Oklahomans in House District 35 will have the chance to vote on a new representative Tuesday.
The seat covers cities in Creek, Noble, Osage, Pawnee and Payne counties. Former Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, resigned after pleading guilty to domestic abuse and assault.
Voters on Tuesday will cast ballots in the Republican primary for the position, choosing among five candidates.
Dillon Travis is a political newcomer who works as a farmer and rancher. He owns Southern Plains AG-CO, which sells farm supplies like chemicals, feed and fertilizer. His campaign website points to his industry involvement as proof he can keep his agricultural and rural promises, like improving rural roads and lowering input costs for farmers. He boasts an endorsement from American Farmers & Ranchers and support from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
Travis is also committed to national-level conservative priorities, like curbing illegal immigration and monitoring ideological content in schools.
James Winn also works in the agriculture industry, entering the field by way of an earlier stint in oil and gas. He frames himself as a state’s rights candidate who wants to ensure that Oklahoma and others can have more independence from the federal government.
At the state level, Winn ties his politics to the Save Oklahoma Plan, released by Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, earlier this year. The organizing campaign centers on seven key points as quoted below:
- Fight the green energy agenda
- Prohibit the agricultural use of biosolid waste
- Criminalize hostile foreign ownership of land
- Mandatory E-Verify for all businesses
- End perpetual toll roads and expose the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
- Stop discrimination based on vaccination status
- End taxpayer-funded lobbying
Mike Waters is a sheriff and rancher. Like Travis, he’s also focused on rural and agricultural issues, like addressing regulations that farmers and ranchers find hard to work with. His campaign website also emphasizes public safety, highlighting his experience as a sheriff and initiatives to reduce violent crime.
Waters’ campaign priorities include interest groups like veterans and seniors, aiming to improve health care for both. For veterans specifically, he wants to fully fund medical services.
His campaign became subject to some controversy when campaigns for some opponents, including Travis, put out materials accusing Waters of switching from Democrat to Republican to gain votes, citing Waters’ registration as a Democrat until recently. Waters took to Facebook to counter the claims, saying that although he was registered as a Democrat and did run for sheriff as one, he didn’t vote for former presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.
"Like many folks in rural Oklahoma, I was once registered as a Democrat because that is how families here were raised for generations. But my values have always been conservative: faith, family, freedom, and law and order," Waters wrote. "I have voted Republican for as long as I can remember and I supported President Trump every time he was on the ballot."
Another candidate who made those claims was Kevin Wright, the mayor of Jennings, a ministry leader and a small business owner. One of his main priorities is fiscal responsibility, relying on his business experience. He also emphasizes faith and family, stating his commitment to religious freedom and opposing policies that "undermine marriage, parental authority, and traditional Oklahoma values."
Wright is also a proponent of telehealth to address rural health care disparities, and if elected, he pledges to ensure that funds for those initiatives are directed to communities most in need.
Amber Roberts’ campaign hinges on her support of President Trump, whom she voted for as an elector at the 2016 Republican National Convention. She has served four years on Hominy City Council, where she paid extra attention to fiscal responsibility. She’s also a member of OK2A, which aims to defend the rights of gun owners, and formerly attended the WallBuilders program, which argues that the United States was founded as a Christian Nation.
The winner of the primary will face off against Democrat Luke Kruse in the general election. If necessary, a runoff primary will be held on January 13, 2026, with the general election on February 10. If one candidate wins over 50% of the vote in the primary on Tuesday, the general election will be held on January 13.
