On Saturday, Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR5) dashed from the stage of her spirited town hall in Sisters to continue her jam-packed day across Deschutes County. During the event, people rose to their feet in applause, responding to Bynum's vows to fight for the district.
She hopped in the car and immediately reflected on the high-energy crowd during her first town hall in Deschutes County since becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Oregon's 5th Congressional District.
In November, Bynum beat out Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, flipping the seat and becoming the first Black member of Congress to represent Oregon. Chavez-DeRemer now serves in the president's cabinet as U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Bynum spent her day in Deschutes County hearing from constituents. From Redmond to Sisters, then to Bend, Bynum talked with local organizations and officials and the people she represents.
One of Bynum's favorite things about being a politician, she said, is hearing what people are concerned about, and using their remarks as fuel to protest for important causes in Washington, D.C.
"The power of the people is stronger than the people in power," Bynum said.
A "Fired-Up" Town Hall
The Saturday town hall was filled with loud and passionate residents in her district, which includes areas like Sisters and Bend and extends into Clackamas County. Bynum walked into the town hall with an intensity, chanting, "Give 'em hell, Deschutes!"
Bynum showcased a tactic she uses often to fight back against the administration, called the one-minute protest: a moment on the House floor that allows representatives one minute to talk about whatever they want. While some use the minute for birthday announcements or shoutouts, she said, Bynum uses it as a form of protest.
"You learn how to use language that captures people's attention. I always start mine out with 'Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker.' I'm pleading with our leadership to change something on behalf of the people," she told the Source Weekly. "I think right now in our district, it's so urgent for us to be talking about wildfires, to be talking about food insecurity, to be challenging our leadership and for me to be disruptive."
Many of the constituent questions, and Bynum's responses, focused on how representatives and residents can fight back against federal cuts to funds, services and causes that locals find important.
One attendee asked what people can do to effect change, to which Bynum called for a continued effort to work together as a community.
"The court of public opinion is the most important thing. We have to work together. The rally that was held today is shifting the hearts and minds of people who even voted for President Trump and his administration," she said.
Right before her appearance at the town hall, Bynum walked through a demonstration taking place in downtown Sisters — the national "Hands Off!" protest in opposition to the Trump administration's dismantling of federal agencies and programs, among other issues.
Bynum walked along the sidewalks, filled with an estimated 500 demonstrators, asking people what brought them there.
"It was just really great to have her come out and join us at the rally and then the town hall. She was fired up, and those were things that we were pleased to see. We felt the atmosphere in the room during the town hall," said Mary Chaffin, an organizer with Indivisible Sisters, a local group championing democracy.
According to Chaffin, Bynum showed up and made it clear she was committed to employing every tool to fight back during these unprecedented times.
"The general sense is that it was very empowering to be together and to have someone articulate our concerns," Chaffin added.
A Noticeable Change in Representation
Visiting Deschutes County was an important venture for Bynum, she said. As she drove through Sisters, pointing out the quirks of the downtown streets, Bynum said she's regularly studying the district map to learn more about the population she serves.
As a newly elected representative, she emphasized the importance of hearing from and showing up for those in her district.
"I've been intentional about making sure this area has representation," said Bynum. "Trying to represent people, I have to show up for them in a genuine way, knowing that I might not come back," she said, in reference to the possibility of not being reelected to Congress.
Editor's note: The above quote has been updated for clarity.
Bynum said she can feel that difference — people having representation that will show up for them.
"When I said I represent everybody, there were some people that were really happy that I said that. Maybe they were not Democrats, but I got the feeling that when my predecessor had the seat, they didn't feel like they had representation, or very serious representation," Bynum said.
She pointed out that her priority is always to serve the people, something that could be seen as a deviation from Chavez-DeRemer, who was previously called out by local groups for demonstrating "a lack of willingness to meet with CD-5 constituents in a public forum," according to Roger Sabbadini of The Vocal Seniority, another local activist group.
Bynum's seat in Congressional District 5 is considered a swing district, which in 2022 was decided by just two percentage points. While Bynum presumes her success has come from her ability to serve everyone, despite party affiliation, she noted the pros and cons that come with being a more "moderate" politician.
"I might not please the left enough... and I might not please the right enough," Bynum told the Source Weekly. "I think it took me a minute to lean into the power that I had, because it's actually a pretty powerful position, if you're authentic about it."
The Art of Protest and Action
In addition to her desire for protest, Bynum discussed a housing package she's working on in the House, along with a bill that ensures funding for all students, especially students with special needs, to get access to a free and appropriate public education.
This week, she joined a group of lawmakers to ask for funds to give students with special needs the time, attention and services they require through the IDEA Full Funding Act. The bipartisan bill, Bynum pointed out, is one example of how being more moderate can be beneficial.
"This is one of those things where if you're mired down in partisan politics, you might miss that," Bynum said. "This is about our children.... If we can get that bill passed, and I think we can, that would be huge for the state."
During her day in Deschutes County, Bynum also visited local nonprofits, including the Deschutes River Conservancy and NeighborImpact, an organization offering food assistance and emergency housing to people in need. Both organizations were the beneficiaries of letters and bills Bynum is supporting, calling for continued funding.
Visiting these nonprofits and hearing their stories, she said, is important in her efforts to continue advocating for their support.
"It's like, 'I could show you better than I can tell you.' So, being there on site at the river, being there on site at the food bank, was really helpful for me to see. I can tell that story with much richer language."
Throughout her Saturday in Deschutes County, Bynum's main message to residents at the town hall, the protest and at her final event in Bend, Brews with Bynum, was for people to continue calling her office and sharing their grievances, offering more fuel for her protests.
