Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District Candidates Ready For Primary Election

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Primary election voters head to the polls Tuesday. One race they will weigh in on is the one for congressman in Oklahoma's first congressional district.

There are four other candidates vying for incumbent John Sullivan's seat. None have held elected office before, but all believe they have a shot on Tuesday.

The volunteers at John Sullivan's office spent Sunday making phone calls to voters, drumming up support the congressman believes he has earned.

"The people in this district know that I've consistently been conservative and supported the measures against Obamacare, reducing taxes and controlling the spending in Washington DC," said Rep. John Sullivan, (R) Oklahoma.

Four relative unknowns are challenging Sullivan, although Fran Moghaddam, who immigrated from Iran more than three decades ago, has run several times before.

"I know what happens when your freedom's taken away, in my personal experience. That's why I have passion to keep our freedom, and our economy goes well. That's why I'm working day and night," said Fran Moghaddam, (R) First Congressional District candidate.

Other candidates are also making sacrifices. Kenneth Rice has put an economic consulting career on hold.

"If you're looking for someone who understands we're facing an economic and moral crisis in this country, and that we need to take serious steps and make serious sacrifices to restore the republic and restore this country as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, then I need your vote," said Kenneth Rice, (R) First Congressional District candidate.

Computer tech Patrick Haworth handed in his candidacy paperwork 15 minutes before the filing deadline. He says he simply didn't see anyone on the ballot he felt was worthy of his vote.

"We're in this purely out of conviction. We just simply want to make sure that we've given it our best shot, to give it our best civic duty we can to give the voters another option, a common sense option," said Patrick Haworth, (R) First Congressional District candidate.

Fellow first-time candidate and former missionary, Nathan Dahm, hopes to ride the anti-incumbent sentiment sweeping the country this election season.

"Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We can't keep sending the same people back to Washington and expecting different results," said Nathan Dahm, (R) First Congressional District candidate.

Whether any of these candidates has enough momentum to defeat Sullivan will be decided by voters on Tuesday.

Hear the candidates speak for themselves in our July 27 Primary Election Guide.