How To Use This Guide

1. Pick the issues you care about. Rank the two or three that matter most to you, such as federal spending and debt, health care, Social Security or data centers.
2. Find which office handles them. The U.S. House and U.S. Senate write federal law and set the federal budget, including defense spending, Medicare and Social Security, and the Senate also confirms federal judges and approves treaties. The two statewide questions would change the Oklahoma Constitution on how judicial candidates are screened and how fast property values can rise for tax purposes.
3. Compare the candidates. Read where each candidate stands on your top issues, then read the candidates’ own words, endorsements and who funds each campaign.

The U.S. House Race

What This Office Does

U.S. House members serve two-year terms and vote on every federal law and the federal budget. All bills that raise taxes must start in the House. The 2nd District covers eastern Oklahoma and uses the same lines as in 2022 and 2024, under the congressional map Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed in 2021, according to Ballotpedia’s Oklahoma redistricting page. ​

This year’s race is a rematch of 2024, when Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) won with 74.2% of the vote to 21.4% for Brandon Wade and 4.4% for Ronnie Hopkins. The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia’s race overview.

Candidates In Brief

Republican Brecheen was born in Ada and is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation, according to AllCiv’s congressional biography, and is a fourth-generation rancher, according to Oklahoma Voice’s House voter guide. Brecheen holds a degree in animal science and agricultural communication from Oklahoma State University, worked for former Sen. Tom Coburn (R), served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2010 to 2018 and won the open 2nd District seat in 2022, according to NonDoc’s congressional roundup. Brecheen won the Tuesday, June 16 Republican primary with 79.2% of the vote to 20.8% for William Webb.

Democrat Brandon Wade, 50, grew up in Copan, is the son of a Vietnam veteran and spent 26 years as committee chairman and vice president of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 351, according to NonDoc. Wade ran in the 2022 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and won this year’s June 16 Democratic primary with 73.7% of the vote to 26.3% for Erik Terwey, according to Wade’s Ballotpedia profile.

Independent Ronnie Hopkins, 70, is running for the seat for the second time, and Hopkins’ campaign website calls Hopkins a “God-fearing American,” according to NonDoc. Hopkins says no “powerful party controllers” would tell Hopkins what to do, according to Oklahoma Voice.

Where They Stand

Spending and debt. Brecheen has made the federal budget the focus of the campaign and puts the deficit close to $2 trillion, according to KXII’s report on Brecheen’s filing. NonDoc calls Brecheen the most fiscally conservative member of Oklahoma’s delegation, frequently voting against or challenging House Republican leadership on the deficit. Wade wants to stop “the wasteful spending of our tax dollars,” according to Wade’s Ballotpedia survey.

Defense. Brecheen was the only member of Oklahoma’s House delegation to vote against the 2027 defense authorization bill in late July, saying it “authorizes a $263.4 billion (29.6%) increase over the authorized level for the previous fiscal year,” according to News 9’s report on the vote. Brecheen has also pushed for a separate budget bill to fund the $350 billion in one-time defense spending President Trump requested, paid for partly by cutting Medicare fraud in home health and hospice care, according to News 9’s report on the defense push.

Health care. Brecheen wants to “find ways to stop the government intrusion that Obamacare created,” according to News 9, and says Brecheen will protect Medicare, according to Oklahoma Voice. Wade wants “true Healthcare for All” that is not tied to employment and would take on insurance and drug companies.

Social Security. Hopkins wants to turn Social Security into a trust fund that would let people retire at 60, stop paying Social Security taxes and leave their account to anyone they choose. Wade says Wade will strengthen Social Security and Medicare, according to Oklahoma Voice.

Data centers and the Inola smelter. Wade opposes the proposed Inola aluminum smelter and data center expansion as currently framed and wants communities to have a real say in industrial projects, according to Bartlesville Radio’s Wade interview. Wade would also keep or raise tariffs on imported beef and use the money to help rebuild cattle herds.

Abortion, wages and immigration. Brecheen opposes abortion and supports Second Amendment rights, and says there should be “no federal role” in education, according to NonDoc. Wade supports abortion rights and wants them written into federal law, and backs a $16 federal minimum wage that rises each year. Wade would hire more border agents and immigration judges, use surveillance technology in place of physical barriers and end “unmarked and masked enforcement raids.”

Term limits. Brecheen sees term limits as the best check on corruption in Washington D.C. and has pledged to serve no more than four terms in Congress, according to NonDoc. That pledge would make 2028 Brecheen’s final reelection bid. Hopkins says more independents in office would help voters rather than “party wants.”

