N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse without any previous political background, triumphed in the Democratic Senate runoff in Oklahoma on Tuesday, defeating attorney Jim Priest and securing her position as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming November election.
The win follows closely on the heels of state legislator Angie Nixon, another Democratic socialist, who recently secured the Democratic nomination for the Florida Senate. This adds to a series of successes for the party’s left wing during this primary cycle, where voters have consistently faced choices between moderate candidates and newcomers leaning further left. Now, she is set to compete against Hern, who has served as a U.S. representative for Oklahoma’s 1st District since 2018 and is backed by President Donald Trump . Hern begins this race at a notable disadvantage, as Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1990, and Trump won the state by nearly 35 points in 2024.
The challenge appears daunting for Thomas; however, she has already established a reputation within the Democratic Party due to her impressive performance in the primaries.
Her candidacy, which has been largely established through social media and lacks backing from corporate PACs, would make her the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first Native American woman to represent Oklahoma in the Senate, should she achieve success in November, according to her campaign.
