Self-funded political newcomer seeks to oust longtime Republican US Rep. Tom Cole in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — U.S. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the powerful Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, tried Tuesday to head off a primary challenge from a businessman who has poured millions of his own dollars into the race.

Political newcomer Paul Bondar has borrowed more than $5 million of his own money for his campaign in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District. There are also three other GOP candidates on the ballot.

Cole, a longtime Republican Party political strategist in Oklahoma before his election to Congress in 2002, has the backing of former President Donald Trump. But Bondar’s money has allowed him to blanket the television airwaves and social media with a barrage of ads touting his candidacy.

“Five million dollars in Oklahoma would be the same as $15 million in Atlanta or $20 million in Los Angeles,” said Chad Alexander, former chairman of the Republican Party of Oklahoma and host of a political talk show on radio station KOKC. “The most common question I get asked is when this election will be over because there are so many Bondar and Cole ads on the air that people are just sick of them.”

Bondar has also faced questions about his residency. He last lived in Texas and voted in that state’s Republican primary in March, which has become a focal point of Cole’s attacks.

Bondar has attacked Cole as a Washington insider willing to vote with Democrats on spending, including billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.

Cole typically faces only token opposition, but records show he has spent more than $3.1 million on the primaries so far. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face off in a primary on August 27.

Oklahoma’s 4th District extends across south-central Oklahoma and includes Ada, Ardmore, Duncan, Lawton/Fort Sill, Moore and Norman.

There are two other Oklahoma congressmen facing challengers.

In the Tulsa-based 1st District, Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern is running against Paul Royse. Royse has not filed any campaign finance information with the Federal Election Commission. On the Democratic side, Evelyn Rogers, who sought this seat as an independent in the past two general elections, or former FBI agent Dennis Baker will face the Republican winner in November. Baker has raised nearly $91,000, compared to Rogers’ $1,300.

Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, the longest-serving incumbent in the House delegation, has two challengers, neither of whom reported raising more than $20,000 this cycle.