--- title: "Bynum vs. Adair: 2026 Oregon’s 5th District race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-or-05" updated: "2026-08-01" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 Oregon’s 5th District race: Janelle Bynum (D) vs. Patti Adair (R) Rating: Likely D · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: August 1, 2026 Incumbent Democratic Representative Janelle Bynum faces Republican challenger Patti Adair in Oregon's 5th Congressional District general election on November 3, 2026. Bynum, who won the seat in 2024, emphasizes her legislative record in Congress and the state legislature, focusing on housing affordability, reproductive rights, clean energy, and healthcare. Adair, a Deschutes County Commissioner and CPA, centers her campaign on economic growth, supporting law enforcement, sustainable resource management, and local government experience. ## Candidates - **Janelle Bynum** (Democrat, incumbent) · [Campaign site](https://www.janellebynum.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) - **Patti Adair** (Republican) · [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Patti_Adair) ## Issues ### Economy and Cost of Living Salience: high Bynum relies on targeted federal and state industrial investments like the CHIPS Act, whereas Adair focuses on CPA-backed fiscal oversight and pro-small business deregulation. **Janelle Bynum:** Supports job creation and cost reduction Bynum emphasizes lowering the cost of living by supporting small businesses, local job creation, and strategic investments in tech manufacturing. In the state legislature, she co-chaired the Joint Committee on Semiconductors and helped pass the Oregon CHIPS Act to spur local workforce expansion. In Congress, she supported regulatory frameworks for emerging financial tools like payment stablecoins through the GENIUS Act. - Co-chaired Oregon's Joint Committee on Semiconductors and led passage of the Oregon CHIPS Act. - Supported the GENIUS Act (S. 1582) to establish a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. - Focuses on lowering everyday expenses while building clean energy and tech industry workforces. > “Our country doesn’t thrive unless our local economies thrive, and that means creating good jobs close to home, supporting small businesses, and bringing down the cost of living.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) **Patti Adair:** Supports small business and affordability Adair focuses on making daily life affordable for working-class Oregonians through economic growth and fiscal oversight. Drawing on her experience as a CPA and Deschutes County Commissioner, she highlights overseeing local economic growth and responsible tax dollar management. She advocates unleashing economic development and removing burdens on small businesses. - Pledges to make everyday life more affordable for working-class families. - Highlights oversight of Deschutes County as the most pro-small business county in Oregon. - Leverages her professional background as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at Moss Adams. > “Make everyday life more affordable for working-class Oregonians” > — Patti Adair, via [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) ### Public Safety and Law Enforcement Salience: high Adair advocates full funding and expanded judicial infrastructure for law enforcement, while Bynum balances support for select law enforcement bills with criminal justice reform. **Janelle Bynum:** Supports targeted safety and accountability Bynum links her public safety philosophy to her family ties with law enforcement while advocating for targeted crime legislation and criminal justice accountability. In the 119th Congress, she voted for the bipartisan Laken Riley Act to detain non-citizens arrested for burglary or theft, though she voted against making DUIs automatic grounds for deportation. - Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) requiring DHS detention for individuals arrested for theft or burglary. - Voted Nay on H.R. 875 regarding making DUIs grounds for deportation or inadmissibility. - Prioritized law enforcement accountability and criminal justice reform during her state legislative career. > “I learned from my grandfather, a police officer for 36 years, that you don’t stop working hard until the hard job is done.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Campaign site](https://www.janellebynum.com) **Patti Adair:** Supports increased law enforcement funding Adair makes community safety a cornerstone of her platform, advocating full support and funding for law enforcement. As a county commissioner, she increased funding for local law enforcement and worked to secure new judgeships to process criminal cases. - Pledges to fully support and fund law enforcement agencies to maintain safe communities. - Increased funding for law enforcement during her tenure as Deschutes County Commissioner. - Delivered additional judgeships to county courts to manage criminal prosecution dockets. > “Fully support law enforcement to keep our communities safe” > — Patti Adair, via [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) ### Housing and Homelessness Salience: high Bynum focuses on expanding public housing construction and shelter capacity through state and federal funds, whereas Adair emphasizes local crisis response and charity fundraising. **Janelle Bynum:** Supports shelter expansion and housing supply Bynum views homelessness and housing costs as urgent economic challenges requiring federal and state coordination. In the Oregon legislature, she supported legislation to prevent homelessness, expand shelter capacity, and increase mental health services, and she advocates cutting red tape for housing construction. - Advocates removing regulatory red tape to boost housing construction and protect tenants. - Helped pass state measures expanding shelter capacity, homelessness prevention, and mental health services. - Pledges to direct federal funding to local communities to address homelessness. > “Homelessness is one of the greatest social and economic challenges of our lifetime, and it’s critical we get people off our streets.