Who is running for Congress in Oklahoma?

A shakeup in the form of former Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s appointment to President Trump’s Cabinet has led to a hotly contested series of primary elections for Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation.

If he hadn’t been appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security, Mullin was expected to run again for his Senate seat. But now, others have jumped at the role. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to finish the rest of Mullin’s term, but he is barred by state law from running for the position in this election — so the Senate is poised to see a fresh face from Oklahoma.

Here’s what you need to know about the six Congressional races happening this year.

Senate

Rep. Kevin Hern is the current favorite to hold the seat next.

Hern represents Oklahoma’s first district in the U.S. House, but is now seeking a move to the upper chamber. He snagged an endorsement from Trump just a few days after beginning his campaign.

In the House, Hern sits on the Committee for Ways and Means, which writes tax legislation.

Hern faces four Republican challengers in the June primary, including country singer Ty England and Sean Buckner, who runs a Facebook page he says aims to uncover alleged government wrongdoing. Buckner previously attempted to sue the City of Sallisaw.

The U.S. Senate chamber. Credit: Senate / Website

If no candidate gets more than half the vote, the top two will square up in a runoff in August.

In November, the winner will face one of five Democratic candidates. Troy Green, a former law enforcement officer and martial arts teacher, employment lawyer Jim Priestand nurse N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas are all listed on the state Democratic party’s website as federal candidates.

Also on the ballot is a familiar face in Ervin Yen, who served in the state Senate as a Republican. He ran for governor as an independent in 2022, citing the state’s lack of a mask mandate and other COVID-related policies as reasons he left the Republican Party behind. Even before the pandemic, Yen was an advocate for stricter vaccine mandatesfor children in public schools while in the Senate. He was previously a Democrat until 2009.

Congressional District 1

Hern’s choice to run for Senate has left the race for his House seat open. Twelve Republicans and one Democrat have filed for the office. In the crowded conservative field, some of the names already have statewide recognition.

Kim David sits on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities like oil and gas. Previously, she served as majority leader in the state Senate.

State Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Tulsa, has served in the statehouse since 2022, where he sits on committees for insurance and energy, among other topics.

A few other candidates come to the race with previous government service. Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, a combat veteran in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and the founder of scholarship organization Folds of Honor, enters the contest without experience in an elected position, but as someone who has been in the public eye through various media appearances. Jed Cochran has served as an aide to Oklahoma politicians like former Sen. Jim Inhofe and former Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum. He currently works as the owner of a government affairs consulting business.

Other players in the race include pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who leads Sheridan Church in Tulsa and founded Pastors for Trump, and Ron Durbin, a lawyer who lost his license and was later disbarred for more than 100 rule violations. Lahmeyer made an unsuccessful bid for Sen. James Lankford’s seat in 2022, but is known for making connections with Washington Republicans.

The winner of the dense primary will face the lone Democratic candidate to file: John Croisant, a member of the Tulsa Public Schools Board.

A map of Oklahoma’s Congressional districts. Credit: Twotwofourtysix / Wikimedia Commons

Congressional District 2

Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen has filed to serve what would be his third term in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the Freedom Caucus, which focuses on conservative Christian policies like banning abortion.

Brecheen faces one Republican challenger in veteran Will Webb.

On the Democratic side, former teacher and current small business manager Erik Terwey and union leader Brandon Wade will battle it out.

Congressional District 3

A House mainstay, Republican Rep. Frank Lucas has served in the larger chamber since 1994. As a farmer, he sits on the House Committee on Agriculture. If re-elected, he would begin his eighteenth term in the House of Representatives.

Lucas has drawn one Republican challenger: Wade Burleson, who lost to Lucas in the 2022 primary. Burleson is the president of Istoria Ministries, a Christian nonprofit.

Their most visible Democratic opponent is Jules Roberson, who advocates for progressive policies like abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Congressional District 4

Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Cole, whose political career spans decades at the state and federal levels, is campaigning for his twelfth House term. In Washington, he sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which writes budget legislation.

Moore resident Marcie Everhart is challenging Cole from the Republican Party.

Two Democrats have also filed for the race: Air Force veteran Jeff Pixley and Army veteran and recent law school graduate Mitchell Jacob.

Congressional District 5

After mulling a run for Senate, current Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice decided to instead campaign for the House again, aiming to earn a fourth term. She hasn’t drawn any challengers within her party, but Democrat Jena Nelson, a former teacher who ran for State Superintendent in 2022 and lost to former Supt. Ryan Walters, is her most publicly visible opponent.