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Erik Terwey
Erik Terwey (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Terwey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Erik Terwey was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Terwey's career experience includes working as a manager and public school teacher. He earned a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2005 and 2008, respectively.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House Oklahoma District 2
Incumbent Josh Brecheen, Erik Terwey, and William Webb are running in the general election for U.S. House Oklahoma District 2 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Josh Brecheen (R) | |
 | Erik Terwey (D)  | |
 | William Webb (R) | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Erik Terwey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Terwey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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In 2005, I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. I then accepted an offer to join the graduate program and teach introductory-level French courses while I completed my studies. I completed my M.A. in 2008 and was accepted to Teach for America, AmeriCorps's domestic educational service corps. After training in NYC Public Schools, I was placed in Tulsa Public Schools, joined my local union, TCTA, and taught for 5 wonderful years.
In 2014, I returned to Bartlesville, where I began to manage Jareds' Frozen Custard, a position I continue to hold. Teaching was a very edifying profession; you get to change lives daily. I missed the impact I used to make as a teacher, so I became very involved in volunteer work. I have tutored immigrants who wanted to learn English, served as a court mediator for Oklahoma's Early Settlement Mediation, coached those ready to take their citizenship test, served on boards for the local library and equality groups, contributed to the local political discourse, and more. I pride myself on serving others and take every opportunity to give back as much as possible.- We need an economy that prioritizes the worker-class American. Our economy currently caters to the billionaires and their mega corporations, instead of working for everyone. I believe that the working class, not the billionaire class, is the most important part of the American economy. WE make the products. WE stock the shelves. WE sell the services and goods. WE fire the engines of the American economy. Us, not them! A free and fair economy can and WILL work for everyone---when we even the playing field and eliminate the unfair, corrupt tax breaks and subsidies we currently give to large corporations. Only then will we meet our budgetary obligations, reduce our deficit, and provide a market where small businesses can compete.
- Our healthcare system is far too expensive and inefficient. With our deficit ballooning and a population that is aging, our country needs to solve the healthcare cost crisis NOW. If everyone in the country used Medicare instead of the THOUSANDS of restrictive and over-priced plans offered to them by private insurance companies through their employer, we would be saving HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars EACH YEAR! Add to this my personal conviction that everyone, no matter their income, has a right to seek healthcare. Period. That is why I 100% support an expansion of Medicare to cover every person in America.
- Several generations ago, our country made a solemn pledge: if you work hard, contribute to our society, pay into our system, and play by the rules, we will NOT let you fall into poverty. With that promise, we created the Social Security Administration and have subsequently saved tens of millions of senior citizens from destitution. Social Security and Medicaid should NEVER be cut, much less eliminated! I support EXPANDING social security benefits to reflect the actual rise in the cost of living. Entitlement programs like Social Security were EARNED through years of hard work and paying taxes. We should not allow anyone, but especially not our own government, to break its word and take from our country's seniors.
From my work in small business management, I know that too much of our tax burden rests on small businesses. I am interested in working with the Small Business Administration to find ways to ease that burden.
Only the House can introduce legislation that raises revenue, meaning that only the House can introduce taxes. I will introduce or co-sponsor legislation that will finally ask large corporations to do what all Americans do: PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
House Small Business Committee
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
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Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 30, 2025
