Metro President Lynn Peterson said is running for the Oregon 5th Congressional District seat won last year by U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Happy Valley.

Peterson, a Democrat, told the Oregon Capital Bureau she is entering the 2024 race for the 5th Congressional District because she is concerned about the “culture war” agenda pushed by first-termer Chavez-DeRemer and other members of the majority GOP caucus.

Peterson said they are dividing the country and not contributing to solutions to the serious problems it faces.

“I have spent my career working in local, regional and state governments building coalitions to address urgent issues, from affordable housing to transportation, economic recovery and job creation,” said Peterson, a transportation engineer and planner by training. “Yet for all the hard work here in our Oregon communities, Congress is not doing its part — ideological politicians are more intent on culture wars than helping working people, more interested in rolling back fundamental rights than protecting our small cities and rural communities.”

Congressional District 5 includes the cities of Aurora, Beavercreek, Bend, Canby, Gladstone, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, West Linn and Wilsonville.

Chavez-DeRemer took office this January. She’s the former mayor of Happy Valley.

Metro is the elected government that covers the urbanized areas of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Peterson cannot run for reelection as president in 2026 because the Metro charter limits the position to two four-year terms. She began her political career as a city councilor in Lake Oswego from 2003 to 2006. Peterson served as the chair of Clackamas County Commission from 2007 to 2011. She was elected Metro President in 2018 after receiving 78% of the vote, defeating one opponent to replace Tom Hughes, who had served the limit of two consecutive terms

Peterson said she has a better chance to uniting the district because of her previous experience representing much of it, including Clackamas County.

Between her elected positions, Peterson served as a transportation policy advisor to former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and head of the Washington Department of Transportation. She supported the expansion the Sunrise Corridor in Clackamas County and backs the current project to replace the I-5 Bridge between Oregon and Washington.

As Metro president, Peterson led the passage of two ballot measures to address the homeless crisis. They include the 2018 affordable housing bond measure and the 2020 Metro supportive housing services measure.

Peterson said her biggest disappointment was the loss of a comprehensive Metro transportation funding measure that failed after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m encouraged that the project list we prepared is inspiring conversations now, Peterson said.

Peterson’s campaign press release listed a long and wide range of endorsers. They include: former U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, who chaired the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; former Governor Barbara Roberts; Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck; Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch; Gladstone Mayor Michael Milch; Wilsonville Mayor Julie Fitzgerald; former Clackamas County Chairs Jim Bernard, Charlotte Lehan; former Bend Mayor Sally Russell; Former Forest Grove Mayor Peter Truax; Former Lake Oswego Mayor Judie Hammerstad; former Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris; former Tigard Mayor Jason Snider; former Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla; Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington; Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pedersen; five of her Metro Council colleagues; community leaders Marcus Mundy and Eddy Morales, and more.

According to Willamette Week, possible opponents in the 2024 Democratic primary election include 2022 Democratic nominee Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Terrebonne, who lost to Chavez-DeRemer.

The Portland-based weekly also listed Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Happy Valley, as interested n the race. She twice beat Chavez-DeRemer in races for the Oregon House.

Salem resident and political organizer Kevin Easton has also announced he will run in the Democratic primary.

Jim Redden reports for Pamplin Media, a partner in the Oregon Capital Bureau