Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, whose District includes Seminole County, picked up a challenger for her office on the first day of candidate filing. Jena Nelson officially filed her candidacy yesterday for the congressional seat, which expires Jan. 3, 2027.

Nelson says she is focused on making day-to-day life more affordable for her future constituents, reining in Executive Branch overreach, preserving the rule of law and strengthening Oklahoma’s middle class.

Since launching her grassroots campaign in late July 2025, Nelson has raised more than $350,000 from 6,700 donors with an average donation of only $53. She has also been endorsed by IBEW Electricians. Her campaign has hosted eleven town halls and talked to over 140,000 voters across the fifth district. In her filing announcement, Nelson noted that her opponent, Bice, has not hosted an in-person town hall since August 25, 2021.

“As a working class Oklahoman, I’m sick and tired of our elected leaders like my opponent Stephanie Bice constantly kowtowing to Trump and throwing Oklahoma’s middle class under the bus,” Nelson in her new release. “We’re suffering with uninterrupted inflation, Trump Tariff increases, skyrocketing gas prices due to Trump’s Iran War and healthcare cost increases. Many of our rural hospitals are at risk of closure due to Stephanie Bice’s vote to cut benefits in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill.”

After speculation that Bice would seek the Senate seat vacated by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Bice announced last month that she intended to file for reelection to her current post.

“As a fourth generation Oklahoman, I look forward to continuing to deliver results,” she said in a statement. “President Trump needs strong allies in the House and it is my honor to champion policies that better the lives of everyday Oklahomans.”

The candidate filing period opened Wednesday and will close at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, April 3.