Oklahoma state Sen. Al McAffrey
Oklahoma state Sen. Al McAffrey is in a runoff for the Democratic nomination for the state’s 5th congressional district.
McAffrey was the state’s first openly gay state representative and later became the state’s first out state senator. If elected to Congress, he would be the first LGBT U.S. respresentative from this part of the country.
In the runoff, McAffrey faces Tom Guild, a retired university professor.
On the Republican side, there’s also a runoff.The runoff will be held on Aug. 25.
The runoff winners for both parties three independent candidates will be competing in the general election for the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. James Lankford, who won the GOP nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday.
The Democratic candidates are vying to become the first member of their party to represent the district in 40 years. Conservative Democrat John Jarman represented the district for more than two decades before switching to Republican in 1975. The seat has been in GOP hands since.
