Republican District One Congressional Race Heats Up

The fight for the Republican District 1 congressional candidate is heating up with incumbent John Sullivan facing off with Jenks native Jim Bridenstine.

Sullivan has held the seat for the last decade and now Bridenstine is looking to take the spotlight and become the Republican candidate for the November elections.

Nearly everywhere you go in Tulsa you'll see campaign signs for Bridenstine and Sullivan. Both are running for the Republican Party District 1 congressional seat.

Here's how the two shape up.

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Bridenstine is a Jenks High School graduate. He's served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy and was the executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Bridenstine feels it's time for Congress to start spending responsibly so that the U.S. can get out of debt.

He says if he's elected, that will be his main goal.

"It's not about Republicans and Democrats. Both parties have been involved in this reckless spending that has put our country in jeopardy, put our children's future in jeopardy. And now for the first time we have to elect people that are willing to go to Washington D.C. and do the right things," Bridenstine said.

Sullivan has held the District 1 seat since 2002. During that time, he tells the News on 6 he's cut spending in Washington, passed two budgets, and voted to repeal "Obamacare."

Next on his agenda, if elected, is to fight for our energy jobs.

"I want to have a comprehensive energy strategy in this country to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Not send over a billion dollars every day to purchase foreign oil and subsidize other countries in other nations. That money needs to be here in our economy," Sullivan said.

Right now the race between Bridenstine and Sullivan is a tight one

"Our polls show us that we're in a neck-and-neck race and that there are a number of undecided and traditionally undecideds break two-to-one for the challenger. So we feel we are in a very strong position," said Bridenstine.

"I think the race is great. I think we're doing really well. Everything indicates that," Sullivan said.

Sullivan was also very vocal about stopping the Kialegee Tribal Town from building a casino in Broken Arrow. Bridenstine commends Sullivan for his efforts and says he too was against this controversial casino.

Election Day is this Tuesday June 26. Whoever wins between the two will have to face off against the Democratic candidate John Olson.