SouthernWorldwide.com – Oklahoma Democrats are heading to a runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat, as no candidate secured a majority in the primary.
The contenders advancing to the runoff are N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, and Jim Priest, a lawyer and ordained minister. Their runoff election is scheduled for August 25, according to reports from The Associated Press.
Thomas garnered 45% of the primary vote, while Priest secured just under 24% of the support.
The winner of this Democratic primary will face Republican Representative Kevin Hern. Hern, representing Oklahoma’s deep-red Senate seat, easily won the GOP nomination and avoided a runoff. He has received endorsements from President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Under Oklahoma’s election laws, if no candidate achieves more than 50% of the primary vote, the two candidates with the highest number of votes proceed to a runoff.
The current occupant of the Senate seat, Republican Senator Alan Armstrong, is statutorily barred from seeking a full term. Armstrong, a former energy executive, was appointed to the position by Governor Kevin Stitt in March, succeeding Markwayne Mullin who became Secretary of Homeland Security.
The Democratic nominee faces a significant challenge in Oklahoma, a state that strongly favors Republicans. The state voted for Trump by a two-to-one margin in 2024, and a Democratic candidate has not won a Senate race in Oklahoma for over 35 years.
National Democratic party support has been notably absent in this race, suggesting a low expectation of flipping the seat.
Jim Priest previously ran for Oklahoma Attorney General in 2010 but experienced a substantial defeat. He has also led two non-profit organizations: Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and Sunbeam Family Services, as reported by the Oklahoma-based publication NonDoc.
Kevin Hern possesses a considerable fundraising advantage over the Democratic candidates. Federal Election Commission filings indicate his campaign has amassed a war chest of $6.8 million. In contrast, Priest had $117,000 in cash on hand at the start of June, and Thomas had just over $546.
Both leading Democratic contenders also have a minimal online presence. As of Tuesday, an X account associated with Priest’s campaign had only 20 followers, while Thomas’s affiliated campaign X account had slightly more than 160 followers.
Three other Democratic candidates competed for the nomination: Troy Green, a business owner, and R.O. Cassity Jr., a retired professor and attorney.
