Steve Dipaola/AP Photo; Insider
Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner is running against Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.
The 5th District is located in the western region of the state, which leans Democratic.
If elected, McLeod-Skinner would be the first lesbian congresswoman from Oregon. Chavez-DeRemer would be one of the first Latinas elected from the state.
Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner faces off against Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District candidates
McLeod-Skinner is a small business owner and emergency response coordinator. Prior to running for Congress, she worked in the public service sector managing the repairs of hospitals and schools in Bosnia and Kosovo. The 55-year-old candidate also served on the city council of Santa Clara, California, for eight years.
If elected, McLeod-Skinner would be the first openly lesbian person from Oregon to be a member of Congress. Currently, there are 11 LGBTQ people openly serving in Congress, and three are lesbian.
McLeod-Skinner defeated seven-term incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in the Democratic primary for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, securing 56.9% of the vote to his 42.7%.
Both received prominent endorsements — McLeod-Skinner from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Schrader from President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Chavez-DeRemer, McLeod-Skinner’s challenger, is one of several Hispanic conservative women running for office in 2022. She served as mayor of Happy Valley from 2010 to 2018. If elected, Chavez-DeRemer would be the first Republican to flip the seat that’s been held by Democratic Rep. Schrader since 2009.
Chavez-DeRemer defeated her GOP challengers in a five-way primary, bringing in more than 40% of the total vote.
Voting history for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is situated to the west of the state and encompasses Bend and the Portland suburbs.
The district, which backed Biden over then-President Donald Trump by about 10 percentage points under its previous boundaries in 2020, was redrawn to cut out the state’s central coast and shift east in redistricting following the 2020 Census, making it slightly less Democratic.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, McLeod-Skinner has raised $2.7 million, spent $2 million, and has $663,873 of cash on hand, as of September 30. Her opponent, Chavez-DeRemer, has raised $1.9 million, spent $1.5 million, and has $376,285 of cash still left to spend, as of September 30.
As of mid-October, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups have combined to spend about $9 million advocating for or against candidates in this race, including during the primaries.
What experts say
The race between McLeod-Skinner and Chavez-DeRemer is rated as a “toss-up” by Inside Elections, a “toss-up” by The Cook Political Report, and a “toss-up” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.