Susheela Jayapal, sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), was defeated in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), who is retiring after a nearly 30-year tenure.
Jayapal lost to Democrat Maxine Dexter, who secured 53.2% of the vote with over a third of the votes counted. The Associated Press announced the result at 8:54 p.m. EST.
Running on a progressive agenda similar to that of her younger sister, Susheela Jayapal aimed to capture the same voter base.
The contest between Jayapal and Dexter drew significant interest, with more than $1 million from a super PAC used to criticize Jayapal’s record. In contrast, the 314 Action Fund invested at least $1.7 million to support Dexter.
This influx of money led to accusations from Jayapal and fellow candidate Eddy Morales, who claimed the group meddled in the Democratic primary with funds sourced from “MAGA money.” The group’s donors have not yet been disclosed for April, when spending on the Oregon primary began.
With her primary win, Dexter is now the frontrunner for the seat in the November election. Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District is rated as D+22 and is considered “Solid Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.
All 435 seats are on the ballot in 2024 as Republicans aim to maintain their narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Among these, 42 are seen as competitive, mostly held by Democrats, giving the GOP a potential edge as the 2024 election cycle approaches.
Nonetheless, among the 42 competitive seats, 17 are held by Republicans in districts that supported President Joe Biden in 2020, compared to only five Democrats defending seats in districts won by former President Donald Trump. This dynamic indicates a sufficient number of vulnerable Republican-held seats to keep the competition fierce in the upcoming election cycle.
