Janelle Bynum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janelle Bynum
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Official portrait, 2025
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 5th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Lori Chavez-DeRemer |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
| In office January 9, 2017 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Shemia Fagan |
| Succeeded by | April Dobson |
| Constituency | 51st district (2017–2023) 39th district (2023–2025) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Janelle Sojourner Irick
January 31, 1975 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mark Bynum |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BA) University of Michigan (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Janelle Sojourner Bynum (born January 31, 1975) is an American politician and businesswoman. She is currently serving as a U.S. Representative for Oregon's 5th congressional district since 2025. This means she helps make laws for the whole country.
Before joining the U.S. House, she was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2017 to 2025. In this role, she helped make laws for the state of Oregon. Janelle Bynum is a member of the Democratic Party. She is also the first Black person to be elected to Congress from Oregon.
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Early Life and Education
Janelle Bynum grew up in Washington, D.C.. During her high school years, she gained early experience by interning at Capitol Hill. This is where the U.S. Congress meets.
She earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Florida A&M University in 1996. Later, she received a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan in 2000. While studying at Florida A&M, she received a scholarship from Boeing, a large aerospace company. She also worked for Boeing as a summer associate. After college, she worked as an engineer at General Motors while getting her MBA.
Career Journey
In 2002, Janelle Bynum moved to Clackamas County, Oregon. She went there to help her mother-in-law manage a McDonald's restaurant franchise. This was a big change from her engineering career.
Serving in the Oregon House
Janelle Bynum was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2016. She represented the 51st district, which included parts of Multnomah and Clackamas counties. This area covered places like Happy Valley and Damascus.
First Elections
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In 2016, she ran for the 51st House district. She won the Democratic primary election with 66% of the votes. In the main election, she won against Lori Chavez-DeRemer by a small margin. This was a very close race.
In 2018, she ran for re-election. During her campaign, she was reported to the police as a "suspicious person" while talking to voters. She won her re-election against Lori Chavez-DeRemer again. In 2020, she won another term, defeating two other candidates.
New District and Final Term
After new district maps were drawn in 2022, Janelle Bynum's district changed. She then represented the 39th District, covering parts of Clackamas County. She won this election by a 10-point difference.
Key Actions in the Oregon House
In 2019, Janelle Bynum was the only person in the Oregon House to vote against a bill. This bill would have given more time for survivors of certain crimes to file lawsuits. In 2020, she and other lawmakers asked Governor Kate Brown to release nearly 2,000 state prison inmates.
In 2022, she ran for the position of Oregon Speaker of the House. This is a very important leadership role. Although she did not win, she made history. She was the first Black person in Oregon to receive votes for Speaker of the House.
By 2023, Janelle Bynum was the chair of the House Committee on Economic Development and Small Business. In April 2023, she helped pass the Oregon CHIPS Act. This act provided $210 million to help Oregon's computer chip industry grow. She left the Oregon House of Representatives in January 2025 to become a U.S. Representative.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
The 2024 Election
On June 21, 2023, Janelle Bynum announced she would run for the Oregon's 5th congressional district seat. This seat was held by Lori Chavez-DeRemer, whom Bynum had defeated twice before in state elections. In January 2024, the Democratic Party's national committee supported her campaign.
On November 5, 2024, Janelle Bynum won the general election. She narrowly defeated Lori Chavez-DeRemer again. This election was one of the most expensive in the 2024 cycle. It involved over $26 million in outside spending. As mentioned, Bynum is the first Black member of Congress from Oregon.
Her Role in Congress
In 2025, Janelle Bynum joined 46 other House Democrats in voting for the Laken Riley Act.
Committee Work
In the 119th United States Congress, Janelle Bynum is part of important committees:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets
- Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
These committees deal with money, banks, and housing rules.
Group Memberships
Janelle Bynum is also a member of several groups in Congress:
- Future Forum (she helps lead new members)
- New Democrat Coalition
- Bipartisan Women's Caucus (she is a vice chair)
- Congressional Black Caucus
These groups help members work together on shared interests.
Personal Life
Janelle Bynum is married to Mark Bynum, and they have four children. They live in Happy Valley, Oregon. Together, they own several McDonald's restaurants in the Portland area. She is a Christian.
Images for kids
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Janelle Bynum's signature.
