At a political town hall inside Metropolitan Baptist Church on Thursday night, Democratic congressional candidate John Croisant made his case to voters in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, offering a sweeping critique of Republican incumbent Kevin Hern and laying out an agenda centered on affordability, health care, education, and voting rights.
The Black Wall Street Times hosted the first forum in its 2026 midterm town hall series, with founder and editor-in-chief Nehemiah Frank moderating and residents from across Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and North Tulsa attending despite freezing temperatures.
Croisant, a former Tulsa Public Schools teacher, longtime coach, and current Tulsa School Board member, is challenging Hern, a staunch Trump ally who has represented the district since 2018.
“Affordability is the number one thing I hear at the doors,” Croisant said early in the evening. “Forty-six percent of Tulsans do not make enough money working full time to pay their bills.”
Affordability and Housing
Croisant opened with a detailed argument that Hern has failed to address rising housing, food, and utility costs. He cited data showing that a living wage in Tulsa now requires roughly $24 an hour and accused Hern of “doing nothing” to respond to the affordability crisis.
On housing, Croisant praised local efforts by Habitat for Humanity, the Tulsa Housing Authority, and North Tulsa faith leaders, but argued that federal restrictions and lack of flexible funding have limited their impact.
“We need to make sure federal dollars are accessible so local builders can build,” he said. “They’re the ones connected to the community.”
He emphasized homeownership as a pathway to generational wealth and warned that soaring post-pandemic housing prices have priced working families out of the market.
Food Costs, Tariffs, and Utilities
Croisant tied rising grocery prices to tariffs and the elimination of federal programs that support small farmers and food banks.
“Has Kevin Hern done anything to stop the tariffs? I haven’t seen anything,” he said. “Food prices have gone up, despite the gaslighting.”
He also criticized utility companies for passing infrastructure costs to consumers rather than large data centers, noting that utility rates have risen by roughly 25 percent in the past year.
“I don’t think that’s right,” he said. “People should have money left at the end of the month.”
Economic Investment in North Tulsa
Asked how he would ensure economic growth reaches historically under-invested communities, Croisant recounted conversations with elderly residents who told him no one had ever come to their doors.
“That breaks my heart,” he said. “We need to invest in every part of our community, especially North Tulsa.”
He pointed to business incubators and entrepreneurship programs as models for lifting local economies and pledged to fight in Washington to bring federal investment back to Greenwood and North Tulsa.
Black Wall Street Monument
Croisant strongly endorsed a national Black Wall Street monument in Tulsa, calling it both a moral obligation and an economic opportunity.
“I can’t believe it already hasn’t happened,” he said. “Over 100 years after the massacre, some of our last survivors still haven’t seen it.”
He pledged to make passage of the monument legislation a top priority if elected.
Health Care and the Affordable Care Act
Health care marked one of the sharpest contrasts with Hern.
Croisant accused Hern of opposing Medicaid expansion, fighting the Affordable Care Act, and voting against extending ACA subsidies that protect more than 300,000 Oklahomans from steep premium increases.
He recounted a recent conversation with a Republican voter whose insurance would jump from $600 to $1,400 a month.
“She said, ‘I will vote for you if you’ll go fight for me,’” Croisant said.
“Health care should be universal for everyone,” he added.
Black Maternal Mortality
Croisant addressed Oklahoma’s high Black maternal mortality rates by pointing to unequal access to quality care, the need for doulas and holistic options, and the impact of restrictive state abortion laws.
“We are losing doctors,” he said. “Losing doctors, like losing teachers, isn’t going to make our outcomes better.”
Public Education and the Department of Education
A former teacher of 16 years, Croisant delivered one of the night’s longest answers on education, criticizing efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and warning that federal accountability is essential.
“Eighty-four percent of students in TPS are economically disadvantaged,” he said. “They need extra help.”
He called for fully funding special education, addressing the national teacher shortage, and investing federal dollars directly in local school districts.
“I would much rather invest in students than in a war in Venezuela, or taking over Greenland, or trying to round up my neighbors. I’d much rather invest that in education and make us a better place,” Croisant stated.
Policing and Mental Health Response
On public safety, Croisant endorsed accountability for bad actors. He also praised Tulsa’s mental health response model, which sends clinicians instead of police to certain crisis calls.
“If you have a mental health crisis, you should not end up dead,” he said.
Voting Rights and Open Primaries
Croisant sharply criticized Oklahoma’s restrictive voting laws and closed primaries. He noted that the state has among the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation.
“We need laws at the federal level to protect voting rights,” he said.
He endorsed State Question 836, which would establish open primaries, arguing that low-turnout partisan primaries empower extremist candidates.
“That’s how we got Ryan Walters,” he said.
Opposition to Kevin Hern and Trump Agenda
Asked directly what policies he opposes that Hern supports, Croisant cited Hern’s loyalty to Trump. He also criticized Hern’s willingness to push the former president’s agenda through Congress.
“It only takes one person to stop Trump,” Croisant said, quoting Hern. “And it’s not going to be me. Well, you know what? That will be me.”
He also argued that electing a Democrat would place Oklahoma in the congressional majority, increasing the state’s influence.
ICE and Immigration Enforcement
In one of the night’s most pivotal moments, Croisant called for halting all ICE funding pending a congressional investigation.
“At this point, I don’t understand the need for it,” he said, arguing immigration enforcement should be handled by traditional law enforcement agencies.
“We are a country of immigrants,” he added.
A Grassroots Appeal
In closing, Croisant described himself as a fifth-generation Oklahoman running a grassroots campaign without corporate PAC money.
“Kevin Hern’s worth $100 million,” he told the audience. “We’re going to beat him by getting this information out to as many Tulsans as possible.”
“This is not about me,” he said. “It’s about helping you.”
2026 Election Dates and the Road Ahead
Croisant will face fellow Democrat Erica Watkins in the Democratic primary on June 16, 2026, with a runoff election scheduled for August 25, 2026, if no candidate secures a majority.
The general election for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District will take place on November 3, 2026, when the Democratic nominee will challenge Republican incumbent Kevin Hern.