Trump-backed pastor forces runoff in Oklahoma congressional primary

A Trump-backed Tulsa pastor and a more conventional state lawmaker emerged as the final two Republicans in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, pushing a crowded 10-candidate contest into an Aug. 25 runoff. Jackson Lahmeyer and Mark Tedford finished first and second in the June 16 GOP primary, and because no one cleared a majority, Oklahoma’s runoff system will decide who takes the heavily Republican seat.

The matchup is shaping up as a sharp test of what still wins in deep-red territory: movement-style provocation or establishment conservatism with broader appeal. Lahmeyer, the founder of Pastors for Trump, built his political identity around close ties to Donald Trump and hosted Trump family members and allies for political events at his churches. Trump endorsed Lahmeyer in May 2026, giving the Tulsa pastor the clearest signal of outside backing in the race.

Tedford offers a very different profile. A member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from District 69, he was elected in 2022, has worked in the insurance business since 1992 and holds an MBA from the University of Tulsa. In a race where Republicans are effectively choosing the district’s next member of Congress, Tedford’s résumé and state-legislative record stand in contrast to Lahmeyer’s national conservative profile and activist brand.

The runoff matters well beyond Tulsa. Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District is solidly Republican, so the Aug. 25 vote will effectively settle the seat. The opening was created when Rep. Kevin Hern left the House to run for the U.S. Senate seat opened by Markwayne Mullin’s departure, adding another layer to an already volatile 2026 cycle for Oklahoma Republicans.

The primary was part of a broader reshuffle across the state, which also included an open governorship and an open U.S. Senate seat. With the largest Republican primary in the district’s history, the runoff now stands as a measure of Trump’s continued pull with GOP voters, the appeal of a combative candidate like Lahmeyer, and whether Oklahoma Republicans prefer a familiar elected official like Tedford when the general election is all but decided in advance.