Longtime Congressman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) won Tuesday night’s primary and is on track to be elected to his 12th term in the House of Representatives in November.
Cole, who currently serves as chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, was facing a formidable Republican opponent led by Paul Bondar, a political outsider and businessman who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into the race.
The veteran Republican has represented Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District since January 2003, which includes parts of Oklahoma City and the city of Norman.
Battle for the Final Frontier: Republicans seek to retake historically Republican-held Alaska House seat
Rep. Tom Cole is running for his 12th term in Congress. (Getty Images)
Cole was expected to win at least a majority of the vote because of his deep ties to Oklahoma Republican politics, but his reputation for working across party lines has left him facing challenges from the right.
Bondar has sought to present himself as a more conservative alternative to Kohl, accusing him of working with Democrats on issues such as government funding and aid to Ukraine, while the Kohl campaign has portrayed Bondar as a bribe-taker.
Cole also entered Tuesday’s election with the endorsement of former President Trump, who won the district in 2020 by double-digit vote margins.
Democrats fear Trump’s VP pick ‘will mean the end of Biden’: insider
Donald Trump endorsed Cole earlier this year. (Felipe Ramares for Fox News Digital)
“Tom Cole is an incredible representative for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District. As chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Tom is working hard to secure our border, stop immigrant crime, strengthen our military and veterans, support great law enforcement, and protect the Second Amendment, which is constantly under attack,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May.
“He has almost always voted with me, including through the two impeachment hoaxes. Tom Cole has my full and total support. He will not let you down!”
Black male voters unhappy with Biden and Trump: ‘Tired of having to choose between greater evils and lesser evils’
Cole is also a staunch supporter of House Speaker Mike Johnson, pictured here. (Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
In addition to supporting Trump, Cole is also a staunch supporter of House Republican leadership, having previously served as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, and as the top Republican on the House Rules Committee before taking over as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
The other Republican candidates running to unseat Cole on Tuesday night were Nick Hankins, Rick Harris and Andrew Hayes.
