Oklahoma
Tom Cole easily defeats House challenge in Oklahoma – Washington Examiner
Incumbent Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) easily avoided a runoff in Oklahoma after defeating a crowded field of GOP candidates, including a wealthy self-funder vying for his House seat.
Cole, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee in the House, received 67% of the vote with 25% of ballots counted when the primary was called. Meanwhile, insurance broker Paul Bondar received 23% of the vote.
Had Cole failed to pull in 50%, he would have been forced to compete in a primary runoff on Aug. 27. Three other GOP candidates were also on the ballot, but the two top vote-getters advance to the next stage of the election.
Cole, who has held his seat since the 2002 election, had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, but he is also an old-school Republican who has attracted criticism for his relationships with Democrats. He took on his role as Appropriations Committee chairman after Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) stepped down from the position in April.
Bondar, a political newcomer who loaned more than $5 million of his own money to his campaign in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District, had attacked Cole as a Washington insider willing to vote with Democrats on spending bills, including billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, but the message did not resonate with enough voters on election night.
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The race became one of the most expensive congressional races in Oklahoma’s history. In addition to Bondar’s personal fundraising, Americans 4 Security PAC, an outside group supporting Cole, planned to spend nearly $4 million on the race, per Roll Call. Cole’s campaign spent over $3 million, and both the American Action Network and Defending Main Street Super PAC funneled money into the contest as well.
Oklahoma is one of several Republican strongholds as Democrats look elsewhere to flip the lower chamber back to their control.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture is taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of New World Screwworm into Oklahoma.
The Department issued new animal movement restrictions today.
Anyone transporting livestock into Oklahoma from an “infested zone” must get a permit from the State Veterinarians Office.
They must also have a CVI that states the animals have all been individually inspected and found free of the worm.
The Department says no confirmed cases of Screwworm have been reported in Oklahoma but they are working with the USDA to monitor the pest’s spread.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) — Crime Stoppers of Southwest Oklahoma is set to host a Dice Run fundraiser on Saturday.
Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with the first bike out set for 9:30 a.m.
The ride will begin at Diamondback Harley-Davidson in Lawton and head to the first stop at Kochendorfer Brewery in Duncan. Riders will then head to Cotton Blossom Winery in Marlow, then Rising Eagle Brewery in Elgin, to Bootleggers in Medicine Park and back to Diamondback Harley-Davidson.
The last bike in is set for 2 p.m.
The cost to participate is $20 per bike with an extra $10 for additional riders or passengers.
The event will also feature cash and door prizes, a raffle, food trucks and live music.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A man is dead following a fire late Wednesday afternoon at a northwest Oklahoma City apartment complex.
According to the Oklahoma City Fire Department, just after 4 p.m., firefighters responded to reports of a fire involving a second-story window air conditioning unit at an apartment complex in the 8300 block of Northwest 10th Street.
When fire crews arrived to the scene, smoke and flames were seen coming from the complex and they quickly started tackling the fire.
Firefighters conducted a search of the second-floor apartment where the fire originated and found an adult male inside.
The man was removed from the structure in critical condition and transported to an area hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
No other units were damaged as a result of the fire, and no other injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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