The real primary action for an Oklahoma Senate seat is in the special election to replace the retiring Sen. Jim Inhofe. But in the regularly scheduled election, Sen. James Lankford also faces two GOP primary challengers. He should easily survive nonetheless, but the race’s splits are indicative of the warring factions within the Republican Party.

Lankford’s main challenger is pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who’s attacked the incumbent for voting to certify the 2020 election results, withdrawing an earlier objection after the violent insurrection on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. In addition to peddling false conspiracy theories that the election was stolen from former President Trump, Lahmeyer has also criticized Lankford for supporting a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, for voting to replace the Columbus Day holiday with Juneteenth and . Laymeyer has been endorsed by Trumpworld allies and fellow “big lie” proponents including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and “My Pillow” founder Mike Lindell.

But the most surprising endorsement Lahmeyer picked up last summer was from then-Oklahoma

More from the Cook Political Report

JT FP
First Person
Cook Politcal Logo
First Person
First Person
Cook Politcal Logo