The color in Oklahoma politics did not change on Tuesday, but that can’t be said in many other states across the country. Oklahoma’s five House districts saw the GOP hold serve across the board, while Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hern successfully made the transition from House to Senate, winning his Senate race with 57% of the million votes cast in that race. He is expected to be sworn in as the next US Senator from Oklahoma November 10th once his election is certified.
In the House races, Tom Cole, Frank Lucas and Josh Brecheen all won their respective contests with comfortable margins, while Stephanie Bice has apparently won reelection in the 5th District over Jena Nelson by just 3,000 votes. In the first District, Mark Tedford won the open seat vacated by Senator Elect Hern- Tedford winning by 10,000 votes over John Croisant.
Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays talked on election night with Congressman Lucas, who is the senior member of the delegation, about the rough night that the GOP was having in other states, which means that the Oklahoma House members will be members of the minority party in the new session- and it may well mean that Senators Lankford and Hern will also serve in the Minority in 2027.
Several major media outlets have called the Democrats as the new majority in the House- and with Democrats flipping several Republican Senate seats by mid evening- including our neighbors both in Kansas and Texas- it seems very likely that the Senate will also hold a Democratic majority,
“This has been a really tough night for Republicans across the nation, and when my neighbors, by two-thirds of the vote, send me back to represent them one more time, I’m very gratified, very appreciative, and very respectful of the responsibilities that entails,” Lucas said. “Oklahoma is an exception to the rule across the country—just the conservative nature, the ag, energy, the small-town, Main Street business kind of state we are.”
The Race to Finish the Farm Bill in the Lame Duck
With election results pointing toward Democrats reclaiming the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the upcoming 120th Congress beginning in 2027, Lucas made an immediate case for resolving unfinished agricultural policy before the current term expires.
Lawmakers return to Washington within days for a post-election lame-duck session, facing must-pass appropriations measures and an overdue five-year farm bill. Lucas argued that both parties share an incentive to cross the finish line now.
“We need to finish up the final details on the farm bill, and if we do that, then farm policy is essentially laid down for the next five years,” Lucas stated.
“I think it’s in the best interest of everybody that we finish out this process,” he continued. “The Democrats, by coming in as a new majority, need the plate to be clean so they can focus on their agenda… If we don’t finish the farm bill and leave a number of issues spilling out into the next session, that just ties the hands of the new chairperson. They want a fresh start, and that’s what I’m encouraging them to think about—work with Chairman Thompson, work with me, work with the present majority in the final weeks of this lame-duck session.”
Leadership Turmoil and Ag Committee Dynamics
If Democrats assume the House gavel, the House Committee on Agriculture will face leadership reorganizations on both sides of the aisle.
Lucas noted that Democrats will see a multi-way contest for the committee gavel, with contenders emerging from California, North Carolina, and Ohio—notably Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH). Brown, who represents an urban district with no actual farmers, has primarily focused on nutrition programs.
“Shontel’s main focus on the committee has been the social nutrition programs,” Lucas explained. “I understand and appreciate that’s the issue amongst her constituents. But if you’re chairman of the Ag Committee, whether you’re Republican or Democrat, it’s not just the consumption programs, but it’s also the programs that raise the food and fiber. It’s ag research, rural development, conservation, farm credit, crop insurance, price protection—all of these pieces that fit together.”
Lucas noted he has proactively mentored newer members like Brown on production realities, adding, “A chair has a big responsibility, and you can’t just look at it from your own narrow district interest.”
On the Republican side, Lucas pointed out potential shifts depending on whether current Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania can secure a waiver to serve as ranking member. If not, interested contenders include subcommittee leaders from Georgia and western Kansas.
Veteran Statesman Anchors Oklahoma Ag Interests
Regardless of how committee leadership reorganizes, Lucas—as the most senior member on both sides of the Agriculture Committee dais—emphasized that his role will center on bipartisan continuity and protecting production agriculture.
“Having been a subcommittee chairman, ranking member, full committee chairman, and ranking member, I’ve worked really hard to develop a level of trust amongst both Republicans and Democrats,” Lucas said, referencing his work shepherding landmark legislation like the 2014 Farm Bill. “When they came to discuss with me the nuances, the details, how it affected their district and the country as a whole, they knew I would give them an honest, straightforward answer. I believe I’ve earned a little respect, and I believe I’ll probably need to use every bit of that in the coming two-year session.”
Looking toward the next Congress, Lucas cautioned that while partisan investigations may dominate the headlines in Washington, the farm sector requires lawmakers to keep their eyes on practical realities.
“My role… is whoever winds up in charge, whichever person is the ranker and the chairman, is to work with them to make sure that good agricultural policy continues,” Lucas said. “And you know, Ron, that means putting an Oklahoma perspective on that ag policy.”
