CONTACT: Blakely Wall, press@janellebynum.com

Oregon Capital Chornicle: “Bend elected officials who backed McLeod-Skinner in 2022 endorse [Janelle] Bynum” for 2024 Bid Bynum campaign receives major local nods as endorsements continue to stack up and former supporters abandon McLeod Skinner

Happy Valley, OR - On Friday, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported on the latest round of endorsements for Janelle Bynum from Bend Mayor Pro Tem Megan Perkins, Bend City Councilor Mike Riley, and Oregon State Representative Jason Kropf. Notably, Mayor Pro-Tem Perkins and State Rep. Jason Kropf endorsed Bynum’s primary opponent in 2022. These Bend, Oregon Leaders have united to add their voice to Janelle’s growing coalition of support as she runs to become Oregon’s first Black member of Congress.

In case you missed it:

Oregon Capital Chronicle: Bend elected officials who backed McLeod-Skinner in 2022 endorse Bynum
Julia Shumway | March 15, 2024

A state representative and two city councilors from Bend, congressional candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner’s base, endorsed opponent Janelle Bynum in the Democratic primary.
Bynum’s announcement Friday that state Rep. Jason Kropf, Bend Mayor Pro Tem Megan Perkins and Bend City Councilor Mike Riley are endorsing her marks an inroad into McLeod-Skinner’s Deschutes County base.
Both Kropf and Perkins backed McLeod-Skinner in her 2022 campaign against then-U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, a conservative Democrat she defeated by nearly 10 percentage points in the primary. McLeod-Skinner went on to lose to Chavez-DeRemer by 2 points.
“It is an honor and privilege to be supported by such dynamic leaders from Deschutes County,” Bynum said in a statement. “Our movement is growing stronger by the day, and brings me faith that our coalition will defeat Lori Chavez-DeRemer and the far-right extremists she’s enabling in the halls of Congress.”
“I’ve worked with Janelle in the House for the last four years, and I can confidently say she is the leader we need in Congress,” Kropf said in a statement provided by the Bynum campaign. “Her experience, knowledge and level-handed leadership makes her the best candidate to defeat Lori Chavez-DeRemer and bring real results home for Oregon.”
Perkins has served on the Bend City Council since 2021 and previously supported McLeod-Skinner. She praised Bynum as a leader in a statement provided by Bynum’s campaign. “Janelle Bynum is a leader, a steadfast problem solver and someone who cares deeply for the needs of Oregon’s working families,” Perkins said. “She’s beaten Lori Chavez-DeRemer twice before, and I know she’s the leader to do it again this November.”
Riley, executive director of The Environmental Center, was elected to the Bend City Council in 2022. He said he was proud to support Bynum. “As a business owner, an effective and progressive legislator with deep roots serving our district and a record of winning campaigns, I’m confident Janelle Bynum has what it takes to deliver for the people of CD 5 in the halls of Congress,” he said.
McLeod-Skinner racked up endorsements in her 2022 race against Schrader. [...] That support is missing this cycle. Roberts, along with Gov. Tina Kotek and former Gov. Kate Brown, is backing Bynum. So are a majority of Democrats in the state House and Senate. Riley and Perkins are behind Bynum, while the other five members of Bend’s all-progressive city council have kept out of the race.
While Bynum racked up endorsements from high-profile Oregon leaders, McLeod-Skinner has taken to social media to tout the support of a former campaign staffer, a 15-year-old member of Oregon City’s Youth Advisory Commission and a “community motivist.”

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