OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
11:10 AM – Wednesday, June 17, 2026
U.S. Representative Kevin Hern won the Republican primary for the open Senate seat representing Oklahoma. The seat was vacated by Markwayne Mullin when he was confirmed as the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that with 99% of votes counted, Hern (R-Okla.) won 267,100 votes, or about 70%, defeating singer and guitarist Gary Ty England’s 13.5%, Cherokee citizen Sean Buckner’s approximate 10%, firefighter-paramedic Brian Ragain’s less than 6% and Nick Hankins’ less than 4%.
Born on an Air Force base in Missouri, Hern initially worked as an aerospace engineer for Rockwell International. However, when the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster severely disrupted the aerospace sector, he pivoted to entrepreneurship. To fund his dream of becoming a franchisee, Hern operated various small ventures — including writing computer automation programs, real estate, and hog farming.
In 1999, he “sold the hog farm” to purchase two McDonald’s locations in Muskogee, eventually expanding his organization to own 24 of the restaurants across northeastern Oklahoma. Today, he lives in Tulsa with his wife, Tammy, and they have three children.
As a lawmaker, Hern supports term limits for Congress members, has cosponsored several pieces of legislation to support veterans, voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill’s funding for immigration enforcement to secure the border, has resisted Washington’s attempts to restrict the Second Amendment, proudly cosponsored pro-life legislation such as the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and cosponsored the SAVE America Act.
Trump endorsed Hern in March, celebrating him as a “Great Patriot, and FANTASTIC Congressman!”
“A true friend of MAGA, Kevin is now running for the United States Senate, where I know he will continue to do an incredible job,” the president wrote. “Kevin is strongly supported by the fiercest MAGA Warriors in Oklahoma, and the most Highly Respected Leaders in the United States Senate! As the Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee, Kevin is doing a tremendous job advancing our AMERICA FIRST Agenda.”
Meanwhile, the Democrat primary is heading to an August 25th runoff election after no candidate secured a majority. Chickasaw citizen and nurse N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas will face lawyer and ordained minister Jim Priest.
According to the Associated Press, Thomas led the five-candidate field with 61,053 votes (about 44%), while Priest secured the second runoff spot with 34,160 votes (about 25%). Both candidates outpaced Troy W. Green, who finished with 20.6% of the vote, followed by Ervin Stone Yen at 6.5% and R.O. Joe Cassity Jr. at 4.5%.
On the issues, the two candidates offer distinct legislative priorities for Oklahoma voters. According to her online campaign platform, Thomas frames her run around civil rights, describing herself as a “lifelong advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights” and pledging to “codify marriage equality” while noting that her own mother is gay. A mother of two, including a child with autism, Thomas also promises to “restore federal abortion protections” and guarantee emergency reproductive and trauma care.
Priest, the former CEO of two major Oklahoma City nonprofits, has instead anchored his platform to an agenda he calls the “New FAIR Deal.” His four-part acronym stands for “Focusing on family finances by lowering grocery, housing, and household costs; Accessing basic resources by investing in rural communities, healthcare facilities, and broadband infrastructure; Inspiring confidence in government through measures like banning congressional stock trading; and Restoring America’s reputation by improving public safety and ensuring faster federal responses to severe weather and natural disasters.”
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