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Janelle Bynum

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Janelle Bynum
Image of Janelle Bynum

Candidate, U.S. House Oregon District 5

U.S. House Oregon District 5
Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

0

Predecessor
Prior offices
Oregon House of Representatives District 51
Successor: James Hieb
Predecessor: Shemia Fagan

Oregon House of Representatives District 39
Successor: April Dobson
Predecessor: James Hieb

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Florida A&M University

Graduate

University of Michigan

Personal
Profession
Franchise owner
Contact

Janelle Bynum (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Oregon's 5th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2025. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Bynum (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 5th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]

Biography

Bynum earned her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Florida A&M University and her master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. Her career experience includes working as an engineer and a McDonald's franchise owner.[1] Bynum volunteered with the Board of Trustees for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon, Business Oregon, the Center for Women’s Leadership, and the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs.[2]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2025-2026

Bynum was assigned to the following committees:[Source]

Elections

2026

See also: Oregon's 5th Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 5

Incumbent Janelle Bynum is running in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 5 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum (D)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Oregon's 5th Congressional District election, 2024

Oregon's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Republican primary)

Oregon's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 5

Janelle Bynum defeated incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Brett Smith, Sonja Feintech, and Andrea Townsend in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 5 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum (D)
 
47.7
 
191,365
Image of Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R)
 
45.0
 
180,420
Image of Brett Smith
Brett Smith (Independent Party) Candidate Connection
 
4.7
 
18,665
Image of Sonja Feintech
Sonja Feintech (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.5
 
6,193
Andrea Townsend (Pacific Green Party)
 
1.0
 
4,155
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
495

Total votes: 401,293
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 5

Janelle Bynum defeated Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 5 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum
 
69.4
 
55,473
Image of Jamie McLeod-Skinner
Jamie McLeod-Skinner Candidate Connection
 
29.9
 
23,905
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
510

Total votes: 79,888
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 5

Incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 5 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
 
98.2
 
54,458
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.8
 
1,009

Total votes: 55,467
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Bynum received the following endorsements.

2022

See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 39

Incumbent Janelle Bynum defeated Kori Haynes in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 39 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum (D / Independent Party)
 
55.0
 
15,678
Image of Kori Haynes
Kori Haynes (R)
 
44.9
 
12,801
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
48

Total votes: 28,527
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 39

Incumbent Janelle Bynum advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 39 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum
 
98.6
 
4,885
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.4
 
68

Total votes: 4,953
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 39

Kori Haynes advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 39 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kori Haynes
Kori Haynes
 
98.6
 
2,876
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.4
 
42

Total votes: 2,918
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Janelle Bynum defeated Jane Hays and Don Crawford in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum (D / Independent / Working Families Party)
 
52.8
 
18,939
Jane Hays (R)
 
43.1
 
15,466
Image of Don Crawford
Don Crawford (L) Candidate Connection
 
3.9
 
1,393
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
48

Total votes: 35,846
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Janelle Bynum advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on May 19, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum
 
98.7
 
6,607
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.3
 
84

Total votes: 6,691
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Jane Hays advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on May 19, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Jane Hays
 
98.4
 
3,809
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.6
 
60

Total votes: 3,869
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Don Crawford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on July 6, 2020.

Candidate
Image of Don Crawford
Don Crawford (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2018

In addition to running as a Democratic Party candidate, Bynum cross-filed to also run with the Working Families Party in 2018.[3]

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Janelle Bynum defeated Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum (D)
 
53.9
 
14,843
Image of Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R)
 
45.8
 
12,620
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
63

Total votes: 27,526
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Janelle Bynum advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Janelle Bynum
Janelle Bynum
 
100.0
 
3,405

Total votes: 3,405
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51

Lori Chavez-DeRemer advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 51 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
 
100.0
 
2,453

Total votes: 2,453
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Obama endorsement
Obama template image.jpg
During the 2016 election cycle Bynum was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama

Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements

2016

See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2016. Incumbent Shemia Fagan (D) did not seek re-election.

Janelle Bynum defeated Lori Chavez-DeRemer in the Oregon House of Representatives District 51 general election.[4][5]

Oregon House of Representatives, District 51 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Janelle Bynum 51.01% 14,310
     Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer 48.99% 13,746
Total Votes 28,056
Source: Oregon Secretary of State


Janelle Bynum defeated Randy Shannon in the Oregon House of Representatives District 51 Democratic primary.[6][7]

Oregon House of Representatives, District 51 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Janelle Bynum 69.78% 4,218
     Democratic Randy Shannon 30.22% 1,827
Total Votes 6,045


Lori Chavez-DeRemer ran unopposed in the Oregon House of Representatives District 51 Republican primary.[6][7]

Oregon House of Representatives, District 51 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Lori Chavez-DeRemer  (unopposed)

This district was included in the Republican State Leadership Committee's list of "16 in '16: Races to Watch." Read more »
This district was included in the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee's list of "2016 Essential Races." Read more »


Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Janelle Bynum has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Janelle Bynum asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Janelle Bynum, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Janelle Bynum to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@janellebynum.com.

Twitter
Email

2024

Janelle Bynum did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Bynum’s campaign website stated the following:

ADDRESSING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Too many Oregonians are priced out of their communities or unable to afford a home. That’s why in the state legislature, I worked on efforts to lower the cost of housing, protect tenants, and ensure low-income earners could pay their utility bills. I’ll continue to fight for housing affordability and remove red tape for housing construction in Congress.

