In close race that could tip House, candidates fight for the center

CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. — In a close contest that could determine control of the House of Representatives, a Republican incumbent and her Democratic challenger appear to be competing for an unlikely title: most centrist.

In Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer and state Rep. Janelle Bynum, her Democratic opponent, are both running as moderates, touting their bipartisan records and policymaking chops, while trying to cast each other as ineffective and extreme.