Republican Rep. Tom Cole, who has spent more than 20 years in the House, says he is planning on running for a 13th term — in large part because of what he and other members of the Oklahoma delegation are able to deliver now that they’ve accumulated more power.
Oklahoma, he said, is “probably better positioned on this committee than we’ve ever been as a state,” due to his own chairmanship, “rising power” in Rep. Stephanie Bice’s position as vice chair on an appropriations subcommittee, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s perch as a Senate appropriator. Cole is expected to lead the Appropriations committee as long as Republicans retain the majority.
“I like to work,” Cole said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity, a great privilege to have. I think we’re able to do some pretty important things for Oklahoma.”
Though he hasn’t come to a final decision on his 2026 election plans, the 76-year-old told NOTUS after an 8-hour appropriations bill markup last week that the committee motivates him to stick around.
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“I have a federal-heavy district in a pretty federal-heavy state, so there’s lots of things we can do to protect and advance the interests of the state, and we’re not shy about doing that,” Cole, who has been in office since 2003, said.
Oklahoma’s state government received over 40% of its revenue from federal grants in 2022, ranking as the 13th highest recipient state in the union, according to Oklahoma Watch.
Cole has repeatedly stepped in this year when major cuts to federal funds have threatened facilities in his district that he finds valuable. For example, he said DOGE was responsive to him when he negotiated to keep several federal operations safe from cuts in his district.
Similarly, when proposed budgets from the Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration included cuts or changes Cole disliked, he has urged the agencies to carefully consider the facilities under his jurisdiction.
Cole told NOTUS he will make a final decision on whether or not he will run for reelection between January and the filing deadline in early April of 2026. In the 2024 election cycle, Cole claimed victory in a five-way Republican primary for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District, defeating businessman Paul Bondar, who gave his campaign about $5 million of his own money.
Cole spent about $3 million on the race, but he had six times as much cash on hand as Bondar, and Bondar outspent Cole by nearly $2 million, according to the Associated Press.
This time around, Cole’s campaign is in an even stronger position, he said.
As of June 30, his campaign had $2.5 million in cash on hand, compared to the almost $1.8 million he had at the end of 2024, according to FEC filings.
“We certainly are preparing as if we’re going to run. I think if you look at our finances, you’d find they’re in pretty healthy shape. I think we raised more money last quarter than we have in any quarter ever, and I think we have more cash on hand than we certainly had last time around, having gone through a self-funder,” Cole said.
“We’re getting ready,” he added.
In Congress, Cole has a reputation for reaching across the aisle as a negotiator. He’s kept friendships with Republicans and Democrats alike — notably with Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of Cole’s committee — as the institution has increasingly become more bitter and partisan.
And as for whether or not Cole still enjoys serving in the House: “Oh, I enjoy it every day.”
“I love the members I get to work with, I love the staff that I have and get to work with both in the personal and the Approps office, and I love the challenge,” Cole said. “We’ve got both Houses and we’ve got a Republican president, so not that it’s not challenging, but it’s fun.”
This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and Oklahoma Watch.
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