Bynum holds $2.3 million in campaign cash, far outpacing GOP challenger Adair

U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum enters the final stretch of Oregon’s 5th Congressional District race with $2.3 million in campaign cash, more than 12 times the $186,000 held by her Republican challenger, Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The gap reflects a lopsided third quarter. Bynum raised $857,000 and spent $1.2 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, while Adair raised about $225,000 and spent $174,000, according to Federal Election Commission filings first reported by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Bynum outraised Adair by roughly $630,000 for the quarter.

The 5th District stretches from Portland's southeastern suburbs through Clackamas County, including Lake Oswego and West Linn, into central Oregon and the Bend area. Clackamas County mailed ballots to voters on Oct. 14.

Bynum's campaign drew contributions from across the country, though most came from Oregon, according to the filings. More than half of her donations came from individual contributors, though she has also received support from PACs tied to pharmaceutical, technology and other industries, The Oregonian reported.

Adair has criticized Bynum for accepting corporate PAC money. Bynum told The Oregonian her finances are transparent and her voting record shows she is "bought by no one."

Adair, 74, a fourth-generation Oregonian, has focused her campaign on federal spending. She told The Oregonian that the federal government has "a terrible problem now" and called for eliminating waste and abuse.

Bynum, 51, flipped the 5th District from Republican to Democratic control in 2024, defeating then-U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer by 2.7 percentage points. She was the first Black Oregonian elected to Congress. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report now rates the seat "Solid Democratic."

The two candidates debated on Oct. 14 on Bend-based station KTVZ. During the debate, Bynum touted her record of securing federal dollars for the district, according to The Oregonian's debate coverage.

"I brought back over $200 million to this district; I have the receipts," she said.

Registered Democrats make up 30.5% of the district's 548,852 voters, while Republicans account for nearly 27% and unaffiliated voters 35%, according to state registration data cited by The Oregonian. That gap is the narrowest between the two parties of any Oregon congressional district.

Clackamas County voters can return ballots to any of 26 official drop sites or mail them back no later than Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to Clackamas County Elections. All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.