N'Kiyla Thomas

N'Kiyla "Jasmine" Thomas was born and raised in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. She is a nurse and the spouse of an active-duty service member; her campaign biography says her son's autism diagnosis shaped her focus on health care and special education access. Her campaign lists health care, including the nursing shortage, public education, roads and bridges, support for farmers and ranchers, protections for Native sovereignty and civil rights among its priorities. Thomas ran in 2026 for the U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma. The Democratic contest went to a runoff, and on August 25, 2026 the Associated Press declared her the winner over Jim Priest, with 59 percent of the vote at the time of the call. She faces Republican Rep. Kevin Hern, who won his party's nomination in June, in the November 3, 2026 general election.