How To Use This Guide

1. Pick the issues you care about. Rank the two or three that matter most to you, such as health care, prices, defense jobs 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 military spending, 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 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 4th District covers central and south-central Oklahoma. Cole says the region’s five major military installations make defense spending central to its economy, according to KSWO’s Nov. 2 candidate report. ​

The district uses the map Gov. Kevin Stitt signed on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, the same lines used in 2022 and 2024, according to Ballotpedia’s Oklahoma redistricting page. 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 Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) has represented the 4th District since 2003. Cole chairs the House Appropriations Committee, which writes federal spending bills. Cole served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1988 to 1991 and as Oklahoma secretary of state from 1995 to 1999, according to Cole’s Ballotpedia profile). Cole is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, according to the OU Daily, and lives in Moore, according to the Newcastle Pacer. Cole won the Tuesday, June 16 Republican primary with 71.1% of the vote over Marcie Everhart.

Democrat Mitchell Jacob of Newcastle is a public defender who graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2025. Jacob served in the U.S. Army from 2017 to 2022 as a sergeant and cryptologic linguist and deployed to southern Syria, according to Jacob’s Ballotpedia profile. Jacob won the June 16 Democratic primary with 54.4% of the vote over Jeff Pixley. In 2024, Jacob ran for the Oklahoma House’s 20th District and lost to Jonathan Wilk (R), 75.8% to 24.2%.

Independent Rocco Bonacci says Bonacci has spent 30 years working with nonprofits, according to KSWO. Bonacci has not filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Where They Stand

Defense. Cole says “Number one is defense” and “I think we’re in a very dangerous world right now,” according to KSWO. Cole’s campaign says Cole works on “protecting our military installations from cuts and continuing to work to add missions,” according to Cole’s campaign issues page.

Debt and spending. Cole’s campaign calls Cole “a fiscal hawk.” Cole favors “cutting overall spending in wasteful, unnecessary programs to reduce the national debt,” according to the Newcastle Pacer. Jacob says Cole “has helped us borrow $34 trillion during his tenure” and that the borrowing “must end, especially since he’s now chairman of the Appropriations Committee.” Jacob’s campaign says “We need to stop raising the debt limit, cut spending, and eliminate the federal debt,” according to Jacob’s campaign website.

Health care. Jacob says “healthcare is a human right” and that Americans deserve care “without the fear of insurance denials for necessary care.” Bonacci says “we’ve got to make healthcare more accessible to people,” according to KSWO.

Immigration and Israel. Cole’s campaign says Cole “has always believed that border security is the most important component of our immigration policy.” Jacob wants work visas, asylum claims and refugee requests processed “fairly and swiftly.” On Israel, Jacob says “the United States must cease all economic, political, and military support for Israel” until the violence stops. Jacob adds that “Every country has the absolute right to defend itself and its people.”

Abortion. Cole’s campaign says Cole “has a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.” Jacob describes Jacob’s position as “pro-choice” and says “Politicians should not impose their personal beliefs on these deeply personal discussions and decisions.”

In Their Own Words

Tom Cole, on turnout, to KSWO on Monday, Nov. 2:

“My message, thank you for going and please take a friend.”

Mitchell Jacob, to KSWO on Monday, Nov. 2:

“Because with me, you get one of you, a fourth generation Okie who works paycheck to paycheck and works for a living.”

Rocco Bonacci, on health care, to KSWO on Monday, Nov. 2:

“The second one is the insurance companies have got way too much power.”

Questionnaires And Debates

Jacob completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey, and Bonacci has not, according to Ballotpedia. All three candidates spoke with KSWO for its Nov. 2 report. The Newcastle Pacer profiled the race on Thursday, Oct. 29, though Bonacci gave the Pacer no biography or positions.

Endorsements

AllCiv’s endorsement data lists Cole among the candidates backed by AIPAC’s political action committee. Ballotpedia lists recommendations for Jacob from two voter groups on the Sway app.

Who Is Funding Them

These figures are FEC totals for the 2026 cycle, as shown on AllCiv’s Oklahoma 4th District race page as of Wednesday, Oct. 14:

  • Cole reported raising $4.3 million and spending $3.7 million, with $2.4 million on hand.
  • Jacob reported raising $121,000 and spending $102,000, with $19,000 on hand and $23,000 in debt.

AllCiv’s race page shows $250,000 in outside spending in the race. FEC filings list by name every donor who gives more than $200 in a cycle. Smaller gifts are reported only as a lump total.

The Incumbent’s Record

As Appropriations chair, Cole manages the bills that fund the federal government. This Congress, Cole has voted in 637 of 645 roll call votes and voted against most Republicans 19 times out of 600, according to AllCiv’s vote data. AllCiv ranks that rate in the top quarter of the House for independence from party. Cole has cosponsored 88 bills, and the 16 bills Cole sponsored drew 62 cosponsors. Heritage Action scores Cole at 72% for the current Congress and 60% over Cole’s career, according to Heritage Action’s scorecard for Cole.

In the 2024 Republican primary, challenger Paul Bondar said Cole voted to renew a “deep state program” used to spy on Trump. The Frontier rated that claim “true, but misleading.” Cole did vote in April 2024 to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but the claim that the law was used to undermine Trump’s presidency is highly contested.

Challengers’ Records

Jacob has not held public office. Bonacci has not held public office.

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. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed energy executive Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-OK) on Tuesday, March 24. Under state law, Armstrong agreed not to run, according to WTOP.

The date the winner takes office is disputed. Armstrong’s office 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. The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it Safe Republican, according to Ballotpedia.

Candidates In Brief

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

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, a 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, and Thomas says they “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, President Donald 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.

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. Thomas, Stinnett, Meinhardt and White have not held public office.

Scorecards Readers Can Check

All three of these groups grade both Cole and Hern:

The Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index ranks House members by how often they work across party lines. Each group picks different measures, so their ratings measure different things.

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 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.”

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. 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,” and the Oklahoma Policy Institute urges a No vote.

Before You Go

Still Ahead

  • Election Day is 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. on Election Day. 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. The free voter identification card your county election board mailed you also works. 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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