Meet Janelle

A mother of four children and a small business owner of restaurants, Janelle Bynum knows our community and works hard for us. It’s what her parents taught her to do.

The daughter of teachers, her parents taught Janelle that education was the key to a better, safer world. When drug violence threatened her inner city neighborhood in Washington, DC, Janelle put that ideal into practice. She earned scholarships and put herself through school, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and her Master’s degree in Business Administration.

Today, Janelle and her husband, Mark, live in Happy Valley with their children. Janelle operates her family’s small business, running four restaurants in our community. In her restaurants, Janelle continues to embody those ideals taught to her early in life, mentoring her employees, providing scholarships to continue their education and encouraging them to dream big.

Janelle’s work has always been about reaching out and helping people get ahead, serving as our State Representative, and now running for Congress – she’s doing just that.

Janelle’s been working hard for us – lowering the cost of prescription drugs, protecting women’s reproductive freedom, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, building more affordable housing and addressing homelessness, taking on the climate crisis and finding pathways for all of our young people to get ahead – whether they’re pursuing a four-year degree or degree in career and technical education.  Janelle’s not afraid to stand up to anyone to ensure Oregonians get ahead.