In Their Own Words

Josh Brecheen, explaining the July vote against the defense bill:

“I could not in good conscience vote for this legislation.”

Brandon Wade, to Bartlesville Radio:

“I’m running to represent the people of CD 2, regardless of what party they are.”

Questionnaires And Debates

Wade completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey, and Brecheen and Hopkins did not. Wade says Wade will hold regular town halls when Congress is out of session and has driven about 100,000 miles this campaign cycle, according to Bartlesville Radio.

Endorsements

After the primary, President Donald Trump named Brecheen among four Oklahoma Republicans given Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” at a rally in Durant on Thursday, Oct. 1, according to The Oklahoman. AllCiv’s endorsement data lists AIPAC and the Freedom Caucus Fund as backing Brecheen before the primary.

Who Is Funding Them

These figures come from Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports for the 2026 cycle through Wednesday, Oct. 14, as compiled by Ballotpedia:

  • Brecheen reported raising $250,176 and spending $249,671, with $71,201 on hand.
  • Wade reported raising $7,983 and spending $4,548, ending with a negative balance of $280.
  • Hopkins has not reported any fundraising.

Brecheen raised about $122,000 from individuals and $110,000 from PACs, according to AllCiv’s Brecheen candidate page. AllCiv’s Oklahoma 2nd District race page shows $487 in outside spending, all of it from the Freedom Caucus Fund supporting Brecheen, according to Ballotpedia’s FEC data. Donors who give more than $200 in a cycle are listed by name in FEC filings, while smaller gifts are reported only as a lump total.

The Incumbent’s Record

Brecheen serves on the House Budget and Homeland Security committees and chairs the Homeland Security subcommittee on oversight, investigations and accountability, according to AllCiv. This Congress, Brecheen has voted in 613 of 645 roll call votes and voted against most Republicans 9 times out of 576, according to AllCiv’s vote data. Brecheen has cosponsored 218 bills, and the 12 bills Brecheen introduced drew 123 cosponsors, with none becoming law.

Brecheen voted for the 2025 tax and spending law, which passed the House 218 to 214 on Thursday, July 3, 2025, according to the House clerk’s roll call. Two months earlier, Brecheen and five other Republicans joined Democrats on the Budget Committee to vote down an early version of the bill, with Brecheen concerned about the timing of the repeal of green energy tax credits, according to Public Radio Tulsa.

Challengers’ Records

Wade and Hopkins have not held public office. Wade is secretary of the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s veterans group, according to NonDoc.

The U.S. Senate Race

What This Office Does

U.S. senators serve six-year terms and vote on every federal law and the federal budget. The Senate also confirms presidential nominees, including federal judges and Cabinet members, and approves treaties.

This seat opened when former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) resigned in March to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Stitt appointed energy executive Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-OK) on Tuesday, March 24, and under state law Armstrong agreed not to run, according to WTOP.

Armstrong’s office had argued that Armstrong should serve until Sunday, Jan. 3. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion that the winner may take office once the State Election Board certifies the results, according to NonDoc’s Senate race report. The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia’s Senate race overview.

Candidates In Brief

Republican Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) has represented the 1st District since 2018 and announced the Senate campaign on Wednesday, March 11. Hern built a business owning McDonald’s restaurants starting in 1999, and chaired the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s finance committee from 2011 to 2015, according to Hern’s Ballotpedia profile. Hern won the June 16 Republican primary with 69.8% of the vote.

Democrat N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas is a Chickasaw citizen raised in Ardmore. Thomas is a registered nurse and has been an active-duty military spouse for more than 12 years, according to KSWO’s Senate preview. Thomas led the June 16 Democratic primary with 45.2% and won the Tuesday, Aug. 25 runoff over Jim Priest with 58.7%. Thomas told NBC News that Thomas is a “self-proclaimed democratic socialist,” according to NonDoc.

Independent Curtis Stinnett grew up in Lindsay and has worked as a community pharmacist for 15 years. Independent Ron Meinhardt, 47, of Nowata County, is a registered nurse, documentary filmmaker and chief financial officer of a small business. Libertarian Sevier White advanced after the Libertarian primary was canceled and has no campaign website, according to NonDoc.

Where They Stand

Health care and costs. Hern says “Healthcare has become unaffordable for everyone.” In December 2025, Hern voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which has not passed the Senate. Hern blames former President Joe Biden for higher prices, saying Biden “tripled the cost of everything.” Thomas and Stinnett support Medicare for All, and Thomas says the country “would actually save $4.5 billion a year” under it. White says “Medical care is so expensive because it is one of the most government-controlled industries we have” and wants providers to post their prices online.

