Oklahoma Democrats force Senate runoff after no candidate wins majority
What's next: N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas and Jim Priest meet in an Aug. 25 runoff for the right to face Republican Kevin Hern.
Oklahoma Democrats will hold an Aug. 25 runoff in their 2026 U.S. Senate primary after no candidate cleared the 50% threshold required under state law. N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and Chickasaw Nation citizen, led with 45% of the vote, while lawyer and ordained minister Jim Priest took just under 24%, advancing the pair to a second round. The winner will face Republican Rep. Kevin Hern in the general election. Hern avoided a GOP runoff and enters the race with a large financial edge, holding a $6.8 million campaign war chest in recent federal filings. Democrats have not heavily invested in the Oklahoma contest, where the party has not won a Senate race in more than 35 years.