Decision 2024: District 5 Democratic candidates Janelle Bynum, Jamie McLeod-Skinner weigh in on climate, housing, more

(Update: Adding video, comments from candidates)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- Primary election ballots have begun hitting mailboxes across the High Desert, and one of the most closely watched races is on the Democratic ticket. The two Democratic candidates for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, Jamie McLeod-Skinner and Janelle Bynum, are vying for your vote, and a chance to take on first-term Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The Fifth District includes all of Deschutes County and stretches across the Cascades into the Portland area.

Bynum told us she's the right choice: "I win elections, and there's nothing that can counteract that. Like, I win, and I've won four times - and I've beaten the incumbent twice."

Bynum is a state representative from Happy Valley and owns a McDonald's. Her opponent, McLeod-Skinner, is an attorney from Terrebonne who lost to Chavez-DeRemer in 2022

For her part, McLeod-Skinner said it'll be different this time: "I'm really excited about that, especially now that she has a voting record. And her voting record is not good for Oregonians. I am well-positioned to beat her in November. And I've heard from Oregonians across the district, they're looking for a change,"

With the median price of a home in Bend at about $780,000 and the average cost of monthly rent at $1,900, we asked the candidates how they'll help Oregonians struggling with the rising cost of housing.

Bynum: "We have resources, but it's a matter of how those resources are distributed and how effectively people are able to use them. Whether it's tiny home villages, like what, Redmond has. We're seeing housing hit us at, you know, every part of the spectrum."

McLeod-Skinner: "We need to build more housing. And, as we know, housing is actually more expensive here in Bend than even in Portland. It's the most expensive in the state. And so investing in infrastructure, the water and sewer lines, electricity, you know, the access to broadband, all those things are key pieces," said McLeod-Skinner.

Wildfire season is another concern for voters. Last year was milder than usual with 190,000 acres burned compared to more than a million in 2020. This year Central Oregon is expected to be drier and warmer than last year.

McLeod-Skinner said, "We've got to get off the trajectory we're on right now, of destroying our planet. And so we need to invest in more renewable energy and renewable energy resources. There's things we can do at the federal level, in terms of investments, and short- and long-term investments."

Bynum says she will focus on education.

"We're talking about resilience, making sure that people are educated about what their options are as they're ready to go, that we learn how to manage a little bit better. No. 2 is in innovation. So how do we make sure that we utilize water effectively?" she said.