John Croisant announced Wednesday he will run as a Democrat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern for the 1st Congressional District seat in the 2026 midterms.
Croisant is the vice president of the Tulsa Public Schools’ Board of Education and the owner of an insurance agency.
“I want to go and make sure we’re working to improve the Department of Education for the United States, not get rid of it,” Croisant said.
President Donald Trump has threatened to close the U.S. Department of Education.
Croisant said Trump’s education policies are similar to those of state officials in Oklahoma.
“The policies that we’re using right now in Oklahoma, we’re 49th in education, we’re 49th in healthcare, they are the same policies they want to take to Washington and spread across the United States.”
Tulsa Public Schools has been under intense scrutiny from the state regarding test scores, an embezzlement case and, more recently, a state audit.
When asked about the issues from TPS following him through the campaign, Croisant said TPS has made necessary changes during his tenure on the board.
“When those things came up, we addressed them, we took them head on, we made tough decisions, but we kept focusing on student outcomes.”
Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd called a press conference Tuesday in Oklahoma City claiming TPS has delayed the release of a significant audit report. TPS officials denied those claims.
