Who's running in Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Lowering costs for families and small businesses and cutting federal waste and fraud.
Strong immigration enforcement.
Rebuilding American energy, manufacturing and skilled trades.
Defending parental rights, religious liberty and conservative family values.
Reservations about tariffs' effect on inflation; opposes overturning birthright citizenship and US ground troops in Iran (as of June 2026).
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Oklahoma state representative, District 69, since 2022; unopposed in 2022 and 2024.
Longtime owner of Tedford Insurance; sits on the House Insurance Committee and authored a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights (HB 2933).
Co-authored a 2024 bill requested by State Farm to reduce penalties on insurers that lose bad-faith claim lawsuits; it did not pass. He says he is not aligned with the company.
Marked excused for more than 400 of 947 Oklahoma House votes in the 2026 session, among the most in the chamber; his campaign says the absences were leadership-approved and clustered on a few long days.
91% rating from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs and CPAC's 2026 Conservative Achievement Award, per his campaign.
Loaned his campaign about $600,000; raised more than $1.44 million by late May 2026.
Endorsed by President Trump (after Lahmeyer's endorsement was withdrawn) and Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert.
Arguments in favor
'Mark was always present when I needed him' and is 'a strong champion for conservative values.'
— Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, endorsement quoted by Tedford's campaign to The Frontier
Arguments against
He was marked excused for more than 400 of 947 Oklahoma House votes in the 2026 session, more than all but two other members, and co-authored a 2024 bill requested by State Farm that would have reduced penalties on insurers that lose bad-faith lawsuits, while running an insurance agency and taking insurance-industry PAC money.
— The Frontier investigative reporting (published with the Tulsa Flyer)
What we couldn’t verify
No general-election criticism of Tedford by Croisant's campaign was found; the criticism above is primary-season reporting.
Whether debates with Croisant will be held had not been reported.
Improving rather than eliminating the US Department of Education; fully funding special education.
Universal health care and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Lowering living costs, opposing tariffs he blames for food prices, and making data centres rather than households pay for utility infrastructure.
Federal housing dollars accessible to local builders.
A national Black Wall Street monument in Tulsa.
Federal voting-rights protections and open primaries (State Question 836).
Keeping illegal guns off the streets and strengthening police-community relations.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Vice president of the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education.
Former Tulsa Public Schools teacher (Edison Prep) and coach; insurance agency owner.
Unopposed for the 2026 Democratic nomination.
Re-elected to the Tulsa school board in 2024, defeating Teresa Peña with about 55%.
Arguments in favor
He 'was not a contributor to the chaos' on a divided school board, 'proved to be an even-tempered, well-prepared and steady voice during a difficult time in public education', and remained 'above the partisanship with a focus on shifting attention to student outcomes.'
— Tulsa World editorial board, 2024 school board endorsement
Arguments against
A state audit of Tulsa Public Schools covering 2015–2023, much of it during his board tenure, found misappropriation of funds, 'a culture of non-compliance and a lack of transparency'; as board vice president Croisant argued the district had discovered and corrected many of the problems itself.
— Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd's audit findings, as reported by KJRH
What we couldn’t verify
No general-election criticism of Croisant by Tedford's campaign or the Oklahoma Republican Party was found.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
November 3, 2026 is Oklahoma's general election, decided by plurality with no general-election runoff. Party primaries were held June 16, 2026, with primary runoffs on August 25 for races where no candidate won a majority. Write-in voting is not permitted in Oklahoma, so there are no write-in candidates. The congressional map did not change for 2026: the districts enacted in November 2021 (HB 1002) remain in use, and no 2026 redraw or pending congressional map litigation was found. This is an open seat: Republican Rep. Kevin Hern is running for US Senate. Two candidates are on the general election ballot: Republican Mark Tedford and Democrat John Croisant. Tedford led an 11-candidate Republican primary with 32.2% and was headed to an August 25 runoff with pastor Jackson Lahmeyer (25.9%), but President Trump withdrew his endorsement of Lahmeyer and endorsed Tedford after Lahmeyer admitted to inappropriate texting with a woman who was not his wife; Lahmeyer withdrew in June, making Tedford the nominee. Croisant was unopposed after Erica Watkins withdrew. The district covers most of the Tulsa metropolitan area. Hern won 60.4% in 2024.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Oklahoma ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Oklahoma State Election Board.