Oregon Democrat unseats GOP incumbent in toss-up House race, narrowing Republicans' majority

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Oregon Republican Rep. Lori-Chavez-DeRemer has been ousted by Democratic challenger state Rep. Janelle Bynum in the state's 5th Congressional District, The Associated Press projected Thursday, more than a week after Election Day.

The win narrows the Republican majority in the House to 218 seats to Democrats' 209.

With 94% reporting as of Thursday, Bynum led by more than two points, with 184,023 votes to Chavez-DeRemer's 174,448, a difference of 9,575 votes. The race was rated a toss-up by the Fox News Power Rankings. 

Chavez-DeRemer conceded Thursday, saying "I hope Ms. Bynum will follow the example I have set over the past two years and serve as a pragmatic, thoughtful, and bipartisan leader who will work with the Trump administration to address housing affordability, improve public safety, and secure the border."

Chavez-DeRemer was first elected to Congress in 2022, defeating her Democratic opponent by two points. With the victory, Chavez-DeRemer became the first woman to represent Oregon in the House of Representatives.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COULD DECIDE WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE HOUSE

Oregon State Rep Janelle Bynum, left, faced off against Rep. Lori Chavez DeRemer in OR-05. (Fox News)

Bynum, who previously defeated Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon legislature races multiple times, was elected to the Oregon House in 2016 and has served on the chamber’s small business committee. She is also the owner of four McDonald’s franchises.

The two candidates engaged in a contentious race in recent months, with Bynum attempting to link Chavez-DeRemer to President-elect Donald Trump and her position on abortion, as the congresswoman hit Bynum on crime and illegal immigration. 

Last month, it was first reported by Fox News Digital that Bynum was the subject of an ethics complaint for allegedly failing to properly report allegations of sexual harassment and assault against a PAC staffer that worked on her campaign. Bynum has denied those allegations, which the two candidates sparred over in multiple debates.

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Janelle Bynum is a Democrat running for Congress in Oregon. (Janelle Bynum for Congress)

Election experts predicted that the race between Chavez-DeRemer and Bynum could play a key role in deciding which party controls Congress.

High-profile figures campaigned for both candidates in the campaign's closing weeks, with GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson rallying with Chavez-DeRemer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stumping for Bynum. 

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GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer previously served as mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola, File)

Oregon's recently redrawn 5th Congressional District covers Linn County, most of Clackamas, Deschutes, and parts of Multnomah and Marion counties.