Summary
Oklahoma’s 2026 federal elections will feature one U.S. Senate race and five House contests. The state is reliably Republican across all five congressional districts, and post-redistricting maps have made each seat structurally safe for the GOP. However, 2026 presents unusual circumstances: incumbent Sen. Markwayne Mullin vacated his seat in March 2026 after being confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security, creating an open Senate seat for the first time in years. The Republican primary to replace him is highly competitive, while Democrats are fielding a primary field of their own for the general election. Democrats hold no realistic path to winning any of the five House seats following the 2020 redistricting, but are running candidates in all districts to build infrastructure and candidate pipelines. The Senate Democratic primary is the main organizational focal point for the party in 2026.
Most Competitive Races
U.S. Senate (Open Seat)
Oklahoma’s Senate seat became open when Mullin was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security on March 23, 2026. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed oil and gas executive Alan Armstrong as interim senator, though Armstrong is prohibited by a state law oath from running for the full term. The Republican primary to fill the seat is highly contested, with Rep. Kevin Hern, who vacated his Tulsa-area House seat to run, entering as a frontrunner alongside several other candidates. Democrats are fielding a primary of their own on June 16, with a potential runoff on August 25 if no candidate clears 50%. The general election will be November 3, 2026. No Democratic candidate is considered competitive in the general, but the open seat dynamic and the unsettled Republican field make it a higher-visibility race than typical Oklahoma Senate contests.
OK-05 (Oklahoma City Suburbs)
Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, centered on Oklahoma City and its suburbs, is the historically most competitive district in the state. Democrat Kendra Horn held the seat from 2019 to 2021, and the district has since been redrawn to a Cook PVI of R+9 — more Republican than before, but still the most reachable of the state’s five districts for Democrats in a favorable national environment. Incumbent Republican Stephanie Bice is running for a fourth term. Democrat Jena Nelson, a former educator who ran for State Superintendent in 2022, is the most publicly visible Democratic challenger. The race is rated Safely Republican by forecasters, but it remains the only district where a hypothetical Democratic wave scenario could produce a competitive outcome.
OK-01 (Tulsa Area — Open Seat)
The Tulsa-area 1st Congressional District became an open seat after Rep. Kevin Hern announced his Senate bid on March 11, 2026. The open Republican primary features a crowded field of twelve Republican candidates, including state Corporation Commission Chair Kim David, state Rep. Mark Tedford, combat veteran Dan Rooney, and country singer Ty England. One Democrat has filed. The district carries a Cook PVI well above R+15 and is not considered competitive at the general election level. However, the open-seat dynamic and multi-candidate Republican primary make the primary itself the main event. Democrats are running a candidate primarily to maintain ballot presence and conduct voter registration activity.
Most Competitive Candidates — U.S. Senate Democratic Primary
Jim Priest
Priest is a lawyer and former nonprofit executive who previously served as CEO of Sunbeam Family Services and Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma. He is running on a platform centered on economic opportunity, workforce development, and restoring institutional trust. His background in nonprofit leadership and civic engagement gives him credibility with moderate and socially-minded Democratic voters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He is viewed by party insiders as one of the more electable general-election profiles in the field.
Troy Green
Green is a former law enforcement officer and longtime martial arts instructor who founded Safe Haven Oklahoma, a nonprofit focused on combating human trafficking and child exploitation. He retired from teaching in 2022 after 30 years and has built a community profile around public safety and family protection. His campaign draws on grassroots networks in the nonprofit and veterans communities. He appeals to voters looking for a candidate with law enforcement credibility and a record of community service outside elected politics.
Rebekah LaVann
LaVann is running in the Democratic Senate primary and draws support from progressive and activist circles within the state party. Her candidacy reflects the grassroots organizing energy that has built within Oklahoma’s Democratic base in response to Republican governance on education, healthcare, and social policy. She is positioned to the left of Priest in the field and appeals to younger, college-educated Democratic primary voters in the Oklahoma City and Norman areas.
N’Kiyla Thomas
Thomas, who goes by ‘Jasmine,’ is running in the Democratic Senate primary and is listed as a federal candidate on the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s official candidate page. She represents the diversity-focused and community-activist wing of the primary electorate. Limited public information is currently available about her campaign platform and organizational infrastructure, though her presence in the race reflects the party’s effort to field a broad and representative primary field.
Most Competitive Candidates — U.S. House Democratic Primaries
Jena Nelson (OK-05)
Nelson is running in the Democratic primary for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, the most visible House Democratic candidacy in the state. A former educator, she previously ran for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022 against Ryan Walters, giving her statewide name recognition and experience running in a contested race. She has been active in education advocacy through the organization We’re Oklahoma Education (WOKE), which focuses on defending public education from what it views as partisan interference at the state Board of Education. She draws support from teachers, education advocates, suburban moderates, and voters energized by opposition to Walters-era education policy. She faces Republican incumbent Stephanie Bice in a district rated R+9.
Erica Watkins (OK-01)
Watkins is running as the Democratic candidate in Oklahoma’s newly-open 1st Congressional District (Tulsa area) following Rep. Kevin Hern’s departure to run for Senate. She served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2007 to 2017 and was among the first groups of women to serve as combat assets. She earned degrees in Sociology and Global Affairs and is the Executive Director of We’re Oklahoma Education (WOKE). Her campaign draws on both her military background and her education advocacy work, positioning her to reach veterans, women, and education-focused Democratic voters. The district is heavily Republican and rated Safe Republican, but the open seat creates an elevated profile for her candidacy.
State Political Context
Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to statewide federal office since 2004. The 2020 redistricting effectively ended the competitiveness of OK-05, which had been a swing seat. The state Democratic Party is in a rebuilding phase under new leadership and is focused on fielding candidates in all races to develop future infrastructure. The 2026 cycle features unusual federal volatility due to the Mullin vacancy, an open Tulsa House seat, and statewide Republican primaries that will shape the GOP brand heading into the general election. Primary date: June 16, 2026. Runoff (if needed): August 25, 2026. General election: November 3, 2026. Note: Oklahoma primaries are closed — only registered Democrats may participate in the Democratic primary in 2026, following the state election board’s December 2025 decision to close all primaries.