Oklahomans will head to their polling places today to cast primary ballots and consider a state question on raising the minimum wage.
Top-level statewide offices are up for grabs this year. All races drew multiple Republican candidates, and Democrats will vote in several competitive primaries. The Libertarian Party of Oklahoma is able to hold primaries but does not have multiple candidates for any state-level office.
After President Donald Trump tapped Markwayne Mullin for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, his Senate office drew multiple Democratic and Republican contenders. All five of Oklahoma’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the November ballot, and all five have primaries for at least one party.
For the first time in a decade, Oklahoma voters registered as independent will not be able to vote in any primary. The Democratic Party opened its primaries to independents in 2016, but did not meet the State Election Board’s paperwork requirements to do so for the 2026-2027 elections.
Independents can still cast ballots on State Question 832.
U.S. Senate
Five Republicans and five Democrats are running for Mullin’s former seat in the U.S. Senate.
GOP candidates include current U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, who represents Oklahoma’s First Congressional District. He was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Country singer Gary Ty England, Cherokee citizen and government watchdog Sean Buckner, data developer Nick Hankins and first responder Brian Ragain are the other Republicans on the ballot.
Former State Sen. Ervin Yen, who was previously a Republican, law enforcement officer Troy Green, nurse and Chickasaw citizen N'Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas, retired history professor R.O. Joe Cassity and employment lawyer Jim Priest make up the Democratic ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives - Congressional District 1
Someone new will fill Rep. Kevin Hern’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives next year after Hern filed for the Senate race.
Eleven Republicans are on the ballot. The winner will face Democratic candidate John Croisant in the fall.
Jackson Lahmeyer was endorsed by President Donald Trump last month. Lahmeyer, who founded Pastors for Trump, is a pastor at Sheridan Church in Tulsa. He told The Oklahoman he embraces the term “Christian nationalist.”
Lahmeyer faces reports of infidelity, according to British tabloid The Daily Mail. He addressed the rumors on X Monday morning.
“This matter was already dealt with privately between me and my wife, Kendra, through counsel and prayer with God and spiritual advisors,” Lahmeyer wrote. “I own crossing a boundary line through text messaging. I also ended all communication. The British Tabloid tried to paint me out in a way which is not the case.”
State Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Tulsa, has served in the legislature since 2022.
Kim David was the majority leader in the Oklahoma State Senate and now serves on on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney is a combat veteran in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and the founder of the scholarship organization Folds of Honor. But after Trump endorsed Lahmeyer, Rooney posted on social media that he would not campaign against him.
Other candidates include businessman Nathan Butterfield, political aide Jed Cochran, retiree Nancy Dyson, aerospace industry veteran Courtney Gill, former law enforcement officer Paul Royse, scientist Kelly Walsh and construction business owner Todd Woods.
Other U.S. House races
Oklahoma’s four other congressional seats are also up for reelection this year. Republican incumbents Josh Brecheen (CD2), Frank Lucas (CD3) and Tom Cole (CD4) all face primary challengers. Those races each drew two Democratic hopefuls.
Republican Incumbent Stephanie Bice faces no primary challengers in CD5. In the Democratic primary, former educator and Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Jena Nelson faces union leader Trey Martin, who received an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont).
Attorney general
Two Republicans are running for the attorney general ticket: Jon Echols and Jeff Starling. Democratic candidate Nick Coffey is vying for his party’s nomination unopposed.
Echols was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2012-24, representing southwest Oklahoma City. He was also the house majority leader during the last eight years of his tenure.
Echols told Oklahoma Voice he supports working with tribal governments, the death penalty and transparent governance. He also said he would support religious charter schools “in theory,” such as the proposed taxpayer-funded St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School that was canceled last year.
Other priorities listed on his website include opposing diversity, equity and inclusion, promoting the state’s energy industry and “upholding the Judeo-Christian values our nation was founded upon.”
Starling is the Oklahoma secretary of energy and environment, having been appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in December 2024. Before that, he worked as an attorney for multiple organizations, including Devon Energy Corporation.
He told Oklahoma Voice he supports the death penalty, would work with tribes for legal clarity post-McGirt and would support a religious charter school if one were proposed.
Coffey was a federal prosecutor for the Western District of Oklahoma for almost seven years. His website states he wants to remove government corruption, fight drug cartels and protect land from foreign entities.
Attorney general candidates have raised and spent approximately $3.9 million during their campaigns, making the race the second most expensive in the state, behind the governor’s race.
Treasurer
Oklahoman Republicans can vote to re-elect Todd Russ as state treasurer or cast their ballots for competitor Cindy Byrd. The winner of the Republican primary will face Libertarian Kiefer Perry in November’s general election.
As treasurer, Russ has prioritized investing in Oklahoma community banks rather than larger financial institutions. He has vocally opposed environment-social-governance policies at banks, which he says are discriminatory against the fossil fuels industry. The state has expanded its portfolio earnings during Russ’ term.
