Janelle Bynum has become the first Black Congress member from Oregon, a state which was created as a white supremacist haven through a series of laws excluding Black people from settling in the state from the 1840s through 1857.
According to The Associated Press, Bynum received support from national Democrats, which helped the party flip the seat back into their control for the first time in 25 years.
Bynum alluded to Oregon’s history in a press conference on Nov. 8.
“It’s not lost on me that I am one generation removed from segregation. It’s not lost on me that we’re making history. And I am proud to be the first, but not the last, Black member of Congress in Oregon.”
Bynum continued, “But it took all of us working together to flip this seat, and we delivered a win for Oregon. We believed in a vision and we didn’t take our feet off the gas until we accomplished our goals.”
Bynum’s opponent, Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, conceded the race on Nov. 7.
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity I had to serve as Oregonians’ voice in Congress,” Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement on social media. “Although this isn’t the outcome we had hoped for, I’m proud of what we accomplished together.”