Maxine Dexter won the Democratic primary for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating a packed crowd of progressives that included Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal’s sister.
Dexter won the primary to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who had served in the state since 1996, in a district that covers much of Portland, Oregon. The district is solidly blue, making it unlikely for Republicans to win in November.
Former county commissioner Sushila Jayapal has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vermont) and several far-left “Squad” House Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R-New York) and Ilhan Omar (R-Minn.).
Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District includes most of Multnomah County, all of Hood County, and part of Clackamas County.
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Maxine Dexter (left) defeated her opponents Eddie Morales (center) and Sushila Jayapal (right) in the Oregon Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District and will advance to the November general election. He is widely expected to win. (Fox News Digital)
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-1 in the district, and all three major candidates — Jayapal, Dexter and Morales — had very similar views on the issues at stake.
Blumenauer, who announced his retirement last year after serving in Congress since 1996, told Fox News Digital in December that this Congress began with a clear rift within the majority party and he wasn’t sure how it could be resolved.
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Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-1 in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland, all of Hood County, and part of Clackamas County. (David Papazian, via Getty Images)
“In this situation, I think I can have as much or more influence as a private citizen on the issues I care about most,” Blumenauer said.
“It’s clear that when this Congress began, there were very deep and irreconcilable rifts with my Republican colleagues,” he said. “And things don’t seem to be getting better.”
Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer (above) announced his retirement late last year. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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“It’s troubling. But you know, we’re going to do our best to get some things moving next year,” he said.
Elizabeth Elkind of The Associated Press and Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
