OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- All five of Oklahoma's U.S. House members easily beat back Republican primary challengers on Tuesday including U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, who automatically retains his 1st District congressional seat representing the Tulsa area because he has no opposition in the November election.
Bridenstine, along with U.S. Reps. Tom Cole, Frank Lucas, Markwayne Mullin and Steve Russell, had faced challenges within the Republican party. Cole and Russell each will face a Democrat and Libertarian in November, Lucas will face Democrat Frankie Robbins, and Mullin will face a Democrat and independent John McCarthy.
The only primary race for the U.S. Senate seat was between two Libertarian Party candidates, since neither incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford nor Democratic challenger Mike Workman of Tulsa drew any primary opposition. Registered independents were allowed to vote this cycle in either Libertarian or Democratic primaries.
Democrats are voting in congressional primary elections in the 2nd District in eastern Oklahoma, the 4th District in central and south-central Oklahoma, and the 5th District in the Oklahoma City area.
In all primaries, if no candidate gets a majority of the votes cast, a runoff primary election for the top two vote getters is set for Aug. 23. The general election is Nov. 8.
