The 2026 United States Senate election in Oklahoma will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate to represent the state of Oklahoma. Republican congressman Kevin Hern and Democratic nurse N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are the nominees for their respective parties. Republican appointee Alan Armstrong, who was named to the seat in March after Markwayne Mullin resigned to become secretary of homeland security, is prohibited from seeking a full term.
Primary elections were held on June 16. Hern, endorsed by President Donald Trump, won the Republican nomination with 69.8% of the vote over country singer Ty England. After no candidate received a majority in the Democratic primary, Thomas defeated attorney Jim Priest in a runoff on August 25 with 61.2% of the vote.
Democrats have not won a Senate election in Oklahoma since 1990.
Background A United States Senate election in Oklahoma is scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate to represent the state of Oklahoma. Primary elections took place on June 16 with runoff elections on August 25 in races where no candidat received over 50 percent of the vote in June. The candidate filing deadline was April 3. If only one candidate files for a party's nomination, they are declared the nominee.
The seat was originally held by Jim Inhofe, who was last elected in 2020. Two years later, in 2022, then-Congressman Markwayne Mullin won a special election to finish Inhofe's term after Inhofe had announced his resignation at the end of the 117th Congress. After Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, Mullin was rumored as a contender for secretary of the interior. Mullin's resignation would have affected the gubernatorial election, as governor Kevin Stitt would have appointed a replacement who must sign a potentially unenforceable oath promising not to run for reelection in 2026. Mullin was ultimately not nominated as the secretary of interior. However, in March 2026, Mullin was named as Trump's pick to replace secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem and was confirmed on March 23, 2026.
Interim appointment Mullin was confirmed as the secretary of homeland security and resigned as senator on March 23, 2026. Governor Kevin Stitt was required to appoint a replacement within 30 days. He stated the appointee would serve the remainder of the current term until January 3, 2027, though state law provides that the appointment lasts only until the November election is certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board. The interim appointee must have been a registered Republican for the past five years, and they would have to sign an oath stating they will not run in the 2026 election. On March 24, 2026, Governor Stitt announced that oil and gas executive Alan Armstrong would replace Mullin; Armstrong was sworn in by senator Chuck Grassley later that day.
Republican primary Candidates On March 5, 2026, Trump announced that Mullin would replace Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem at the end of the month. Mullin was confirmed by the Senate on March 23, 2026.
Nominee Kevin Hern, U.S. representative for (2018–present)
Eliminated in primary William Sean Buckner, Air Force veteran and former real estate broker Ty England, country singer Nick Hankins, business intelligence developer and candidate for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district in 2024 Brian Ragain, retired firefighter-paramedic for the Chickasha Fire Department and registered nurse
Withdrawn Ron Meinhardt, executive director of Entering Wedge Media (now running as an independent) Markwayne Mullin, incumbent U.S. senator (appointed U.S. secretary of homeland security) Tammy Swearengin, tax accountant and financial advisor Wayne Lonny Washington, chairman of the Washington Brown Foundation
Declined Stephanie Bice, U.S. representative for (2021–present) (running for re-election) Josh Brecheen, U.S. representative for (2023–present) (running for re-election; endorsed Hern) G.T. Bynum, former mayor of Tulsa (2016–2024) Tom Cole, U.S. representative for (2003–present) (running for re-election) Gentner Drummond, attorney general of Oklahoma (2023–present) (ran for governor) Frank Lucas, U.S. representative for (2003–present) (running for re-election) Kyle Hilbert, speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2025–present) from the 29th district (2016–present) David Holt, mayor of Oklahoma City (2018–present) (running for re-election) Chip Keating, former Oklahoma secretary of public safety (2019–2020) and son of former governor Frank Keating (ran for governor) Mike Mazzei, former state senator from the 25th district (2004–2016) (running for governor) Charles McCall, former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2017–2025) from the 22nd district (2013–2024) (ran for governor) Lonnie Paxton, president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate (2025–present) from the 23rd district (2016–present) Matt Pinnell, lieutenant governor of Oklahoma (2019–present) T. W. Shannon, former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2013–2014) from the 62nd district (2007–2015) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2022 (running for lieutenant governor) Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)
Ineligible Alan Armstrong, incumbent U.S. senator (2026–present)
Endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handKevin Hern (R)$8,284,047$67,761$8,216,286Source: Federal Election Commission
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize MarginBucknerGary TyEnglandNickHankinsKevinHernBrianRagain UndecidedJMC Analytics (R)June 2–3, 2026550 (LV)± 4.2%2%8%1%41%4%44%
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorStephanieBiceKevinHernKevinStitt UndecidedPulse Decision Science (R)March 7–9, 2026510 (LV)± 4.4%–52%40%8%37%49%–14%
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, nurse Eliminated in runoff Jim Priest, lawyer and former CEO of Sunbeam Family Services and Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma Eliminated in primary R.O. Joe Cassity Jr., attorney and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 Troy Green, founder and president of Safe Haven Ervin Yen, former Republican state senator for the 40th district (2015–2019), and independent candidate for governor in 2022
Endorsements
First round Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handTroy Green (D)$22,600$15,373$7,227Jim Priest (D)$203,272$68,438$134,834N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas (D)$39,009$36,270$3,674Source: Federal Election Commission
Results
Runoff Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of August 5, 2026CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handJim Priest (D)$370,493$314,643$55,851N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas (D)$57,159$57,639$456Source: Federal Election Commission
Results
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee Sevier White, nominee for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district in 2016
Independents
Candidates
Declared Ron Meinhardt, executive director of Entering Wedge Media (previously ran as a Republican) Curtis Stinnett, pharmacist
General election Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political ReportSeptember 23, 2026Decision Desk HQOctober 2, 2026The EconomistOctober 3, 2026FiftyPlusOneOctober 3, 2026Fox NewsSeptember 22, 2026Inside ElectionsOctober 1, 2026RealClearPoliticsSeptember 24, 2026Sabato's Crystal BallSeptember 22, 2026Silver BulletinOctober 3, 2026Split TicketOctober 2, 2026
Post-primary endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of July 30, 2026CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handKevin Hern (R)$9,953,579$7,461,669$2,491,910N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas (D)$57,159$57,639$456Source: Federal Election Commission
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KevinHern (R) N'Kiyla JasmineThomas (D) Other UndecidedCHS & AssociatesAugust 3–6, 2026500 (RV)± 4.3%49%25%8%19%
Kevin Hern vs. Jim Priest Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KevinHern (R) Jim Priest (D) Other UndecidedCHS & AssociatesAugust 3–6, 2026500 (RV)± 4.3%48%27%10%14%
Notes
Partisan clients
References
External links Official campaign websites Kevin Hern (R) Ron Meinhardt (I) Curtis Stinnett (I) N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas (D)