This isn’t a good sign.
President Donald Trump could face another impeachment push if a political newcomer who just scored an upset victory in deep-red Oklahoma manages to pull off an even bigger surprise in November.
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and first-time candidate, has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma after defeating attorney and nonprofit executive Jim Priest in Tuesday’s runoff election.
Thomas will now face Republican Rep. Kevin Hern in the November general election, setting up a dramatic political showdown in one of the most Republican states in the country.
And Thomas has already made one of her priorities crystal clear.
If she reaches Washington, she wants Trump impeached, removed from office and convicted.
Oklahoma Senate Candidate Targets Trump
Thomas attracted national attention after revealing just how aggressively she would confront the Trump administration if elected.
During an interview with Oklahoma public radio station KOSU, Thomas was asked how she would work with Trump given Hern’s strong support for the president.
Thomas responded that she would work “as diligently as I can” during her first 100 days to pursue impeachment, removal and conviction.
She then doubled down on the message.
“They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they’re doing,” Thomas said.
She followed that declaration by again stating that her objective would be to “impeach, remove and convict.”
The comments create a striking contrast heading into November.
Hern is running as a Trump ally who wants to advance the president’s America First agenda. Thomas, meanwhile, has made removing Trump from office part of her message.
Thomas Pulls Off Surprise Oklahoma Victory
Thomas entered the race without previously holding elected office and initially faced a five-candidate Democratic primary.
She surprised political observers by finishing first in the June contest with approximately 45% of the Democratic vote.
Because she did not cross the 50% threshold required to secure the nomination outright, Thomas advanced to a runoff against Priest, who finished a distant second.
Thomas then defeated Priest in Tuesday’s runoff, officially securing the Democratic nomination.
Her victory gives Democrats an unconventional nominee for a Senate seat in a state that has become overwhelmingly Republican.
But winning a Democratic primary and defeating Hern statewide are two very different challenges.
Kevin Hern Has Major Advantage Heading Into November
Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1990.
Trump also won the state by an overwhelming margin in the 2024 presidential election, demonstrating just how difficult the political terrain could be for any Democrat running statewide.
Hern enters the general election with several additional advantages.
The Republican congressman easily won his own primary and has Trump’s endorsement. His campaign has also raised millions of dollars, giving him substantially greater financial resources for advertising, voter outreach and campaign operations.
Thomas has relied on a dramatically smaller campaign operation.
That financial gap could become particularly important as both candidates attempt to reach voters across Oklahoma ahead of the November election.
Hern Embraces Trump’s America First Agenda
Hern has made his alliance with Trump a central part of his campaign.
He has backed the president’s policy priorities and portrayed the Senate contest as a choice between the America First agenda and a dramatically different vision offered by Thomas.
Following Thomas’ victory, Hern argued that Oklahoma voters support Trump and conservative policies.
He also characterized Thomas as representing the far-left wing of the Democratic Party while describing himself as committed to policies involving lower costs, American energy production, border security and the broader America First agenda.
That contrast is likely to become a defining feature of the general election campaign.
Can A Senator Actually Impeach President Trump?
There is an important constitutional issue surrounding Thomas’ promise.
A senator cannot actually impeach a president.
The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to impeach federal officials. If the House approves articles of impeachment, the matter moves to the Senate, where senators conduct a trial.
The Senate can then vote on whether to convict and remove the president from office.
Conviction requires a two-thirds vote of senators present.
That means Thomas could vote to convict Trump if she became a senator and the House first impeached him. She could also advocate publicly for impeachment.
But she could not personally initiate and approve Trump’s impeachment from her Senate seat.
That distinction makes the balance of power in both chambers of Congress important to any serious attempt to remove a president.
Trump Becomes Central Issue in Oklahoma Senate Race
Thomas’ victory nevertheless ensures that Trump will play a major role in Oklahoma’s Senate election.
The two candidates offer voters sharply different approaches.
Hern is campaigning alongside Trump and pledging to advance the president’s agenda.
Thomas is openly promising to fight the administration and has made clear that she would support efforts to remove Trump from office.
For Thomas, however, the numbers present a formidable obstacle.
Republicans have dominated Oklahoma statewide elections for years, and the state has gone more than three decades without electing a Democratic senator.
Hern also begins the general election with far greater financial resources and the backing of a president who remains highly popular among Oklahoma Republicans.
Thomas has already demonstrated that she can outperform expectations. She entered the race as a political newcomer, finished first in a crowded primary and then won the Democratic runoff.
Now comes the much bigger test.
If Thomas wants the opportunity to cast a vote against Trump in a future Senate impeachment trial, she first has to accomplish something Oklahoma Democrats have not done in decades:
Win a U.S. Senate seat.
The answer will come when Oklahoma voters head to the polls in November.
