Republican Tom Cole is running for reelection to represent Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

He faces Democratic candidate Mitchell Jacob.

Cole has held the seat since 2003.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Oklahoma 4th Congressional District
  • Education: High school diploma, Moore High School (1967); bachelor's degree in history, Grinnell College (1971); master's degree in history, Yale University (1974); doctorate in history, University of Oklahoma (1984)

Experience and public service

Cole served as an Oklahoma state senator for District 45 from 1988 to 1991, according to BallotReady profile data. He then served as Oklahoma secretary of state from 1995 to 1999. He has represented Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District since 2003.

Cole has also worked as a history and politics instructor and is listed as a business owner and founding partner at CHS & Associates, according to BallotReady.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Cole's campaign website and responses collected by BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Budget and spending: Cole said he has voted every year for the lowest proposed budget and worked to develop a balanced budget. He said the most recent version "cuts $5.5 trillion in spending and makes structural reforms to programs that are the main drivers of our debt," according to his campaign. As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Cole said he has prioritized cutting waste and identifying fraud.

Defense and veterans: Cole said he supports keeping defense spending prioritized to counter threats from China and Russia. He said he fought to preserve funding for AWACS airplanes at Tinker Air Force Base when a previous administration proposed eliminating seven of them. The son of an Air Force veteran, Cole said he helped secure a 10% increase in funding for veterans' health and services after reports of mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to his campaign website.

Economy and energy: Cole said he fights for policies that let the private sector grow, calling for lower taxes, less regulation and reduced spending. He said he helped end the oil export ban, which he said studies show would result in more than $700 billion in new investment and more than 1 million barrels of new daily oil production in the United States, according to his campaign website.

Immigration: Cole said he supports building a border wall and voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which authorized 700 miles of fencing along the southern border. He said he opposed housing undocumented immigrants at Fort Sill in 2014, according to his campaign.

Abortion: Cole said he has a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee and supports protecting the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding of abortion. He said he cosponsored the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 and helped pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, according to his campaign website.

These responses are based on candidate statements collected by BallotReady from campaign websites. Voter registration and polling information is available through the Cleveland County Election Board.