He has clashed multiple times with Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is currently vying to be the Republican candidate for governor. Their most recent dust-up concerns an investment contract the state awarded to a fledgling firm with connections to Gov. Stitt’s former chief of staff.
Byrd is finishing up her term as the state’s State Auditor and Inspector. During her time in office, she identified misappropriation of state funds by Epic Charter School leaders and spending issues at the Department of Mental Health.
Byrd announced earlier this year that she was running for lieutenant governor, but she pivoted to the treasurer's race on the final day of candidate filing. Her platform includes investing in tourism and the arts, increasing transparency in education spending, and tapering down reliance on federal funding.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
There is a long list of candidates for Oklahoma’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The position is currently held by Lindel Fields, who was appointed by Gov. Stitt after Ryan Walters left his controversial post to lead a national anti-teacher’s union group.
During his time in office, Walters made national news for his push to have public schools teach from the Bible. The state also faced multiple attempts to open religious charter schools.
The two Democratic candidates, Craig McVay and Jennettie Marshall, said religious teaching has no place in public education.
The seven Republicans running for the office expressed a variety of ideas on how to improve Oklahoma’s education system, which consistently ranks below that of most other states. Candidates include Sen. Adam Pugh, Debra A. Herlihy, John Cox, James Taylor, Robert Franklin, Rep. Toni Hasenbeck and William E. Crozier.
Lieutenant governor
Half a dozen Republican candidates are competing to be Oklahoma’s next lieutenant governor. The winner will face Kelly Forbes, the lone Democratic candidate for the position.
Four of the candidates have served in the Oklahoma Legislature. Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane and Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, will finish their terms this year.
T.W. Shannon is a former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the first Black and Chickasaw person to hold the position. In recent months, President Donald Trump endorsed Shannon’s campaign.
Edmond businessman H. Victor Flores and Navy veteran and Gov. Stitt's Chief Operating Officer David Ostrowe are also running for the lieutenant governor seat.
Commissioner of Labor
There are four candidates in the Republican primary race for Oklahoma's next Commissioner of Labor. The winner will replace Republican Leslie Osborn, who has led the Oklahoma Department of Labor since her first election in 2018.
Candidates include Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, and Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, who both currently serve in the State Legislature. Small business owner Lisa Janloo and retired U.S. Postal Service employee Keith Swinton are also running.
The Commissioner of Labor is responsible for enforcing state labor laws and promoting the welfare of wage earners. The elected officer also inspects rides at the Oklahoma State Fair.
The winner of the GOP primary will face off against unopposed Democratic and Libertarian candidates, Kevin Dawson and Mike Hall in November.
Insurance Commissioner
There are four Republican candidates and one Democrat running for Oklahoma’s Insurance Commissioner spot. The winner will replace Republican Glen Mulready, who has served in the role since 2019.
All the candidates are professionals in the insurance industry. They include Chris Merideth, from Edmond, Marty Quinn, a former state Senator from Claremore, Bob Sullivan, from Tulsa, and Greta Shuler, from Shawnee. Craig McIntyre is the sole Democrat in the race.
The job oversees the Oklahoma Insurance Department, which is responsible for enforcing the state’s insurance laws, regulating the marketplace to maintain competition and providing Oklahomans with information about their coverage.
If no Republican wins their party’s primary with a majority, the top two candidates will face off again in the August 25th runoff.
The winner of the Republican primaries will compete for votes against McIntyre in November.
Corporation Commissioner
Two Republicans and three Democrats are vying for a seat on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, utilities and certain areas of transportation. The commission is made up of three elected officials who regularly vote on electricity and natural gas rate increases.
The winner will replace Commissioner Todd Hiett, who will not run again because of term limits. Hiett has served on the commission since 2015.
Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, launched his bid for the Corporation Commission in 2025. The state lawmaker recently authored legislation intended to ensure average households don’t pay higher utility bills as more data centers are built in Oklahoma. The bill was signed by Gov. Stitt in May.
Republican Justin Hornback is from Broken Arrow and previously worked as a pipeline welder and inspector. His campaign has advocated for increasing transparency and communication within the Corporation Commission.
Rhonda Eastman, a Democrat from Spiro, is running on issues including addressing abandoned oil and gas wells, data center concerns and what she calls “lax regulation” within the commission. She has worked in trucking, utilities and construction, according to her candidacy announcement.
Democrat Donald Clytus is from Oklahoma City. The candidate works as the director of strategic planning at Insider Analytics, according to information listed on LinkedIn. He told The Oklahoman in June he wants to place constituents above corporations.
Harold Spradling is a Democrat with reported experience in education and oil and gas. The candidate has previously voiced opposition to the commission’s approval of higher customer rates after Winter Storm Uri.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
