Two Democratic primary races for U.S. House seats in Oregon will help determine if the party’s voters are favoring progressive or establishment candidates in a crucial presidential election year.
The 3rd Congressional District, centered around liberal Portland, is having its first open Democratic primary in decades due to the retirement of U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer. Leading candidates Maxine Dexter, a doctor and state representative, and Susheela Jayapal, a former county commissioner endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, are raising similar amounts of money.
The race has seen outside funding and accusations of Republican interference, but national Democrats are confident they can retain this reliably Democratic district as they aim to regain control of the House.
Janelle Bynum (Via David Starc/Shutterstock)
Attention is also on Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, expected to host one of the most competitive races nationwide. According to Ben Gaskins, a political science professor at Lewis & Clark College, both parties are focused on this swing district.
Democrats are eager to reclaim the 5th District after losing it to the GOP in 2022 for the first time in about 25 years. They are backing Janelle Bynum, seen as a more viable candidate for November compared to Jamie McLeod-Skinner, a progressive who won the 2022 primary but lost in the general election.
