A conservative Deschutes County commissioner plans to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum in Oregon’s most competitive congressional district.

Patti Adair, 74, announced her candidacy Tuesday for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, which stretches across the Cascades from Bend to Portland. Bynum is in her first term after defeating Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, now secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2024.

Adair, who did not return a Tuesday phone call or email from the Capital Chronicle, said in a press release that she understands the problems facing the district, calling Bynum an “extreme partisan.”

“In Congress, I will work across party lines to deliver real results that improve the lives of Oregonians across the 5th District,” she said in a statement.

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