Data centers and the Inola smelter. Thomas says Thomas’ top priority would be a moratorium on artificial intelligence data centers, and wants to put “a stop to the data centers for the time being,” according to KSWO. Meinhardt opposes a proposed aluminum smelter in Inola and says “If elected to the United States Senate, I will do all in my lawful power to stop this project.” Meinhardt believes local support should be required for any major industrial project, according to Oklahoma Voice’s Senate voter guide.

Taxes and spending. Hern supports extending tax cuts, cutting regulations and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, according to News 9. Stinnett wants solar panels on “all federal buildings” to cut the government’s utility bills.

Education. Hern defends the administration’s shift of Department of Education programs to other agencies, saying “We are not out to destroy education.” Stinnett says “You have to use the word dismantling” to describe the changes. Thomas says the changes “took away the rights of every student.”

Money in politics. Stinnett wants to overturn the Citizens United ruling and remove “corporate money, dark money” from elections. Meinhardt says “I believe we should totally ban congressional stock trading.”

Abortion and other priorities. Hern supports border barriers, school choice and pro-life legislation, according to News 9. Thomas supports reproductive rights, tribal sovereignty, paid family leave and a higher minimum wage. Stinnett supports abortion rights and reparations. Meinhardt opposes abortion and prioritizes religious liberty, according to Oklahoma Voice.

In Their Own Words

Kevin Hern, to NonDoc:

“The Senate cannot move. So I want to take decent ideologies, these working processes over to the Senate and see if we cannot get something moved.”

N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, on data centers, to KSWO:

“We need to know how this is affecting our Oklahomans.”

Curtis Stinnett, to NonDoc:

“I am the one that usually has to see people wrestle with that decision, which is one of the reasons I support us moving towards a Medicare for all system.”

Ron Meinhardt, to KSWO:

“If we’re not asking the community, ‘Do you want this here,’ I think we are doing a disservice to them.”

Sevier White, in a press release:

“Every time we add a new regulation or subsidy to help people, we add another layer of distance between doctors and nurses and their patients.”

Questionnaires And Debates

Thomas, Stinnett and Meinhardt completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Hern’s campaign did not respond to KSWO’s calls and emails. White’s campaign agreed to follow up with KSWO but did not. Hern, Thomas and Stinnett gave interviews to NonDoc, while Meinhardt and White did not. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Thomas appeared on streamer Hasan Piker’s channel, where viewers donated $32,000 to Thomas’ campaign.

Endorsements

Before the primary, Trump endorsed Hern shortly after Mullin’s appointment, according to Oklahoma Voice. Also before the primary, the Club for Growth PAC endorsed Hern on Friday, March 13. The group’s president called Hern “the ideal candidate to represent Oklahomans in the Senate,” according to the group’s announcement. The National Women’s Political Caucus lists Thomas among its endorsed candidates.

Who Is Funding Them

These figures are FEC totals for the 2026 cycle, as shown on AllCiv’s Oklahoma U.S. Senate race page as of Wednesday, Oct. 14:

  • Hern reported raising $10.9 million and spending $8.1 million, with $2.8 million on hand. About $5 million of Hern’s total came from a personal loan, according to NonDoc.
  • Thomas reported raising $116,000 and spending $93,000, with $24,000 on hand.
  • Meinhardt reported raising $16,000 and spending $14,000, with $2,000 on hand.

Stinnett and White do not appear in FEC campaign finance records. AllCiv’s race page shows $2.4 million in outside spending in the race, all of it supporting Hern, according to Ballotpedia’s FEC data.

The Incumbent’s Record

Armstrong, the appointed incumbent, is not on the ballot. Armstrong spent a career at Williams Companies, a Tulsa pipeline operator, serving as its president and chief executive from 2011 before becoming executive chairman. Armstrong had never held elected office before the appointment, according to WTOP.

Challengers’ Records

Hern serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and its Health and Tax subcommittees, according to Ballotpedia. This Congress, Hern has voted in 629 of 645 roll call votes and voted against most Republicans 3 times out of 592, according to AllCiv’s vote data. Hern has cosponsored 104 bills, and the 18 bills Hern sponsored drew 292 cosponsors.

The House passed Hern’s PROTECT Our Kids Act, which would bar federal funds from elementary and secondary schools that partner with Chinese government-funded language and culture programs, 247 to 164 on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, according to the House clerk’s roll call on the PROTECT Our Kids Act. Hern’s American Franchise Act would set a narrower federal standard for when franchise companies count as joint employers of their franchisees’ workers. The House Education and Workforce Committee approved it 18 to 15 on Tuesday, July 21, according to Asian Hospitality. Thomas, Stinnett, Meinhardt and White have not held public office.

