RECAP: At DPO Forum, Janelle Bynum Shows She’s the Best Candidate to Flip OR-05

Oct

2023

PRESS RELEASE

RECAP: At DPO Forum, Janelle Bynum Shows She’s the Best Candidate to Flip OR-05

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2023
CONTACT: Blakely Wall press@janellebynum.com

HAPPY VALLEY, OR — Today, during the 12th Biennial Oregon Summit’s Congressional District 5 forum, Janelle Bynum demonstrated she’s the only candidate equipped to defeat Republican Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer. During the forum’s opening statement, Bynum underscored why she has been able to defeat Chavez-DeRemer every time she’s faced her:

“For the past seven years, as an elected representative in Salem, I have looked at every bill with the lens: Will it make Oregon better and create opportunities for our children? For our sons and daughters? Will it advance civil rights?” Bynum said. “Not Lori. She makes her decisions with a very different set of criteria: will it help me? Will it help my far-right MAGA Republican donors?”

Throughout her seven years in elected office, Bynum has always prioritized transparent and accessible leadership, in contrast to Chavez-DeRemer, who has declined to hold in-person town halls.

“Unlike Lori, I make sure my constituents set the agenda,” Bynum said. “The proof is in the pudding — I’m known for knocking doors, I’m known for making phone calls, and I’m known for showing up.”

A daughter of union teachers and mother of a former SEIU and UFCW member, Bynum reiterated her strong support for the labor community.

“The gains you make today [in labor] last for 40 to 50 years,” Bynum said. “That’s why I spend time with the building trades — talking to members about how they want high-quality jobs, and how they want their kids to enjoy the benefits of the universities, hospitals, and roads they’re helping build — and legislating on their priorities.”

For Bynum, the impact of the climate crisis hits close to home. During the debate, she sounded the alarm on taking climate action now.

“That’s why I’m not waiting until I get to Washington to be a part of the solution,” Bynum said. “I’m sponsoring a bill to make Oregon the hub for clean energy technology in this country. We can be leaders in reducing our carbon footprint and creating good-paying union jobs while fighting the crisis.”

Bynum’s leadership has always been a love letter to Oregon’s children. She spoke on the importance of putting Oregon’s children first and paying opportunity forward in her closing.

“At the end of the day, it’s about our children,” Bynum said. “Our children are watching as their fates are being decided in our halls of power. Decisionmakers should be the adults in the room, and sadly that’s not the case.”

REMINDER: In 2022, Bynum outperformed the Democratic congressional candidate by 3.9 points in the overlapping precincts between Oregon’s 5th congressional district and the 39th State House District.

OR-05 is one of the top flip opportunities in the nation. Bynum is uniquely positioned to defeat Lori Chavez-DeRemer, having bested her twice before. Bynum has won the support of Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, the Congressional Black Caucus, Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield, and Oregon Majority Whip Julie Fahey.