Written by Sydney Beckham
Tomorrow, Oregon will host its state primary, featuring two hotly contested U.S. House Democratic contests, including a key swing district.
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is a highly competitive and sought-after seat for both Republicans and Democrats. In the 2022 Democratic primary, Jamie McLeod-Skinner beat Kurt Schrader, the seven-term incumbent. In the general election, Republican Lori Chavez-Deremer would narrowly flip the long-time Democratic seat, handing a significant defeat to House Democrats. The race saw a total of $19.0M in ad expenditure.
In the 2024 Democratic primary, McLeod-Skinner is back in the race seeking a potential rematch. McLeod-Skinner has received $712K in ad support: $208K from her campaign and $504K from a last-minute ad blitz from Health Equity Now. The group’s ads emphasize McLeod-Skinner’s support for Medicare, stating she “[puts] progressive values into action”. Following the first TV airing from the group, speculation of potential Republican meddling in the primary arose. Such speculation began due to the media agency placing the groups’ buy, FiDi Media, which many Republican candidates and groups have employed in past elections.
McLeod-Skinner’s primary challenger, Janelle Bynum, has received nearly triple the amount of ad support. Bynum has garnered $2.3M in total ad expenditure, including a coordinated buy between her campaign and the DCCC ($1.2M). Notably, the group did not spend in the 2022 primary. Mainstream Democrats, a group that supported Kurt Schrader in the 2022 primary, has spent $802K in ads supporting Bynum. Mainstream Democrats' TV ads have attacked McLeod-Skinner by claiming she creates a toxic work environment and has been described as a “nightmarish boss”.
East of Portland, Oregon’s open 3rd Congressional District has seen $6.7M in ad spending for the Democratic primary. Nearly 84% of ad spending has come from outside groups. Maxine Dexter, the current member of the Oregon State Legislature, has received the most ad support with $3.3M. Outside of Dexter’s campaign, Democratic group 314 Action has spent $2.5M in pro-Dexter ads. Challenger Susheela Jayapal’s campaign has spent $217K, while Voters for Responsive Government spent nearly $3.1M on ads opposing Jayapal. The groups’ ads highlight Jayapal’s past record in office as Multonmah County Commissioner, stating“let’s not reward Susheela Jayapal’s record of failure.”
With the primary elections tomorrow, all eyes will turn to the general election, particularly in swing District OR-05. Looking ahead, Democratic group 314 Action has reserved nearly $500K on TV ads for OR-05, set to air in early fall. House Majority PAC has reserved $8.9M in the Portland, OR market, their third most expensive market as of today. We can expect to see millions more in the Portland market as the 2024 election approaches.
Miss our coverage on last week's primaries in West Virginia and Maryland? Read our blog about them here.
