N'kiyla Jasmine Thomas wins U.S. Senate runoff, becomes Oklahoma's first 'democratic socialist' nominee – NonDoc Media

Democrats in Oklahoma selected N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas as their U.S. Senate nominee to face U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK1) in the November general election. Thomas, 31, is a nurse and Chickasaw Nation citizen from Ardmore who led the initial Democratic primary. Her campaign has largely been conducted through social media.
The Associated Press called the race for Thomas around 8 p.m. With about 59 percent of precincts reporting, Thomas held more than 58 percent support against Jim Priest. All election results are unofficial until they are certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board.
“We have had everything go against us. We have been to every county, just about. We have had all the slander,” Thomas said in a speech recorded on Facebook. “We have had every good thing happen to us as well.”
With Thomas self-identifying as a “democratic socialist” with policy priorities akin to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY14), her win will likely help fuel national discussions about the success of democratic socialist candidates in statewide races.
Priest, 70, is an attorney and nonprofit CEO from Oklahoma City who had the support of several former Democratic elected leaders, including former Gov. Brad Henry, former Gov. David Walters and former Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
Oklahoma Socialists
Oklahoma was once home to one of the nation’s most influential socialist parties, with the Socialist Party of Oklahoma being only the third party ever to hold a seat in the Legislature. The party’s influence was devastated by the First Red Scare.
Thomas’ campaign and first-place finish appears illustrative of Oklahoma Democrats’ desire for more progressive candidates. Her campaign managed to portray her as the most progressive candidate in the primary field, and she garnered widespread support despite limited connections within state politics. While not an official members of the Democratic Socialists of American, Thomas identifies as a democratic socialist and appears to be the first to do so and win a major party’s nomination in Oklahoma.
Conversely, much of Oklahoma’s older Democratic establishment and the last few Democrats elected to statewide office backed Priest. Campaign finance watchers have noted Thomas’ meager fundraising of about $57,000 is down to a $450 war chest as she enters the general election against the well-funded Hern. Most of the money appears to have gone to food and travel, with an unusual amount spent on airfare to and from the Kentucky/Tennessee area near Fort Campbell, where her husband had been stationed.
Map view
Check out precinct-level and county data for Oklahoma’s Aug. 25 statewide runoff elections.
“We won this nominee — this candidacy — with $53,000. Can y’all believe that?” Thomas said during her victory speech Tuesday night. “That’s because money doesn’t equate to votes. The voters spoke, and the voters said they wanted NJT because they see how hard NJT (…) and the Oklahomans have worked relentlessly. Now, what are we going to do? We are going to help our senior citizens, we are going to feed our kids in schools. We are going to actually elevate our education system and get us out of 50th in education. We are going to give our teachers the resources that they need, right? We are also going to fund our rural hospitals — and hospitals in general — and put nurses and doctors back into the hospitals.”
Had Priest advanced instead, he would have brought a $55,000 war chest to the general election, money that now could potentially help Thomas or other Democrats in November. Both Democrats’ fundraising is dwarfed by Hern’s $9 million in fundraising, with $7 million spent and $2 million in the bank. Hern is heavily favorited to win the general election, with the last Democrat to represent the seat being the late U.S. senator, Oklahoma governor and University of Oklahoma President David Boren in 1994.
(Update: This article was updated at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, to include remarks from N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas.)
Tristan Loveless is a NonDoc Media reporter covering legal matters and other civic issues in the Tulsa area. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation who grew up in Turley and Skiatook, he graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2023. Before that, he taught for the Tulsa Debate League in Tulsa Public Schools.
Tristan Loveless is a NonDoc Media reporter covering legal matters and other civic issues in the Tulsa area. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation who grew up in Turley and Skiatook, he graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2023. Before that, he taught for the Tulsa Debate League in Tulsa Public Schools.

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