ANALYSIS — With small electorates and local dynamics, past state legislative race results are not typically a critical piece of analyzing a congressional race. But House Democrats are hoping that the past is prologue in one of their top takeover targets in 2024.
Some Democrats have been looking for a new candidate to run in Oregon’s 5th District since Jamie McLeod-Skinner knocked off Rep. Kurt Schrader in the 2022 Democratic primary. McLeod-Skinner went on to lose to Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the general election, although it was by just 2.1 points and without support from outside Democratic money in the final, critical weeks.
McLeod-Skinner is running again in 2024, but she’s trying to tamp down the old narrative that she’s too liberal for the district and new allegations that she abused a campaign aide in the last race. Considering the race is at the center of the House battleground — Inside Elections rates it as a Toss-up — there’s an effort to consolidate support for state Rep. Janelle Bynum.