ENDING HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness is one of the greatest social and economic challenges of our lifetime, and it’s critical we get people off our streets. As a legislator, I helped pass measures to prevent homelessness, increase shelter capacity, and expand mental health services. In Congress, I’ll work with local and state leaders to allocate more resources to address homelessness for our communities.

TAKING CLIMATE ACTION

The effects of climate change are felt close to home with brutal summers and the threat of wildfires year-round. I’m not waiting to get to Washington to tackle the climate crisis — we’re already part of the solution in the state legislature, sponsoring legislation to make Oregon the clean energy hub in the country. I’ll expand upon this work on the federal level, reducing our carbon footprint and creating good-paying union jobs.

SUPPORTING OUR ECONOMY

Our country doesn’t thrive unless our local economies thrive, and that means creating good jobs close to home, supporting small businesses, and bringing down the cost of living. These are issues I’ve championed as the chairwoman of the House Committee on Small Business/Economic Development and co-chair of the Joint Committee on Semiconductors, exploring ways we can expand our workforce in the tech industry. I led on passing the Oregon CHIPS Act, the most pro-business, pro-worker, pro-Oregon collaboration in history. I’ll bring the same vision to Congress.

LOWERING THE COST OF HEALTH CARE

No person should be a medical emergency away from bankruptcy, but sadly that happens all too often in our country. In the Oregon state legislature, I worked to expand access to health care and mental health services so everyday Oregonians don’t have to choose between putting food on the table or a trip to the hospital. We need Congress to act — and that starts with protecting Medicare, expanding Medicaid, and lowering the cost of prescription drug prices.

PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

As a mom, I want our daughters and sons to have the same rights, but Republican extremists like Lori Chavez-DeRemer think politicians should be able to make health care decisions for women. They won’t stop until they pass a national abortion ban. I’m running to defend reproductive rights and codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level.

IMPROVING ACCESS TO EDUCATION

Education is our greatest equalizer — I know this firsthand as the daughter of public school teachers and mom of four children. Our education policies should focus on uplifting our students, and that includes increasing teacher pay, decreasing class sizes, and improving school resources and facilities.[8]

—Janelle Bynum’s campaign website (2024)[9]

2022

Janelle Bynum did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Janelle Bynum did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Bynum's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[10]

In Salem, she’ll work hard, just like she’s been doing for more than a decade in our community. We can count on Janelle to find stable funding solutions for our public schools, so every Oregon student has the chance to dream big. She’ll work for safe neighborhoods and smart development, keeping our communities intact and our quality of life high. And Janelle will work to level the playing field, so hard working Oregon families and small businesses have a fair shot at getting ahead.[8]

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Janelle Bynum campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Oregon District 5Candidacy Declared general$1,080,841 $268,529
2024* U.S. House Oregon District 5Won general$7,524,632 $7,479,499
2022Oregon House of Representatives District 39Won general$1,227,592 $481,853
2020Oregon House of Representatives District 51Won general$165,489 N/A**
2018Oregon House of Representatives District 51Won general$894,108 N/A**
2016Oregon House of Representatives, District 51Won $1,133,665 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Janelle Bynum
EndorseeElectionStageOutcome
Tobias Read  source  (D) Governor of Oregon (2022) PrimaryLost Primary
Notable ballot measure endorsements by Janelle Bynum
MeasurePositionOutcome
Oregon Measure 112, Remove Slavery as Punishment for Crime from Constitution Amendment (2022)  source SupportApproved

Personal finance disclosures

Members of the House are required to file financial disclosure reports. You can search disclosure reports on the House’s official website here.

Analysis

Below are links to scores and rankings Ballotpedia compiled for members of Congress. We chose analyses that help readers understand how each individual legislator fit into the context of the chamber as a whole in terms of ideology, bill advancement, bipartisanship, and more.

If you would like to suggest an analysis for inclusion in this section, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

119th Congress (2025-2027)

Rankings and scores for the 119th Congress




Noteworthy events

Challenge for speakership role

See also: 2021 Oregon legislative session

Rep. Janelle Bynum (D) announced on November 9, 2020, that she would challenge Rep. Tina Kotek (D) for the house speaker position, and would prioritize legislation around criminal justice and accountability in policing if selected.[11][12] Bynum said in a statement ahead of the Democratic caucus speaker vote: "In this moment of shattering norms and elevating often unheard voices, I feel called to run and would be honored to serve."[11] Kotek released a statement before the caucus vote saying, "We have a huge amount of work to do on behalf of Oregonians, and I am ready to bring my experience to bear and get things done."[13]

In the November 16 Democratic caucus meeting, Kotek did not receive the 31 vote pledges needed to secure her re-election as Oregon's house speaker ahead of the official vote.[13] On January 4, 2021, Bynum rescinded her bid for the speakership. Kotek was sworn in as speaker on January 11.[14]

To read more about the selection of Oregon's house speaker for the 2021 legislative session, click here.

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Oregon

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Oregon scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024

In 2024, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from Februrary 5 to March 7.

Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment.


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017




The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Bynum was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Bynum was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Bynum was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Oregon committee assignments, 2017
Business and Labor, Vice chair
Early Conduct and Family Supports
Higher Education and Workforce Development

See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R)
U.S. House Oregon District 5
2025-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
James Hieb (R)
Oregon House of Representatives District 39
2023-2025
Succeeded by
April Dobson (D)
Preceded by
Shemia Fagan (D)
Oregon House of Representatives District 51
2017-2023
Succeeded by
James Hieb (R)


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Val Hoyle (D)
District 5
District 6
Democratic Party (7)
Republican Party (1)