Scorecards Readers Can Check

Brecheen and Hern both have House records that interest groups rate. Each group picks its own set of votes, so the scores measure different things:

  • Heritage Action, which rates votes from a conservative perspective, gives Brecheen 98% for the current Congress.
  • The National Taxpayers Union, which rates votes on taxes and spending, gave Brecheen 96% and Hern 90% for 2025.
  • The AFL-CIO, which rates votes on labor issues, gives Brecheen 0% for 2025 and 0% lifetime.
  • The League of Conservation Voters, which rates environmental votes, gives Brecheen 0% for 2025 and 0% lifetime.

Also On Your Ballot

Every Oklahoma voter will see two proposed constitutional amendments that the Legislature sent to the ballot. Voters will also choose a governor to succeed Stitt from Republican Mike Mazzei, Democrat Cyndi Munson and three independents, according to AllCiv’s governor race page, along with other statewide and local offices. Sample ballots are on the OK Voter Portal.

State Question 845: Judicial Nominating Commission. The 15-member commission screens applicants for the state’s appellate courts and some judgeships. It sends three names to the governor, who makes the pick. A Yes vote does four things, according to Oklahoma Watch’s SQ 845 explainer:

  • It removes the limits on how many governor-appointed and at-large members can belong to one party.
  • It allows lawyers and their relatives to fill those seats.
  • It lets members serve consecutive terms, up to 12 years.
  • It bases the Bar Association’s seats on today’s congressional districts instead of the 1967 lines.

A No vote keeps the current rules. The SQ 845 ballot title says the measure “will not have a fiscal impact.” State Sen. Todd Gollihare (R-Sapulpa) says the courts have influence “that’s not really equitable to the majority party.” Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City) says “Allowing for complete domination by one party is concerning.” Supporters say the change would bring continuity and align the commission with current congressional districts, while opponents say it would give the party in power more control over picking judges, according to Oklahoma Voice’s SQ 845 guide.

State Question 847: Property assessment limits. SQ 847 does not change tax rates. Starting in the 2027 tax year, a Yes vote lowers the yearly cap on increases in a property’s taxable value, according to Oklahoma Watch’s SQ 847 explainer:

  • For homes and farmland, the cap drops from 3% to 1.75%.
  • For other property, it drops from 5% to 4%.
  • Homeowners 65 or older whose income is above the limit for the existing senior freeze get lower caps, from 0.35% to 1.75%.

A No vote keeps the current caps. The SQ 847 ballot title says the exact fiscal impact is unknown. An analysis by University of Central Oklahoma professor Ryan Kiggins estimated local governments would lose $42 million in the first year and $241 million by the fifth.

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) sponsored the measure through Senate Joint Resolution 39, and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau supports it. State Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Del City) says “This bill strangles our counties, it strangles our jails, it strangles our schools.” The House passed the resolution 85 to 9, and the Senate gave final approval 26 to 20, according to NonDoc’s SQ 847 report. The Oklahoma Policy Institute opposes both state questions and says SQ 847 “does not lower property taxes for anybody.”

Before You Go

Today

  • Election Day is today, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the State Election Board’s next election page. Find your polling place on the OK Voter Portal with your name and date of birth.
  • Mail ballots sent by U.S. mail or a private delivery service must reach your county election board by 7 p.m. today. Standard absentee affidavits must be notarized, according to the State Election Board’s absentee voting page.
  • ID: Bring a photo ID issued by the U.S. government, the State of Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribal government, or the free voter identification card your county election board mailed you. Without ID, you can vote a provisional ballot by signing a sworn affidavit, according to the State Election Board’s proof of identity page.
  • In the booth: You may bring notes or a marked sample ballot, but keep them out of view until you are in the booth. Campaigning is barred within 300 feet of a polling place entrance, according to the State Election Board’s Voting 101 guide.
  • Questions: Call the State Election Board at (405) 521-2391, or call or text the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

Deadlines That Have Passed

  • Registration closed Friday, Oct. 9. Oklahoma does not allow registration in the 24 days before an election.
  • Mail ballot requests were due at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19.
  • Early voting ran from Wednesday, Oct. 28, through Saturday, Oct. 31.
  • Hand-delivered absentee ballots were due at your county election board by the close of business Monday, Nov. 2.

Sources

AllCiv Profiles and Race Pages

Official Records

Candidate Statements and Questionnaires

News

Ballot Measures

Endorsements

Scorecards

Voting Information

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