NORMAN – Incumbent U.S. House member Stephanie Bice (OK-5) enters the midterm election cycle with a convenient advantage; she did not draw an opponent in the June 16 Republican primary.
Under Oklahoma election law, because Bice was the only Republican to file for the seat, a primary election will not be held. That automatically advances Bice to the November general election ballot.
The fall election landscape is shaped by the presence of independent candidate Robert Henri, who secured his ballot spot through the state’s petition process. While third-party candidates rarely achieve majorities, their participation can influence the result in tight races.
Even a small shift of voters toward Henri could narrow Bice’s margin of vote separation, making the final outcome less predictable. The involvement of an independent candidate can introduce an element of uncertainty into the general election.
Bice has seen this concept in action firsthand. During her first reelection bid in 2022, independent candidate David Frosch captured more than 9,000 votes in the Fifth District, demonstrating how non-party contenders can pull votes outside the two major parties and alter the final numbers.
His campaign, which Henri has coined “Project Due Course,” targets voters who express dissatisfaction with the two-party system. His strategy involves direct voter contact in suburban areas, where minor shifts in voter turnout may be critical to the final outcome.
“There was a time when Congress worked for everyday Americans. Then, corporate money flooded in through loopholes and now our voices get drowned out by whoever writes the biggest check. Project Due Course aims to flip that script and return power where it belongs,” Henri said through his campaign social media.
Henri has criticized the routine appointment of congressional members to cabinet positions. He pointed to the recent confirmation of former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in President Trump’s cabinet.
“The Senate has a tradition of fast-tracking confirmation of its own members, no questions asked. Mullin got the express lane treatment while outsiders faced months of scrutiny. It’s the ultimate insider game,” Henri said. “I’m running for Congress to end confirmation processes that put Senate club membership over proper vetting.”
With the absence of a primary challenger, Bice has maintained her focus in Washington rather than campaign activities for the time being. Most recently, she took to social media to announce the introduction of the “Pregnancy Loss Mental Health Research Act of 2026″ alongside U.S. Rep. Addison McDowell of North Carolina.
“Losing a baby is heart-wrenching and no family should have to go through that grief without support,” Bice said. “This bill is an important step toward improving mental health research and services for women who have experienced pregnancy loss.”
The situation differs on the other side of the aisle, where a Democratic primary election battle is unfolding between Jena Nelson and Trey Martin. Both are touring the district to knock on doors and speak at town hall meetings.
Nelson, an Edmond resident and former Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, has focused her congressional campaign squarely on unseating Bice. She previously ran as the Democratic nominee for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and is centering her platform on public education and protecting Oklahoma’s working class – an effort recently boosted by an endorsement from the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association (OREA).
“As a working-class Oklahoman, I’m sick and tired of our elected leaders like my opponent Stephanie Bice constantly kowtowing to Trump and throwing Oklahoma’s middle class under the bus.” Nelson said.
Referencing her support from the OREA, Nelson took to social media to let teachers across the district know she is in their corner.
“I’m so honored to have the support and endorsement of the OREA – Oklahoma Retired Educators Association. Teachers make such a positive impact on the world and in Congress, I’ll make sure they have a strong ally,” Nelson said.
Trey Martin is an ironworker who lives in Edmond and is a native of Shawnee. He has centered his platform on issues from both sides of Washington politics.
In his campaign launch video, Martin championed an end to theatrical politics in the nation’s capital, criticizing both parties equally and drawing a contrast between his blue-collar background and what he terms career politicians in Washington.
Despite running as a Democrat, Martin rejects traditional partisan labeling, arguing that such a straightforward approach cannot successfully compete or connect with Oklahoma voters across the political spectrum.
“What do you think about politics? I think it sucks. Seems like both sides have lost their minds. Politicians are getting rich, and insider trading is supposed to be against the law. Politicians who have never even shot a gun trying to tell us how to use them,” Martin said.
Martin also criticized what he said is a lack of genuine concern from politicians regarding healthcare, citing his own wife’s struggles with the healthcare system as an example.
“When my wife got sick a few years ago, it nearly bankrupted us. And do our politicians care? No. I was 19 when I started my own workers’ apprenticeship. Now I’ve been doing it for 20 years. In a union, you learn to take care of one another,” Martin said. “That’s why I’m running for Congress. As an ironworker, I’m not scared of a bunch of corrupt politicians with soft hands who have never worked a day in their life.”
In the final moments of his campaign launch, Martin stated his intention to confront the nation’s largest business conglomerates, claiming that they control Washington politicians through financial influence.
“I’ll take on the billionaires who own them, fix the tax code for working people, and not let corporations that we fund and build hide profits in other countries. Big Pharma, Big Tech, big bosses – they’re not bigger than us,” Martin said.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net
