AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Oklahoma’s state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Oklahoma will decide almost 60 contested primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives and both chambers of the state legislature on Tuesday. The race to watch will be the Republican primary in the state’s 4th Congressional District, where a deep-pocketed challenger is making a long-shot bid to unseat 10-term incumbent Tom Cole.

Businessman Paul Bondar, a political newcomer who sold an insurance group he founded, has spent almost $4.9 million, according to campaign finance filings, essentially all of it from his own pocket. Cole, chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has spent $3.1 million but has approximately six times as much cash on hand. Though Bondar has criticized his votes supporting foreign aid, Cole has shored up his conservative bona fides with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Bondar has also faced questions about his residency. He most recently lived in Texas, even voting in that state’s Republican primary in March — a focal point of Cole’s attacks against him.

While Bondar’s well-funded campaign could cause problems for Cole, it’s the Oklahoma runoff threshold, plus the three candidates on the ballot besides Bondar and Cole, that presents a more pressing issue. If Cole’s four opponents together keep him under 50% of the vote, he and the next-highest vote-getter will advance to an August runoff.

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