The Oklahoma Freedom Caucus took a hit during the Republican primary runoffs Tuesday night. One of its founders, Dana Prieto, lost his bid for a second term representing Senate District 34 to challenger Aaron Forst. But hardline conservative Rep. Kevin West of Moore won the GOP bid for labor commissioner.
Inola insurance expert Bob Sullivan took the Republican insurance commissioner nomination over longtime legislator Marty Quinn.
The Democrats made their choice for the U.S. Senate, with Democratic Socialist N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas winning the runoff. She will face U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern in the Nov. 3 general election.
Senate District 34
The Senate District 34 race, which covers east and north Tulsa neighborhoods, attracted three challengers for Dana Prieto in the June primary. The race went to a runoff after Prieto finished just 115 votes ahead of Aaron Forst.
With less than 4,000 voters casting a ballot Tuesday, Forst won with about 66% of the vote. He will face Democrat Amy Hossain in the Nov. 3 general election.
Forst, 43, owns the Granny and Dot’s Early Childhood Development Center in Owasso with his wife, Adrienne. He has been involved in legislative efforts in child care, viewing it as a workforce and economic development issue. He said he ran because Prieto would not work with Democrats, who Forst said supported positive legislation on childcare programs.
Much of Forst’s campaign focused on his ability to work with people of other views and tamp down political divides.
Before his election four years ago, Prieto was a businessman in companies that included digital marketing, website development and floor cleaning. His alignment with the Freedom Caucus defined much of his first term. The caucus formed in September 2024 and is considered among the furthest right faction at the capitol, often challenging Republican leadership by pushing for hardline conservative, traditional and biblical principles.
Forst agreed on nearly every position — from eliminating the sales tax and backing private school tax credits to championing parental rights. They disagreed on the role the government should play in access to child care and responsibility to work across the political aisle.
Labor commissioner
Kevin West won the Republican primary runoff for labor commissioner over state Rep. John Pfeiffer, a rancher and farmer from Orlando. The Freedom Caucus member secured about 58% of the vote with nearly 88% of precincts reporting.
He will face Democrat Kevin Dawson and Libertarian Mike Hall in the Nov. 3 general election.
West is finishing his fifth term in the Oklahoma House and owns a cabinet shop in Oklahoma City. He sponsored House Bill 1775 that restricts the teaching on issues of race and gender in school.
Other bills West authored include banning the change of sex markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates, prohibiting state agencies and schools from recognizing Pride Month or displaying an LGBTQ+ flag on state property, banning drag performances in certain locations, prohibiting emergency contraception and giving immunity to drivers who unintentionally run over protestors in roadways.
Pfeiffer is the deputy floor leader of the Oklahoma House and largely focused on rural and agriculture issues as a lawmaker. He sponsored legislation to crack down on state employees benefiting from private government contracts, increase public access to records, repeal racist language in old property records and create newspapers in rural areas that have no media.
Insurance commissioner
With nearly 88% of precincts reporting, Bob Sullivan won the Republican primary runoff for insurance commissioner over former legislator Marty Quinn with about 55% of the vote.
He will face Democrat Craig MacIntrye in the Nov. 3 general election.
Sullivan, an Inola property and casualty insurance expert for more than 20 years, focused his campaign on Oklahoma’s ranking as having among the nation’s highest insurance rates. His promise is to recruit more carriers to spur competition and drive down rates.
Quinn spent more than 40 years in insurance and served in the Oklahoma legislature from 2010 to 2022. After he lost a bid for U.S. Congress, he moved to his native state of Arkansas. Two days before the candidate filing period, he registered to vote in Oklahoma using the address of an Owasso rental property.
U.S. Senate
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a 31-year-old nurse, defeated the more moderate 70-year-old attorney Jim Priest in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate with 59% of the vote. She is a Chickasaw citizen running on a pledge to preserve tribal sovereignty and supporting rural farmers and ranchers.
She will face former U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern in the November general election.
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