Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner has entered the crowded primary race for Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District. She previously lost to Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the 2022 general election.
“Oregonians want leaders who rise above partisan bickering to get the job done. Congress needs to focus on the basics — helping working people and small business owners make ends meet while protecting our democracy, our environment, our communities, and our fundamental rights. Oregonians want to be able to put a roof over our heads, food on our tables, opportunities for our kids, and healthcare for our families, and I’ve dedicated my career to this type of service. I believe in accountability to Oregonians, not corporate PACs. And I’ll work with anyone to make government work for people,” said McLeod-Skinner said in her July 10 announcement.
If elected, McLeod-Skinner would make history as Oregon’s first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress.
McLeod-Skinner joins Metro President Lynn Peterson, Oregon House District 39 state Rep. Janelle Bynum, and software engineer Cameron Pahl in the primary race for the district that runs from the southeast suburbs of Portland through Clackamas, Marion and Linn counties, crosses the Cascades along U.S. Highway 20, takes in a tiny sliver of Jefferson County, then drops into Deschutes County to encircle most of Redmond and Bend. It includes the cities of Aurora, Beavercreek, Bend, Canby, Gladstone, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, West Linn, and and very small part of Wilsonville.
All three candidates denounced Chavez-DeRemer as a Republican extremist.
The Oregon Capital Insider reports that according to the June 2023 voter registration statistics of the Oregon Secretary of State, the district now includes 528,781 registered voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans 169,205 to 144,800. But the largest group — 177,010 — are non-affiliated voters. Smaller parties make up the remainder, with the Independent Party having the largest chunk with 27,673 registered voters.
In her announcement, McLeod-Skinner said she was raised by a single mother, worked her way through college, and became an engineer, an attorney, a public servant, and a small business owner.
McLeod-Skinner previously lost the 2018 Oregon 2nd Congressional District against Republican incumbent Greg Walden in 2018 and the 2020 Democratic primary for candidate for Oregon Secretary of State in 2020. She unseated seven-term Democratic incumbent Kurt Schrader to run for the 5th District.
The announcement said McLeod-Skinner has been endorsed by numerous advocacy organizations, unions and elected officials, including: the LGBTQ Victory Fund; the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 555; Democratic California Congressman Mark Takano; Democratic Oregon state Sen. Deb Patterson; Gladstone City Councilor Vanessa Huckaby; and more.
