2026 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
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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. Incumbent Senator Alan Armstrong, who was appointed after the resignation of former Senator Markwayne Mullin, cannot seek a full term due to his agreement when taking the seat. Mullin was first elected in a 2022 special election triggered by the impending resignation of Jim Inhofe. Mullin initially announced that he was planning to seek his first full term in office, but in March 2026, President Donald Trump announced that Mullin would be his next nominee for secretary of homeland security; Mullin subsequently resigned the seat to take that position. Primary elections were held on June 16, 2026, and in races where no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, runoff elections will take place on August 25, 2026.
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November 3, 2026
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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 are scheduled for June 16 with a potential runoff election set for August 25 if no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote in June. The candidate filing deadline was April 3.[1] If only one candidate files for a party's nomination, they are declared the nominee.[2]
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.[3] After Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, Mullin was rumored as a contender for secretary of the interior.[4] Mullin's resignation would have affected the gubernatorial election, as governor Kevin Stitt would have appointed a replacement who must sign a potentially unenforceable[b] oath promising not to run for reelection in 2026.[5] Mullin was ultimately not nominated as the secretary of interior.[6] However, in March 2026, Mullin was named as Trump's pick to replace secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem[7] and was confirmed on March 23, 2026.[8]
Interim appointment
Mullin was confirmed as the secretary of homeland security[8] 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.[9] The interim appointee must have been a registered Republican for the past five years,[10] and they would have to sign an oath stating they will not run in the 2026 election.[11] 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.[12][13]
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.[8]
Nominee
- Kevin Hern, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district (2018–present)[14]
Eliminated in primary
- William Sean Buckner, Air Force veteran and former real estate broker[15][16]
- Gary Ty England, country singer[15]
- Nick Hankins, business intelligence developer and candidate for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district in 2024[16]
- Brian Ragain, retired firefighter-paramedic for the Chickasha Fire Department and registered nurse[15][16]
Withdrawn
- Ron Meinhardt, executive director of Entering Wedge Media (running as an independent)[15][16]
- Markwayne Mullin, U.S. secretary of homeland security (2026–present) and former U.S. senator (2023–2026)[17][8]
- Tammy Swearengin, tax accountant and financial advisor[16]
- Wayne Lonny Washington, chairman of the Washington Brown Foundation[16]
Declined
- Stephanie Bice, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district (2021–present) (running for re-election)[18]
- Josh Brecheen, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district (2023–present) (running for re-election; endorsed Hern)[19][20]
- G.T. Bynum, former mayor of Tulsa (2016–2024)[21][22]
- Tom Cole, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district (2003–present) (running for re-election)[19]
- Gentner Drummond, attorney general of Oklahoma (2023–present) (running for governor)[9]
- Frank Lucas, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district (2003–present) (running for re-election)[9]
- Kyle Hilbert, speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2025–present) from the 29th district (2016–present)[23]
- David Holt, mayor of Oklahoma City (2018–present) (running for re-election)[24]
- Chip Keating, former Oklahoma secretary of public safety (2019–2020) and son of former governor Frank Keating (running for governor)[9]
- Mike Mazzei, former state senator from the 25th district (2004–2016) (running for governor)[25]
- Charles McCall, former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2017–2025) from the 22nd district (2013–2024) (running for governor)[9]
- Lonnie Paxton, president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate (2025–present) from the 23rd district (2016–present)[23]
- Matt Pinnell, lieutenant governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)[26][27]
- 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 (currently running for lieutenant governor)[28]
- Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)[23]
Ineligible
- Alan Armstrong, incumbent U.S. senator (2026–present)[c][29]
Endorsements
- Organizations
- Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[31] (previously endorsed Mullin)[32]
- U.S. senators
- Jim Banks, Indiana (2025–present)[26]
- Bill Hagerty, Tennessee (2021–present)[33]
- Ron Johnson, Wisconsin (2011–present)[33]
- James Lankford, Oklahoma (2015–present)[34] (previously declined to endorse)[35]
- Rick Scott, Florida (2019–present)[33]
- Tim Scott, South Carolina (2013–present)[36]
- John Thune, Senate majority leader (2025–present) from South Dakota (2005–present)[36]
- U.S. representatives
- Josh Brecheen, OK-02 (2023–present)[20]
- Organizations
- Club for Growth[37]
- Tulsa Firefighters PAC[38]
- Executive branch officials
Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[32] (later endorsed Hern)[31]
- Organizations
- U.S. senators
James Lankford, Oklahoma (2015–present)[35] (later endorsed Hern)[34]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Kevin Hern (R) | $8,284,047 | $67,761 | $8,216,286 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[40] | |||
Polling
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kevin Hern | 267,115 | 69.76% | |
| Republican | Gary Ty England | 51,857 | 13.54% | |
| Republican | Sean Buckner | 26,425 | 6.90% | |
| Republican | Brian Ragain | 22,466 | 5.87% | |
| Republican | Nick Hankins | 15,052 | 3.93% | |
| Total votes | 382,915 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Advanced to runoff
- N'Kiyla "Jasmine" Thomas, nurse[44][15]
- Jim Priest, lawyer and former CEO of Sunbeam Family Services and Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma[45]
Eliminated in primary
Endorsements
- Statewide elected officials
- Drew Edmondson, former Oklahoma Attorney General[46]
- Brad Henry, former Governor of Oklahoma[46]
- David Walters, former Governor of Oklahoma[46]
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 31, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Troy Green (D) | $22,600 | $15,373 | $7,227 |
| Jim Priest (D) | $203,272 | $68,438 | $134,834 |
| N'Kiyla "Jasmine" Thomas (D) | $39,009 | $36,270 | $3,674 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[40] | |||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas | 76,271 | 45.18% | |
| Democratic | Jim Priest | 40,282 | 23.86% | |
| Democratic | Troy W. Green | 33,472 | 19.83% | |
| Democratic | Ervin Stone Yen | 11,357 | 6.73% | |
| Democratic | R. O. Joe Cassity Jr. | 7,420 | 4.40% | |
| Total votes | 168,802 | 100.00 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Sevier White, nominee for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district in 2016[15]
Independents
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[48] | Solid R | April 23, 2026 |
| Race To The WH[49] | Safe R | May 22, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[50] | Solid R | May 19, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[51] | Safe R | March 4, 2026 |
| The Cook Political Report[52] | Solid R | April 13, 2026 |
| The Economist[53][e] | Likely R | May 22, 2026 |
Notes
- Incumbent Markwayne Mullin was nominated by President Donald Trump as the nominee of United States Secretary of Homeland Security. He vacated his Senate seat and governor Kevin Stitt appointed Armstrong as interim successor.
- Armstrong is prohibited from running for a full term by state law.
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - The Economist's prediction model uses unconventional terminology. For the purpose of equivalency, their "Very Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Likely" rating while "Likely" ratings are formatted as a "Lean" rating.
Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by Club for Growth