Janelle Bynum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Janelle Bynum
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
In office January 9, 2017 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Shemia Fagan
Succeeded by	April Dobson
Constituency	51st district (2017–2023) 39th district (2023–2025)
Personal details
Born	Janelle Sojourner Irick (1975-01-31) January 31, 1975 (age 50) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mark Bynum
Children	4
Education	Florida A&M University (BA) University of Michigan (MBA)

Janelle Sojourner Bynum (born January 31, 1975) is an American politician and businesswoman. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2025, she has served in the United States House of Representatives for Oregon's 5th district. Before this, she was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Janelle Bynum was first elected to Oregon's state legislature in 2016. She represented different areas, including parts of Portland and Happy Valley. In November 2024, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first Black person to be elected to Congress from Oregon.

Early Life and Education

Janelle Bynum grew up in Washington, D.C.. She studied electrical engineering at Florida A&M University, earning her bachelor's degree in 1996. Later, in 2000, she earned a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. An MBA is a special degree that teaches people how to manage businesses.

While she was a student, Bynum received a scholarship from Boeing, a big airplane company. She also worked for Boeing during the summer. After college, she worked as an engineer at General Motors, a car company, while she was getting her MBA.

Career Journey

After working at General Motors, Janelle Bynum moved to Oregon in 2002. She helped her mother-in-law manage McDonald's restaurants. These restaurants were part of a franchise, which means they were owned by local business people but were part of the larger McDonald's company.

Serving in the Oregon House of Representatives

In 2016, Janelle Bynum decided to run for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives. She ran as a Democrat for District 51. She won the primary election, which is when voters choose who will represent their party. Then, in the main election, she won against Lori Chavez-DeRemer. This was a very close race.

In 2018, Bynum ran for re-election and won again against Lori Chavez-DeRemer. In 2020, she won her re-election once more. In 2022, after the district boundaries changed, she ran and won for the 39th District.

In 2022, Janelle Bynum made history in Oregon. She was the first Black person to receive votes for the position of Speaker of the House. The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives.

As a state representative, Bynum worked on important laws. In 2023, she helped pass the Oregon CHIPS Act. This law provides money to help Oregon's computer chip industry grow. It helps attract technology companies and create jobs in the state. Janelle Bynum left the Oregon House of Representatives to run for Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2024 Election

On June 21, 2023, Janelle Bynum announced she would run for the United States House of Representatives. She sought to represent Oregon's 5th congressional district. This seat was held by Lori Chavez-DeRemer, whom Bynum had defeated twice before in state elections.

In May 2024, Bynum easily won the Democratic primary election. This meant she would be the Democratic candidate in the main election.

On November 5, 2024, Janelle Bynum won the general election. She defeated the current representative, Lori Chavez-DeRemer. This victory was a big moment because Bynum became the first Black person elected to Congress from Oregon.

Personal Life

Janelle Bynum is married to Mark Bynum, and they have four children. They own several McDonald's restaurants in the Portland area. She is also a Christian.

Electoral History

2024

2022

2020

2018

2016