Four for Fifth

The race for the 5th Congressional District, which now stretches from Portland to Bend and Sunriver has drawn four candidates. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, has filed for re-election despite redistricting moving much of his former constituency into the neighboring 6th district. Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Crooked River Ranch plans a primary challenge to Schrader’s left. The GOP primary so far has former Happy Valley Mayor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Jimmy Crumpacker, who finished fourth in the crowded 2020 GOP primary for the 2nd district won by then Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario. With Bend now in the 5th District, Crumpacker will make a bid for the new seat. A fifth candidate, Democrat Mark Gamba, has dropped out and endorsed McLeod-Skinner.

Sixth District Swirl

Rep. Ron Noble, R-McMinnville, has confirmed he’ll skip a bid for his House seat to run for the new 6th Congressional District. Noble filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on Oct. 16, but has remained low-key about entering the race. He’s among 10 candidates – five Democrats and five Republicans – who have filed with the FEC so far. The list includes Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Lake Oswego, and former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith. On the Republican side, Dundee Mayor David Russ had filed to run in the 1st Congressional District, but switched to the 6th district race when boundaries were redrawn for the six congressional seats, Former Keizer councilmember Amy Ryan Courser, the GOP nominee who lost the 2020 5th district race against U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader had filed for a rematch, but switched districts when her home ended up in the 6th district. Under the U.S. Constitution, U.S. House members do not have to live in their district, just in the state they represent.

New fight card in fourth

Republican Alek Skarlatos, who lost his 2020 bid for Congress to incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, has filed to run again in the 4th Congressional District. DeFazio surprised many Democrats by opting to retire after his current term despite a redistricting that makes his seat more Democratic-friendly. Immediately after DeFazio’s announcement, Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle said she would drop her re-election bid to run in the Democratic primary to succeed DeFazio. Republican Jeremy Van Tress of Corvallis has also filed to run.

Lonely Houses

As of Friday, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Beaverton has not opponent in the 1st Congressional District. Neither does U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland in the 3rd Congressional District.

Raiph Huber of Grants Pass has filed to run against Bentz in the 2nd Congressional District, but has show no campaign activity beyond a Facebook page. No Democrats are running so far in the GOP-heavy seat that covers most of Eastern, Central and Southwestern Oregon

drazan

breese iverson