In a blow to Biden and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, 14-year incumbent Representative Kurt Schrader has lost his primary in Oregon’s newly drawn 5th Congressional District. Schrader was endorsed by Biden and received CCCP, err, DCCC support. He was positioned as the moderate democrat, while challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner was running to his far left. Last month, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported:
Schrader has faced mounting criticism from progressive Democrats over the past few years and faces a challenger from the left in the May 17 primary.
President Joe Biden announced Saturday that he’s endorsing incumbent Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader for Oregon’s 5th Congressional district.
“We don’t always agree, but when it has mattered most, Kurt has been there for me,” Biden wrote in his announcement. “And in doing so, he has helped to pass much of my agenda into law — making a huge difference in the lives of the Oregonians he represents and all of America.”
Microsoft News had also reported:
Biden announced his support for incumbent Representative Kurt Schrader in Oregon’s recently redrawn 5th congressional district in April but Schrader is facing a tough challenge from progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner. Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday to decide the primary races in the state’s congressional districts as well as voting in the Senate and gubernatorial primaries.
While Schrader has been endorsed by both Biden and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), he is a controversial figure who opposed Nancy Pelosi‘s return as Speaker of the House and the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
McLeod-Skinner has been endorsed by four out of the six county Democratic parties in the new 5th district, which has seen major changes following the 2020 U.S Census. In a rare move, the chairs of the Deschutes, Clackamas and Marion County Democrats wrote to the DCCC and criticized the committee’s involvement in the race.
The DCCC defended its involvement, with a spokesperson telling CNN on Monday that Schrader “has been critical in advancing President Biden’s agenda—from fighting to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs to protecting a woman’s right to choose.”
Election returns are consistently showing McLeod-Skinner with a 20 point lead over Schrader. It’s possible the numbers could fudge a bit, thanks to Oregon’s new 7 day after-election postmarked-ballot law and the covfefe at the Clackamas elections office which has significantly delayed updates. Oregon’s CD5 was the whipping boy of redistricting, since state legislative democrats were fine sacrificing Schrader, and they made his seat more competitive. The general election is expected to be very close, and the returns signal such, with the total republican votes nary 1400 behind the combined democrat votes in the district. Republican Lori Chavez-Deremer will likely be taking on McLeod-Skinner in November.