Outcome still unclear in Oregon’s tight Fifth District race

SALEM, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — Oregon's 5th Congressional District race remained too close to call Thursday evening, almost a full two days after polls closed, with Democratic challenger Janelle Bynum maintaining a slim lead over Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer as ballots continue to be counted, KGW reports.

Both candidates have seen very slight dips in their share of the vote since the first results were posted on election night, but the roughly 8,000 vote gap between them has remained virtually unchanged, with Bynum dropping from an initial 47.9% to 47.7% as of Thursday evening and Chavez DeRemer dropping from 45.6% to 45.2% over the same period.

Both campaigns have kept their messaging to a minimum so far, only issuing statements to note that the race is very close and urging their supporters to wait for all votes to finish being counted.

The race is among the most closely-watched in the country — and the most expensive of Oregon's congressional races — due to its potential to play a major role in determining control of the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives. Chavez-DeRemer was first elected in 2022, flipping the district to Republican control for the first time in over two decades.

INTERACTIVE MAP: County-by-county look at Oregon, Washington voting in uncalled congressional races

The district's borders were heavily shifted during the redistricting process after the 2020 census, and the new political landscape led to the ouster of moderate Democrat Kurt Schrader, who had represented the district for more than a decade but was defeated in the 2022 primary by progressive challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner. Chavez-DeRemer subsequently defeated McLeod-Skinner in the general election and claimed the seat.

McLeod-Skinner attempted to set up a rematch this year but was defeated in the primary by Bynum, who currently serves in the Oregon State House of Representatives.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in the redrawn 5th District, but both parties are outnumbered by the district's unaffiliated voters, an environment that has resulted in very close general election contests both in 2022 and this year.