Incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Cole held off well-funded challenger Paul Bondar and a handful of other candidates to win the Republican nomination for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District.
The two candidates traded broadsides with ads that dominated local television programming for weeks. Bondar accused Cole of being a career politician who is too cozy with Democrats. Cole accused Bondar of living in Texas. Both also touted their boundless loyalty to former President Donald Trump in an attempt to sway voters politically aligned with the former president.
With a crowded field of five candidates, Bondar hoped to push the race into an August runoff, but it was not to be with more than 95 percent of precincts reporting. Cole received more than 64 percent to about 25 percent for Bondar.
Cole was first elected to the 2nd Congressional District in 2002. He is currently chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Andrew Hayes, Rick Whitebear Harris and Nick Hankins finished behind Cole and Bondar.
On the Democratic side, Mary Brannon won her party’s nomination for the November general election, defeating Kody MacAulay.
Cole and Brannon will face Independent James Stacy in the general election.
Cole was the preferred candidate of the National Republican Congressional Committee. That organization congratulated Cole on his win via a statement by spokeswoman Delanie Bomar.
“Congratulations to Congressman Tom Cole on his primary election victory,” Bomar wrote. “As a former State Senator, Oklahoma Secretary of State, former chairman of the NRCC, and current Chair of the Appropriations Committee, there is no one better suited to fight for this district than Congressman Cole. We are confident the voters will re-elect Tom to Congress this November.”
Bondar faced questions about where he lived. The former insurance company owner and multimillionaire had lived in Texas before purchasing property in Oklahoma. Cole’s campaign and dark money groups supporting him got plenty of mileage out of the issue with TV ads. One featured an awkward exchange between Bondar and an interviewer.
District 1: Rep. Kevin Hern wins GOP primary
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern easily defeated challenger Paul Royse in the GOP primary for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District. With more than 88 percent of precincts reporting, Hern held more than 86 percent of the vote compared to about 13 percent for Royse with about 70 percent of precincts reporting.
On the Democratic side, Dennis Baker won that party’s primary with about 59 percent of the vote. Evelyn Rogers received about 41 percent with more than 88 percent of precincts reporting.
Hern and Baker will be joined in the Nov. 5 general election by independent Mark David Garcia Sanders.
District 2: Rep. Josh Brecheen wins GOP primary
Incumbent GOP Rep. Josh Brecheen did not draw an opponent in the primary. He will face Democrat Brandon Wade and Independent Ronnie Hopkins in November.
District 3: Rep. Frank Lucas wins reelection
With nearly all precincts reporting, Rep. Frank Lucas won the GOP primary in Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District with 73 percent of the vote. Challengers Darren Hamilton (14 percent) and Robin Lynn Carder (13 percent) finished far behind him.
With no Democrats or independents filing, Lucas has been reelected to another two-year term. The 64-year-old has represented the district since 2003.
District 5: Rep. Stephanie Bice faces Madison Horn in November
Neither incumbent U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice nor Democratic candidate Madison Horn drew an opponent in the June primary. Bice was first elected in 2020 and reelected to a second term in 2022. Horn most recently ran for the U.S. Senate against Sen. James Lankford.
