Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is a longtime fixture in Oklahoma politics and heavily favored to secure another six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
But Inhofe's 47 years of public service and time on the public payroll are exactly what Democratic nominee Matt Silverstein says is wrong with Washington.
Silverstein is a 34-year-old investment planner from Bixby who's criticizing Inhofe for refusing a public debate.
The 79-year-old Inhofe shrugs off the criticism and says he's already made his case to Oklahoma voters through his time in the Senate. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 succeeding David Boren.
Inhofe's political career began with his election to the Oklahoma House in 1966 and includes stints in the Oklahoma Senate, the Tulsa mayor's office and the U.S. House.
There are also three independents in the race: Ray Woods, Aaron DeLozier and Joan Farr.
