CD 5 Democratic primary: Trey Martin, Jena Nelson fight for right to face Bice
(Update: On Tuesday, June 16, Jena Nelson won the Democratic nomination to represent Congressional District 1.)
Educator Jena Nelson launched her campaign for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District nearly a year before Trey Martin entered the race, but the union president gained traction when U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed him, drawing national attention to the June 16 Democratic primary.
Both candidates bring working-class credentials to the race to face incumbent Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK5). Martin is the president of the Iron Workers Local 48 and has spent his career on job sites across Oklahoma. Nelson is a former public school teacher who lost her 2022 bid for state superintendent of public instruction, gaining 43 percent of the statewide vote.
Regarding the endorsement from Sanders (I-VT), Martin’s platform on raising wages, protecting Social Security and expanding health care combines working-class issues with progressive ideas. But Martin acknowledged the challenge of transla…