Two Democratic primaries for U.S. House seats in Oregon are set to determine whether the party’s voters are leaning more towards the progressive or establishment factions in a crucial presidential election year. In the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Portland, Maxine Dexter and Susheela Jayapal are leading the fundraising, both with similar platforms. However, there are claims of Republican meddling in the race. The party is expected to hold the solidly blue district but is more focused on Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, which will likely be a competitive race.
The 5th District, flipped by the GOP in 2022 for the first time in 25 years, will see a competitive race between Janelle Bynum and Jamie McLeod-Skinner. Bynum is backed by congressional Democrats as they see her as a better chance of winning in November. Key Democrats, including the Governor and U.S. representatives have endorsed Bynum. The fundraising arm of House Democrats has also named Bynum to its “Red to Blue” program, which provides support to Democrats running to flip GOP districts. However, late outside spending from a political action committee in favor of McLeod-Skinner has raised questions about Republican interference in the Democratic primary.
Amid the competitive races, boundaries of the 5th District were redrawn following the 2020 census, encompassing a diverse range of regions. McLeod-Skinner and Bynum, both with engineering degrees, hold similar policy stances on key issues such as abortion, health care, and climate change. While Bynum has outraised McLeod-Skinner in fundraising, much of the money in the race has been from outside spending by super PACs. These groups can spend unlimited amounts on advertising and have heavily invested in both races.
The influx of “dark money” from super PACs has been criticized by candidates Jayapal and McLeod-Skinner. Jayapal has suggested that outside spending by the 314 Action Fund is linked to “MAGA Republican mega-donors.” The group denies these claims, stating that they have spent millions to defeat MAGA Republicans. Dexter and Jayapal have been distinguishing themselves based on style, with Dexter highlighting legislative records and Jayapal leaning into progressive endorsements. Voters in both races may need to choose between pragmatism and idealism within the Democratic electorate.
Overall, the Democratic primaries in Oregon are crucial in determining the party’s direction in a critical election year. The races in the 3rd and 5th districts will indicate whether the party is leaning more towards progressive or establishment candidates. With claims of Republican meddling and heavy outside spending, the true priorities of Democratic voters in Oregon will be revealed as they select their candidates for the U.S. House seats.
