Republican Dillon Travis won the special election for Oklahoma House District 35 on Tuesday night, defeating Democrat Ryan Kruse and ensuring the seat remains in GOP hands.

With all 26 precincts reporting, Travis captured 64.2 percent of the vote. The victory fills the vacancy left by former Rep. Ty Burns, who resigned after pleading guilty to domestic violence charges last year. Travis will be the final member sworn in ahead of the 2026 regular legislative session.

Democrats had hoped to capitalize on recent momentum following an upset win in a Republican-leaning Texas Senate district. Kruse, a teacher from Stillwater, mounted a well-funded campaign, raising more than $28,000, including over $6,000 in the closing weeks. Rep. Trish Ranson (D-Stillwater) was the only sitting lawmaker to contribute to his campaign.

Republicans, however, consolidated early behind Travis, a Maramec rancher and businessman who raised more than $84,000. Several GOP legislators made four-figure donations, including House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow), Appropriations and Budget Chairman Trey Caldwell (R-Faxon), House Majority Leader Mark Lawson (R-Sapulpa), and other members of House leadership.

During the campaign, Travis emphasized infrastructure and education as priorities for the district. “The people of this district should have safe roads to drive on, they should have safe drinking water, and they should have good sewage,” Travis said ahead of Election Night. “Being in the last three states for education rankings, there is no excuse for that. I think our biggest thing is we need to focus on education.”

House District 35 is centered in Pawnee County and includes portions of Osage, Creek, Payne, and Noble counties. Communities within the district include Cleveland, Hominy, Prue, Oilton, Drumright, Morrison, and parts of Stillwater. The district also includes land within the Osage Nation, Pawnee Nation, and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians.