Bynum, a Democrat and former state legislator and business owner, has raised more than $3.7 million, compared with Adair’s more than $420,000. The 2026 race has attracted little of the national political attention that surrounded their 2024 matchup, when Bynum defeated Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The district, which stretches from Portland-area suburbs across the Willamette Valley and the Cascades to Bend, has 548,852 registered voters. Democrats make up 30%, Republicans 27% and voters unaffiliated with either major party 35%. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district solidly Democratic.

Bynum, 51, became Oregon’s first Black member of Congress when she won in 2024. She has focused her campaign on curbing political corruption and health care costs and expanding educational opportunities. She has also said she wants to use her growing knowledge of federal policymaking to develop rules addressing cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

“I am fighting to turn the system on its head,” Bynum said, describing her view that Washington is not working for Oregonians. She has also pointed to local projects, including federal support for a new city hall in Scio, as tangible results she wants to pursue for the district.

Bynum faced criticism from some Democrats after voting for the Laken Riley Act, which broadens federal authority to detain and deport undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes. She said she supports immigrants’ contributions but argued that people who break the law should be held accountable, particularly in cases involving harm to children.

Adair says voters frustrated with Oregon’s Democratic leadership could be ready for a change. She has highlighted the state’s education rankings, addiction challenges and taxes, and says her county work has helped address homelessness while keeping Deschutes County’s finances strong.

She has also criticized Bynum for opposing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which cut safety-net programs while extending tax breaks Adair supports. On the Trump administration’s war in Iran, Adair said she would vote to end its funding if the conflict continued when she took office, while also saying she believed the war had done more good than harm.

Bynum said President Donald Trump had earned impeachment, while leaving the process to colleagues she described as better equipped to manage it. Midterm elections often pose challenges for the president’s party, and polls have suggested Democrats could win control of the House.

The campaign paused following a school shooting in Bend that killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary. Both candidates issued statements of support for those affected. The shooting occurred a day after they debated on television.