Oklahoma Senate candidate with ad tossing AIPAC 'trash' faces off against centrist in primary
The two candidates are battling at the ballot box for the second time this summer after neither of them secured the needed majority to win the June primary contest.
In a Democratic Senate race in Oklahoma, two candidates are battling it out in a runoff on Tuesday - grassroots activist N kiyla Jasmine Thomas and centrist Jim Priest. The candidates have faced off before, both failing to secure the majority in the June primary. Thomas, a nurse and Chickasaw Nation member, has been vocal against AIPAC, earning 45% of votes in the June primary while Priest, a lawyer and ordained minister, garnered 24%.
Both candidates would be underdogs in the general election against Republican candidate Rep. Kevin Hern, who secured the endorsement of US President Donald Trump. Oklahoma has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in over three decades. Despite this, the runoff will serve as a referendum on the potency of progressivism in the deep-red state.
Thomas has openly identified with socialist policies, while Priest calls himself a moderate. Neither candidate has extensive political experience. Thomas emphasizes women's health and safety, civil rights, and LGBTQIA+ protections, and has pledged not to take money from AIPAC or corporate PACs. In a recent social media post, she displayed a giant trash bin labeled "AIPAC Funds" and "Corporate PAC Funds" and said, "Just taking out the trash."
Thomas' use of the term "genocide" in Gaza has sparked debate, with some critics calling it a cheap political tactic, while supporters argue it accurately describes the situation. AIDPAC has not been involved in this race.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
