PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Two days after Election Day, the race between Republican Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Democratic challenger Janelle Bynum for Oregon’s 5th District remains too close to call.
As votes continue to be counted, Bynum has maintained a lead as of Thursday morning.
According to election data from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, Bynum leads with 47% of the vote followed by Chavez-DeRemer with 45%. More than 7,000 votes separate the candidates.
The data shows Bynum has received a major boost from Multnomah County voters, where she has nearly 78% of the vote, followed by support from Clackamas and Deschutes counties.
Meanwhile, Chavez-DeRemer has been seeing more support from Marion, Linn, and Jefferson counties.
The race has received national attention as Democrats see Oregon’s 5th District as a seat that they can win in order to tip the balance of power in the House of Representatives as Republicans are poised to flip control in the Senate and President-elect Donald Trump will begin his second term in January.
Bynum has focused her campaign on voting rights, abortion rights, and health care reform while Chavez-DeRemer has focused her campaign on addressing the fentanyl crisis and enhancing security at the U.S. southern border.
As reported by The Hill, Democrats see Chavez-DeRemer “as particularly vulnerable on an issue of outsize prominence this cycle: abortion, where she’s wavered between vows to oppose any bans on federal funding for the procedure, and voting to do just that when legislation hit the floor.”
Chavez-DeRemer supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and has also said she supports a woman’s right to choose. During a debate hosted by KOIN 6 News, the congresswoman said while abortion access has become a state issue, she will continue to support abortion access in Oregon.
Meanwhile, Bynum emphasized the importance of codifying national abortion protections once held under Roe.
In the lead up to Election Day, Oregon’s 5th District was deemed a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report, naming the race among the most competitive in the nation. The race also brought House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to Oregon to rally for Chavez-DeRemer and Bynum, respectively, as the parties vie for the House majority.
Stay here for updates on Oregon’s 5th Congressional District race.
