Kevin Hern seeks Oklahoma U.S. Senate seat in 2026

Republican Kevin Hern is running for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma's Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat N'Kiyla Thomas.

Hern has represented Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2018, according to his congressional biography. He lives in Tulsa with his wife Tammy. They have three children and three grandchildren.

This profile is based on publicly available information and the candidate's own responses to policy questionnaires via BallotReady. Candidate statements are attributed as such.

Candidate information

Party: Republican
Office sought: U.S. Senate, Oklahoma
Current office: U.S. Representative, Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District (since 2018)
Residence: Tulsa
Born: Dec. 4, 1961, Belton, Missouri (born on an Air Force base)
Education: High school diploma, Dover High School (1980); bachelor's degree in electromechanical engineering, Arkansas Tech University (1986); master of business administration, University of Arkansas, Little Rock (1999); doctoral program in astronautical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology (not completed), according to Wikipedia; architectural drafting certificate from a Career Technology school

Experience and public service

Hern worked as an aerospace engineer at Rockwell International, according to BallotReady profile data. He held operations management roles at McDonald's from 1987 to 1997, according to his congressional biography. He also served on the company's national leadership team as chairman of the franchise relations team and the systems economic team.

Hern has been a McDonald's franchise owner since 1999, according to BallotReady. He co-owns Custom Seating and Interiors and served as CEO and managing partner of Firstrike Group from 2000 to 2018, BallotReady records show.

In Congress, Hern serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means. He chaired the Republican Study Committee during the 118th Congress (2023–2025) and chairs the House Republican Policy Committee in the 119th Congress, according to his committees and caucuses page.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Hern's own responses to BallotReady questionnaires and his campaign website.

Border security and immigration: Hern said he believes there is "a crisis on our southern border" and said he voted to fund a border wall to protect national security and sovereignty.

Government spending and the national debt: Hern said the national debt threatens national security and the future of the country's children. He said he supports a balanced budget and wants to rein in government spending.

Small business and the economy: Hern said he works on the Small Business committee to ensure businesses have capital access to start and grow companies for American workers.

Education: Hern said every child deserves access to an education that provides skills and knowledge to pursue what he called "their own American dream." He said he is an advocate for school choice.

Second Amendment: Hern said he supports Second Amendment rights. The Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association has endorsed him, according to BallotReady.