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Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (June 16 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 3, 2026
Primary: June 16, 2026
Primary runoff: August 25, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Oklahoma

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th
Oklahoma elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 16, 2026, in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
April 3, 2026
June 16, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. As of February 2026, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party were scheduled to hold closed primaries in 2026 and 2027, in which only registered party members could participate.[1][2][3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 1

John Croisant (D) and Erica Watkins (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 1 on June 16, 2026.

Candidate
Image of John Croisant
John Croisant  Candidate Connection
Image of Erica Watkins
Erica Watkins  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

John Croisant

Image of John Croisant

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am uniquely qualified to tackle the challenges facing our communities. As a former teacher, coach, local businessman, and dedicated community volunteer, I understand the importance of strong leadership that puts people first. Most importantly, I am a parent who knows that the future of our country depends on the opportunities we create for the next generation. In Congress, I will fight for what is best for our families, our schools, and our economy. As a parent, I know that real solutions come from listening to families. I will work to ensure that our government is accountable, transparent, and responsive to the people it serves. I will stand up for policies that strengthen education, lower costs for working families, and create a brighter future for our children. As a former teacher at Edison Prep, I know firsthand how vital it is to invest in education. I am committed to supporting teachers, students, and parents to ensure every child has access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code. My experience as a coach has taught me the power of teamwork and perseverance. In Congress, I will fight to protect funding for essential programs, including healthcare, housing, childcare, education, infrastructure, and job training, ensuring that every American has the tools to succeed. I am ready to bring common-sense leadership to Washington. I will fight for hardworking Oklahomans and ensure that our voices are heard."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

The affordability crisis is a nation wide issue, but is hurting Oklahomans greatly. The rising costs of healthcare, housing, childcare and other essentials are skyrocketing at a pace that working class Oklahomans cannot keep up with. Americans were promised lower costs, but our current administration is doing nothing to help hard-working Oklahomans and our seniors.

I will fight for better education outcomes for Oklahoma students because being 50th in education is not acceptable. First, ensuring the Department of Education is not shut down. Second, I will hold Dept. of Ed. accountable for the outcomes of our students. I will achieve this by bringing federal dollars to local school districts to improve outcomes and giving local districts control over how to use funds to best support their students. Lastly, we will have the Dept. of Ed. recruit and retain teachers because we have a national teacher shortage. We should be addressing this at a local, state, and federal level, to ensure our students are getting the best education possible.

People in Washington D.C. do not care about people in Oklahoma. We need to ensure our federal dollars are being controlled locally. This ensures the best possible outcomes for Oklahomans. As your representative, I will fight to bring back essential programs around infrastructure, economic development, and help working Oklahomans whether they be in our cities, suburbs, or in our farming communities.

Erica Watkins

Image of Erica Watkins

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I’m a mom, a veteran, and a lifelong Oklahoman who believes in community, fairness, and the idea that government should work for people, not the powerful. I believe in the value of service and speaking up when something isn’t right. I served 10 years in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, including a deployment to Afghanistan. My time in uniform taught me about discipline, teamwork, and what real leadership looks like. That is showing up for others even when it’s hard. After coming home, I earned degrees in Sociology and Global Affairs; Global Economics and Development because I wanted to understand how systems shape people’s lives and how we can change them for the better. I’ve owned a small business, and have worked in education advocacy, and community organizing, focusing on one goal, helping Oklahoma build better futures. I am a founding board member of We’re Oklahoma Education (wOKe) and we work to protect public schools from political interference and ensure every child can learn freely and safely. My husband, also a veteran, and I are raising our two kids in Tulsa, where we spend our free time fishing, at lacrosse games, hiking, and out and about in town; staying connected to our community. At my core, I’m someone who believes that honesty, compassion, and courage still matter in politics. I’m running because Oklahoma deserves leaders who remember who they serve - the people - and who aren’t afraid to fight for a better future."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Transparency & Real Representation I believe representation means serving the people, not the powerful. Too many politicians answer to donors, lobbyists, and party leaders instead of the communities they represent. I’ll fight for transparent government and real local control, where decisions reflect the voices of working families, not political insiders. I serve everyone, not just those who agree with me. The culture wars dividing us are distractions designed to keep the wealthy in control while everyday Oklahomans pay the price.

Economic Dignity Our economy should work for people, not just corporations and billionaires. I’ll fight for policies that raise wages, strengthen unions, and support small businesses. Families deserve affordable childcare, paid family leave, and the ability to retire with security. I’ll push for student debt relief and job training to help young people and veterans build stable futures. Economic dignity means ensuring every Oklahoman can afford healthcare, housing, and the basic necessities of life, without working themselves to exhaustion to increase shareholder profit.

Strong Schools & Strong Communities Public education is the backbone of a healthy democracy and a strong economy. I’ll fight to fully fund public schools, raise teacher pay, and invest in classrooms instead of political agendas. I oppose vouchers and efforts to privatize or defund education. Our kids deserve safe schools, qualified teachers, and the freedom to learn without interference. But strong communities also require strong social services and safety nets. Access to healthcare, food security, housing, and mental health care are essential. The working class keeps this country running, and working class interests must be prioritized. When families are supported, children thrive, and our state grows stronger.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Oklahoma

Election information in Oklahoma: June 16, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: May 22, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by May 22, 2026
  • Online: May 22, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: June 1, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 1, 2026
  • Online: June 1, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 16, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 16, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

June 11, 2026 to June 13, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
John Croisant Democratic Party $67,369 $26,006 $41,363 As of December 31, 2025
Erica Watkins Democratic Party $9,336 $8,574 $761 As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_ok_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+11. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Oklahoma's 1st the 114th most Republican district nationally.[4]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
38.0%60.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Oklahoma, 2024

Oklahoma presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 10 Democratic wins
  • 20 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party N/A N/A D D D R D R D D D D D R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
See also: Party control of Oklahoma state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Oklahoma's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Oklahoma
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 0 0
Republican 2 5 7
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 5 7

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Oklahoma's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Oklahoma, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Kevin Stitt
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Matt Pinnell
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Benjamin Lepak
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Gentner Drummond

State legislature

Oklahoma State Senate

Party As of February 2026
     Democratic Party 8
     Republican Party 40
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 48

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Party As of February 2026
     Democratic Party 18
     Republican Party 80
     Other 0
     Vacancies 3
Total 101

Trifecta control

Oklahoma Party Control: 1992-2025
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Oklahoma in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oklahoma, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oklahoma U.S. House All candidates 2% of the number of registered voters in the appropriate district $1,000 4/3/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Oklahoma's Recognized Political Parties Keep Primaries Closed," December 10, 2025
  2. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Political Parties, accessed February 5, 2026
  3. ↑ Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Okla. Stat. tit. 26, § 1–104," accessed February 5, 2026
  4. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Oklahoma's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
James Lankford (R)
Markwayne Mullin (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Tom Cole (R)
District 5
Republican Party (7)


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