The Red River Rivalry is playing out in Oklahoma’s 4th District, where longtime Republican Rep. Tom Cole faces a primary challenge from wealthy insurance broker Paul Bondar — who up until recently, resided exclusively in the Lone Star State.
Bondar, a native of Wisconsin who spent most of his career in Illinois, moved to Texas in 2020 and bought a home outside of Dallas. Earlier this year, he voted in Texas’ March primary, and then in early April, registered to vote in Oklahoma — a day before filing to challenge Cole. That same week, he applied for an Oklahoma driver’s license, and his candidate filing paperwork lists a rental property in Stonewall as his residence.
Though his ties to the state are questionable, Bondar’s personal investment of $5 million into his campaign has forced Cole and his allies to spend heavily in the weeks leading up to the June 18 primary. The 4th District, which stretches from the southwestern exurbs of Oklahoma City down to the Texas border, is ruby red, and former President Donald Trump carried it by 30
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