McLeod-Skinner ousts Biden-backed Schrader in Oregon primary

Progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner is projected to have ousted incumbent Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader (D), winning the Democratic primary for the state’s 5th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race at 11:55 a.m. ET.

McLeod-Skinner’s victory ends Schrader’s seven-term career in Congress. It marks a major victory for progressives, who had faced a series of setbacks in this year’s primaries before winning several key races on Tuesday.

McLeod-Skinner previously ran for secretary of state in Oregon, as well as for the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

The intraparty battle has grabbed national attention and pitted the two wings of the Democratic Party against each other.

McLeod-Skinner received the backing of major progressive figures like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and groups like the Working Families Party. Schrader, on the other hand, had the backing of President Biden.

Schrader has received backlash from progressives for his moderate stances. He voted against a plan to let Medicare negotiate the price it pays for drugs and voted against a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief legislation because he did not back raising the minimum wage.

The Cook Political Report rates the district as “lean Democratic.”

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