Tyler Herring defeated Jack Stewart in the Yukon area, while Aaron Forst denied Dana Prieto another term in Tulsa County.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican voters ousted two incumbent state senators Tuesday, handing Jack Stewart and Dana Prieto runoff defeats that reshaped the right flank of the Senate GOP caucus.
Tyler Herring defeated Stewart with 54.8% of the vote in the Yukon-area Senate District 18. Aaron Forst received 65.1% against Prieto in Tulsa County’s Senate District 34, according to unofficial State Election Board returns. Herring won by 761 votes, while Forst’s margin was 1,577.
The losses fell on the same side of the Senate Republican divide. Prieto helped found the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, while Stewart has been closely allied with its members in disputes with Senate leadership.
The results provided a sharp reversal from June, when Freedom Caucus-backed challengers took on seven Republican senators viewed as aligned with Senate leadership. All seven incumbents survived, while Freedom Caucus Vice Chairman Dusty Deevers failed to advance from the Republican primary in Senate District 32.
Herring reverses June finish
Stewart entered the runoff after leading a three-candidate June primary with nearly 46% of the vote. Herring finished with about 35%, while Misty Shannon received the remainder.
The runoff changed the order. Herring won 4,354 votes to Stewart’s 3,593.
Herring has a background in manufacturing and metal-building project management. He will face Democrat Meredith McGinnis in the Nov. 3 general election. Stewart was first elected to the Senate in 2022.
Forst defeats Prieto decisively
The reversal was larger in District 34. Prieto led Forst by just 115 votes in the four-candidate June primary, but Forst won the runoff by more than 30 percentage points.
Forst owns an Owasso child care business with his wife and has worked on child care policy as a workforce and economic development issue. He will face Democrat Amy Hossain in November. Prieto was elected in 2022 and was seeking a second term.
Four other Senate runoffs settled
Jon Painter won the Republican runoff in Senate District 24, defeating Robert Keyes with 65.8% of the vote. Painter advances to face Democrat Jonathan Morales and independent Melissa Elder.
Jessica Winegeart defeated Rick Koch with 54.9% in Senate District 26. Because no Democratic, Libertarian or independent candidate filed, Winegeart secured election to the seat, pending certification.
Curtis Erwin received 56.9% against Jean Hausheer in Senate District 32. Erwin will face Democrat Booker Newton and independent Valentin Peña in November.
In the special Republican runoff for Senate District 17, Justin Freeland Wood defeated Abby Thompson with 62.9% of the vote. Wood advances to the Nov. 3 special general election against Democrat Ed Bolt.
The runoff results remain unofficial. Statewide results are scheduled for certification Sept. 1.
