Oregon Democrats wasted no time fundraising against Republicans who helped to unanimously elect Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 25, ending 22 days of uncertainty.
“Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Cliff Bentz have clearly stated that Mike Johnson’s anti-choice, anti-LGBT, and anti-climate science stances were okay by them when they voted for their MAGA House speaker, Mike Johnson,” wrote the Democrat Party of Oregon in a fundraising email entitled: “Help us flip CD5 and CD2” just hours after Johnson’s election.
Though Mr. Bentz is not currently seen as vulnerable in next year’s elections—he represents the solidly red 2nd Congressional District and received 67 percent of the vote in 2022—Ms. DeRemer is clearly in the crosshairs.
The first-term representative from Oregon’s 5th Congressional District supported Mr. Johnson as what she called the “consensus candidate” to lead the House.
“The American people, and our allies around the world, are relying on us to come together and demonstrate that we’re able to govern responsibly,” Ms. Chavez-DeRemer wrote in an Oct. 25 press release.
“I’m hopeful that Speaker Johnson will work effectively with all sides of the Conference to advance common sense, pragmatic legislation that is good for our state and our nation.”
Before throwing her support behind Johnson, she voted against Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan in his bid for speaker and opposed Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s removal as speaker.
Her opponents pounced.
Democrats Eye District
Democrats, both statewide and nationally, consider defeating Ms. Chavez-DeRemer a top priority. They see her as vulnerable and the race as a critical opportunity to flip the U.S. House blue in 2024.
The Congresswoman is one of a dozen Republicans elected last year in districts that were won by President Joe Biden in 2020. Oregon’s District 5 went for Mr. Biden by nine points.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district, which stretches from the central Oregon city of Bend to east Portland.
Voter registration in this district, anchored by Clackamas and Deschutes counties (home to about two-thirds of its voters) with portions of four others, leans Democratic by 5 percentage points.
Ms. Chavez-DeRemer is preparing for her 2024 reelection campaign and has already raised $636,051.
She faces a crowded field of Democrat primary candidates who are working vigorously to tie her to the far right wing of her party.
