Stephanie Bice wins new term, Josh Brecheen takes open seat

Republican Josh Brecheen, a rancher and former state senator, captured the open congressional seat on Tuesday that includes most of eastern Oklahoma, while freshman Rep. Stephanie Bice easily won a second term in the district that includes most of Oklahoma City.

Reps. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, in the 3rd District; Tom Cole, R-Norman, in the 4th District; and Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa, in the 1st District, also handily secured new terms.

Brecheen, 43, will fill the 2nd District seat vacated by Rep. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican who won U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s seat.

Bice, 48, defeated Democrat Joshua Harris-Till, of Oklahoma City, who was making his third run for Congress, and independent David Frosch, of Oklahoma City. The district, redrawn last year to give Republicans a bigger advantage, includes parts of Oklahoma and Canadian counties and Logan, Lincoln, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties.

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Brecheen won the GOP nomination over 13 other candidates hoping to replace Mullin. Brecheen worked as a Senate aide for the late Tom Coburn and has vowed to serve as a fiscal conservative in the mold of Coburn. On Tuesday, he defeated Democrat Naomi Andrews and independent Ben Robinson.

Cole, 73, has been in the House since 2003 and will have significant influence if the Republicans reclaim the House. He defeated Democrat Mary Brannon.

Lucas, 62, has been in the House since 1994 and will be the dean of the Oklahoma congressional delegation when the next Congress begins in January. The former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee is in line to lead the Science, Space and Technology Committee, which oversees NASA, the National Weather Service and many other agencies, if Republicans control the House. Lucas' district was redrawn to include parts of north and south Oklahoma City to go along with much of western Oklahoma.

Hern, 60, won a third term, defeating Adam Martin, of Tulsa, and independent Evelyn Rogers.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Rep. Stephanie Bice wins new term, Josh Brecheen claims open seat