Six Oklahoma Republicans Vying For Dan Boren's Spot In Congress

Republicans are vying for a coveted Oklahoma congressional seat this campaign season.

Six Republican candidates hope to replace Congressman Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, and held a forum tonight to meet voters.

Congressman Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, is not seeking a fifth term.

Republicans see that decision as a huge opportunity and voters have a lot of faces to choose from.

With just two weeks left until voters head to the polls, six Republican candidates are trying to do something that hasn't been done in some time - claim District 2.

"I think Oklahomans in general are conservative and so we want a conservative person to be in that seat," candidate Wayne Pettigrew said.

The six men running in the Republican primary are State Rep. George Faught, Broken Arrow businessman Markwayne Mullin, former state rep. Wayne Pettigrew, attorney Dustin Rowe, pastor Dwayne Thompson and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Dakota Wood.

"We need conservative principles, we need conservative legislators who are going to stand up for what they believe in and then convey that to the citizens so that they will elect them," George Faught, R-Muskogee.

The second district covers the eastern third of the state, stretching from Kansas all the way to Texas.

It's huge, one of the poorest districts and it traditionally has been a democratic stronghold.

"All the campaigns have done an analysis of where the votes are at in terms of registered Republicans," Dakota Wood said. "We have a closed primary system in Oklahoma, and so we are trying to target those, so all of us have been all over the district.

In a primary race where six candidates with diverse backgrounds and levels of experience are pushing their platforms, they agree it all comes down to name recognition and voter turnout.

"In a race like this, you give 100 percent and at the end of the day, it's up to the voters to make the decision," candidate Markwayne Mullin said. "So you can't do anything except give your all.

Earl Everett, Wayne Herriman and Rob Wallace are Democratic candidates running in the primary for District 2.

Primary election day is June 26th.

Michael Fulks is running as an Independent and advances to the general election in November.