GOP race to pick Horn opponent in home stretch
The Republican contest to pick an opponent for U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn heads into the home stretch with the GOP candidates attacking each other as liars and losers, while Horn has had weeks of breathing room to make a case for reelection. State Sen. Stephanie Bice and businesswoman Terry Neesef ace each other in the Aug .25 runoff primary in the 5th
Congressional District. The only scheduled debate is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
Bice, 46, and Neese, 72, both of Oklahoma City, emerged from the crowded June 30
primary as the top two votegetters, though Neese bested Bice by more than 7,500 votes.
Bice, who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, kicked off her runoff campaign with negative ads questioning Neese's commitment to gun rights.
Neese countered with ads accusing Bice of lying about her position on guns — Neese received an A rating from the National Rifle Association based on a questionnaire — and about endorsements from Vice President Mike Pence and the state's largest anti-abortion organization.
The two Republicans have both sought to align themselves closely with President Donald Trump, backing him on issues such as a border wall and opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
A recent Bice ad argues her case for viability against Horn. The ad references Neese's unsuccessful runs for lieutenant governor in 1990 and 1994 — she lost in the general election the first time and in the primary the second time —and says that Bice is the only one of the two who has defeated a Democrat.
Republicans have been waiting nearly two years for another s hot at Horn, 44, who pulled off a huge upset in 2018 by beating incumbent Republican Steve Russell in a district that Trump won in 2016 with 54% of the vote.
Though Horn' s victory was seen by many as a fluke and largely attributable to poor campaigning by Russell, Horn has not been written off. National handicappers like Politico and the Cook Report rate the race as a toss-up. Local Republicans have been warning for a year that Horn would be tough to beat.
The Oklahoma City Democrat, who easily dispatched a primary opponent in June, has used the runoff campaign period to air ads portraying herself as a Democrat willing to challenge her own party who is admired by male and female Republicans in rural areas and the suburbs.
The district includes most of Oklahoma County and Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties.
A dark money group called House Majority Forward also bought air time to promote Horn's support for a massive infrastructure bill approved by the House.
In her last campaign finance report, filed about a month ago, Horn, whose fundraising has been steadily strong since her election, reported $ 2.6 million in her account.
Bice last week reported she had about $80,000 in her account on Aug. 5, though she has reported several contributions since; Neese reported having about $80,000 on Aug .5, though she loaned her campaign $250,000 after that and has also received contributions.
Horn and her GOP opponent will likely have little trouble raising money in the next two months, though it may be just a drop in the bucket of the money spent on the race. It is expected to be one of the most closely watched and competitive races in the country that will engage numerous outside groups.
Some have already expended big sums in supporting and attacking Horn, while the Washington, D. C.-based Club for Growth has committed more than $800,000 to defeating Bice.
A group called Congressional Leadership Fund, associated with Republican congressional leaders, announced last week that it had reserved a total of $3.6 million in fall ad time in Oklahoma. The National Republican Congressional Committee has also reserved time, while the House Majority PAC, aligned with Democrats, has reserved time to help Horn.