This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Oklahoma was April 5, 2024.
Eighteen candidates are running for Oklahoma’s five U.S. House districts, including six Democrats and 12 Republicans. That’s 3.6 candidates per district, less than in the previous three election cycles. There were 5.6 candidates per district in 2022, 5.4 candidates per district in 2020, and 7.2 in 2018.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- The total number of candidates running for the U.S. House in Oklahoma in 2024 is also fewer than any other year this decade.
- No seats are open this year, meaning all incumbents are running for re-election. One House seat was open in 2022, 2018, and 2014, respectively. No seats were open in 2020 and 2016.
- Seven candidates—two Democrats and five Republicans—are running for the 4th Congressional District, the most candidates running for a seat this year.
- Five primaries—two Democratic and three Republican—are contested this year. Four primaries were contested in 2022, and six were contested in 2020.
- Three incumbents—all Republicans—are in contested primaries. Three incumbents were in contested primaries in 2022, 2020, 2018, and 2014, respectively. Five incumbents were in contested primaries in 2016.
- The 3rd Congressional District is guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats will appear on the ballot. Republicans filed to run in every congressional district, meaning none are guaranteed to Democrats.
Oklahoma and Virginia are holding primaries on June 18.
In Oklahoma, primary winners are determined by majority vote. The top two candidates participate in a runoff election if no candidate wins a majority in the first round of balloting.
