Former state Sen. Josh Brecheen defeated Oklahoma state Rep. Avery Frix in the GOP runoff election to replace Rep. Markwayne Mullin, who vacated the seat to pursue a seat in the Senate.
Both Republicans advanced from a competitive, 14-candidate primary in June, with Frix narrowly maintaining a lead over Brecheen, who was a state senator from 2010 to 2018.
The runoff in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses much of the eastern portion of the state, focused on concerns echoed in GOP races across the country, including inflation, energy independence, and the southern border. Both ran as conservatives, while Frix in particular aligned himself with the “America First” policies of former President Donald Trump.
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But the race also dealt with a matter peculiar to Oklahoma — the 2020 Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which voided the state’s criminal jurisdiction over crimes committed on tribal lands by or against tribal citizens.
Both candidates are Choctaw Nation citizens and spoke about their respective views on law enforcement challenges in light of the McGirt decision during an hourlong debate last week.
Brecheen, 43, said he’s concerned about reports of unequal enforcement of the law between jurisdictions overseen by the state and those in Indian Country, saying, “We’ve got to fix this McGirt issue.”
Frix, 28, said he believes “the law should apply equally” to all Oklahoma residents, sympathizing with the state’s grievances with the McGirt decision, arguing Washington cannot be allowed to interfere in the state’s affairs.
Since the decision, tribes and the federal government have prosecutorial authority over about 43% of the state, including land within the 2nd District. The high court granted Oklahoma a minor victory in late June by ruling that the federal government and the state also had the jurisdiction in Indian Country to prosecute crimes committed by non-Native Americans against Natives.
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Brecheen will compete against Naomi Andrews, a Democrat, and Ben Robinson, an independent candidate, in the state’s general election on Nov. 8, though he’s expected to win in the deep red district.
