Oregon Elections: Bynum Beats Back Challenge From Chavez-DeRemer

GRESHAM, OR – It was a case of been there, done that. For the second election in a row, State representative Janelle Bynum, a Democrat, has defeated Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Bynum had a lead of nearly 2,000 votes over challenger to win another term representing District 51, which includes parts of Gresham, Portland, and Happy Valley and other parts of Clackamas County.

She improved her margin of victory from 2016. She had 51 percent of the vote then and 53 percent this year.

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Bynum became the focus of national attention in July while she was going door to door campaigning in Clackamas.

A woman called the sheriff's office saying that there was a "suspicious" woman going house to house and spending a lot of time typing on her cell phone after each stop.

Bynum pointed out to the responding deputy that she had been going door to door and writing after each stop because she was a state legislator and wrote down notes on the concerns of her constituents after each stop.

The officer apologized and Bynum was able to get in touch with the woman who called the deputy on her.

"We talked and she did apologize," Bynum said at the time.

Photo via Janelle Bynum's campaign.