Mark Tedford

Biography & Campaign Analysis

Background

Mark Tedford was born on June 26, 1969, in Lafayette, Louisiana, to George and Kay Tedford, and was raised in Jenks, Oklahoma. After graduating from Jenks High School, he signed with Missouri Southern State University in 1988 to play on its football team, attending on a football scholarship and later graduating. He married Kristin Anderson on July 18, 1992. Tedford works as an insurance agent.

Career

Mark Tedford entered the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2022, running unopposed to succeed retiring Representative Sheila Dills in the 69th district, which covers Jenks and South Tulsa.

He was sworn in on November 16, 2022, and before his first legislative session he argued for an increase in teacher pay, saying current wages were uncompetitive in the Oklahoma jobs market. He was reelected unopposed in 2024.

On March 11, 2026, Tedford announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives.

2026 race

Mark Tedford is the Republican nominee for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district, a seat based in the Tulsa metropolitan area.

The seat is open because Republican incumbent Kevin Hern announced on March 11, 2026, that he would run for the U.S. Senate, following incumbent senator Markwayne Mullin's appointment as secretary of homeland security.

The Republican primary was the largest in the district's history, with 11 candidates on the ballot, and Tedford led the field with 32.2% of the vote. He advanced to a runoff with pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who had taken 25.9%, and became the nominee after Lahmeyer withdrew.

In the general election on November 3, 2026, Tedford faces Democrat John Croisant, a Tulsa school board member.