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) **Patti Adair:** Supports direct crisis intervention programs Adair addresses homelessness through local crisis intervention and community fundraising. In county government, she confronted drug abuse and homelessness directly while raising funds for programs serving vulnerable women and children. - Fought the local drug and homelessness crisis head-on as a county commissioner. - Helped raise millions of dollars for programs supporting homeless women and children. - Emphasizes combining local program funding with public safety measures. > “Fought the drug and homelessness crisis head-on” > — Patti Adair, via [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) ### Climate and Natural Resources Salience: medium Bynum advocates federal clean energy investments to reduce carbon emissions, while Adair emphasizes local land stewardship and sustainable resource management. **Janelle Bynum:** Supports clean energy and climate action Bynum supports federal initiatives to combat climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and expand clean energy manufacturing. In the state legislature, she sponsored clean energy bills intended to position Oregon as a green industry hub while creating union jobs. - Advocates federal policies to reduce carbon emissions and build clean energy infrastructure. - Sponsored state legislation to position Oregon as a clean energy hub. - Links climate action directly to wildfire prevention and union job creation. > “The effects of climate change are felt close to home with brutal summers and the threat of wildfires year-round.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) **Patti Adair:** Supports sustainable natural resource management Adair emphasizes sustainable management of natural resources to support local land users and rural economies. Drawing on her background growing up on a ranch, she prioritizes practical conservation over federal regulatory mandates. - Prioritizes sustainable management of Oregon's natural resources. - Draws on personal experience living on a Sisters horse ranch and growing up on a Heppner family ranch. - Focuses on balancing land stewardship with local economic needs. > “Ensure sustainable management of our natural resources” > — Patti Adair, via [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) ### Healthcare Salience: medium Bynum focuses on expanding federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, while Adair points to her local fundraising for hospital infrastructure. **Janelle Bynum:** Supports expanding healthcare and lowering costs Bynum advocates strengthening federal healthcare programs, expanding Medicaid, and lowering prescription drug prices. She focuses on preventing medical bankruptcies and expanding access to both primary care and mental health services. - Pledges to protect Medicare and expand Medicaid coverage. - Supports federal policies to reduce prescription drug costs. - Worked in the state legislature to expand healthcare and mental health access. > “No person should be a medical emergency away from bankruptcy, but sadly that happens all too often in our country.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) **Patti Adair:** Supports local medical infrastructure funding Adair approaches healthcare through local community fundraising and institutional support. Prior to entering county office, she helped raise millions of dollars to support local hospital facilities. - Helped raise millions of dollars for local hospital development. - Focuses on strengthening local community healthcare capacity. ### Government Operations and Ethics Salience: medium Adair champions ethics reforms like banning congressional stock trading, whereas Bynum focuses on opposing conservative federal legislation and expanding federal transparency. **Janelle Bynum:** Opposes conservative federal house bills Bynum positions herself as a check on White House initiatives and congressional Republican legislation. In the 119th Congress, she voted against the budget reconciliation package (H.R. 1), the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), and limits on federal court injunctions (H.R. 1526), while voting to require DOJ publication of unclassified Epstein investigation records. - Voted Nay on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) reconciliation bill. - Voted Nay on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) regarding proof of citizenship for voting. - Voted Yea on the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405). **Patti Adair:** Supports congressional insider trading ban Adair advocates reform in government operations by banning insider trading by members of Congress and reducing special interest influence. She stresses placing public interest ahead of political parties. - Proposes a formal ban on insider stock trading by Members of Congress. - Pledges to prioritize citizens over political parties and special interest groups. > “Ban insider trading by Members of Congress” > — Patti Adair, via [Campaign site](http://pattiforcongress.com/) ### Reproductive Rights Salience: high **Janelle Bynum:** Supports codifying federal abortion rights Bynum strongly advocates for reproductive freedom and codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law. She actively opposes federal restrictions on abortion access and has earned endorsements from reproductive rights organizations like EMILY's List. - Committed to codifying Roe v. Wade in federal statute. - Opposes national abortion bans and restrictions on healthcare decisions. - Endorsed by EMILY's List for the 2026 election cycle. > “I’m running to defend reproductive rights and codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level.” > — Janelle Bynum, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Janelle_Bynum) **Patti Adair:** No documented position in our sources ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/or-05-house-election-winner) — OR-05 House Election Winner: Democrats 95.8%, Republicans 3.9% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/HOUSEOR5-26) — OR-05 House winner?: Janelle Bynum 96.0%, Patti Adair 6.8% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-or-05)