Kevin Hern Weighs 2026 Oklahoma Governor Bid

Campaign 2024 is barely in the rearview mirror, and there's already talk about 2026, especially in Oklahoma, where there will be an open race for governor since Gov. Stitt is term-limited. Several leading Republicans have already indicated their intention to run, and now there’s confirmation of interest from a member of the state’s congressional delegation.

Rumors of Congressman Kevin Hern’s possible interest in making a run for governor have been circulating for months, and this week the question was posed to him directly.

"Listen, the only people really talking about this are the people in the media asking me what I'm going to do," Rep. Hern (R-OK1) said in an interview Tuesday. "We just had an historic election."

Congressman Hern is happy with the outcome: his constituents returned him to office, and he was then elected House GOP Policy Chair at a time when Republicans will control the House, Senate, and White House — the proverbial trifecta.

"What everybody knows in this place," said Hern, "is that's when you get the maximum amount of work done."

But what Hern also knows is that trifectas don’t last, and that, historically, the House usually flips in the following midterm election. That’s one reason why he has been eyeing — and continues to eye — a 2026 run for governor.

"I have," Hern stated, "and just like I took a long look at running for Senate, I think, at the end of the day, when you're in these roles, whether it’s the Senate, the House, you have to make a decision, not about yourself, but how can you best impact the citizens you represent."

Political pundits currently have Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former House Speaker Charles McCall, and State Superintendent Ryan Walters as the favorites. They say Hern entering the race could change the dynamic, especially for voters in Tulsa.

"Because the attorney general’s from there, a lot of his base is there, and of course, so is Congressman Hern," said Scott Mitchell, political analyst for Griffin Media. "So, the goal on this is to get in a runoff, no matter who comes in there."

Hern says, for now, he’s focused on his work in Washington but acknowledges a return to Oklahoma is possible.

"We'll look at this to see if our best path forward for the time I’ve got left in politics," Hern said, "is staying in the House, working on these policies with President Trump and the Republican House and the Republican Senate, or is it running for governor in Oklahoma."