A four-way Republican primary left Sen. Dana Prieto with less than 30% of the vote, setting up an Aug. 25 runoff and another test of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus’ ability to defend one of its own.
OWASSO – A fractured four-way Republican primary has left Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa, facing an Aug. 25 runoff and another test of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus’ ability to defend one of its own.
Prieto, a member of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, finished first in the four-way Republican primary with less than 30% of the vote. Challenger Aaron Forst was close behind, while former Owasso Mayor Kent Taylor and Brent Driskill split the remaining vote, denying Prieto the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Prieto and Forst will now advance to the Aug. 25 Republican runoff.
The contest sets up another chapter in the intraparty power struggle that has increasingly defined Republican politics in the Oklahoma Senate.
During the primary season, the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus backed challengers against seven incumbent Republican senators viewed as aligned with Senate leadership and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton. All seven incumbents survived their primaries, denying the caucus any immediate gains in the Senate.
Prieto entered the race with a financial advantage. Campaign finance reports show he raised more than $29,000 and reported nearly $11,700 cash on hand before the primary election. His fundraising included more than $22,700 from individual contributors and $5,450 from political action committees.
Forst, meanwhile, mounted a largely self-funded campaign. Campaign finance reports show he raised nearly $30,000 before the primary, including $26,000 in personal loans to his campaign. He also reported more than $7,300 in in-kind contributions and had just over $5,100 cash on hand entering the final weeks before the election.
A review of campaign finance reports shows little evidence that Senate leadership had coalesced around competing factions during the primary campaign. Instead, the race was driven largely by candidate self-funding and local donors, leaving open the question of whether outside interests will attempt to shape the Aug. 25 runoff.
Unlike some other Republican Senate runoffs, Senate District 34 remains highly fluid. A majority of Republican voters backed candidates other than Prieto, and where those voters ultimately land could determine the outcome of the August contest.
Because no Democrat or independent candidate filed for Senate District 34, the winner of the Aug. 25 Republican runoff will automatically become the district’s next state senator.
