Oklahoma Democrats face runoff showdown in race for deep-red Senate seat

Two underdog candidates advanced to a runoff election in Oklahoma’s 2026 Democratic Senate primary after no candidate clinched a majority of the vote. N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and Chickasaw Nation citizen, and Jim Priest, a lawyer and ordained minister, will compete in an Aug. 25 runoff election, according to The Associated Press. Thomas won 45% of the vote, followed by Priest, who registered just under 24% support. The winner will face Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who easily clinched the GO