Official portrait of Tom Cole, U.S. Representative for Oklahoma

U.S. Representative

Tom Cole

Oklahoma District 4

RepublicanConservative

Votes on Record

231

across 12 categories

242 analyzed in depth

Contact

202-225-6165Official Website2207 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515-3604

Voting Profile

Legislative Record

242 votes analyzed

Most Active Policy Areas

#1 healthcare#2 budget#3 agriculture#4 other#5 banking finance

242

Votes Analyzed

Data sources: voteview, congress.gov

Political Position

Ideology Spectrum

0.32Conservative

Tom Cole is a conservative Republican whose voting record places him somewhat to the left of the average House Republican. His NOMINATE score of 0.323 indicates a solidly conservative philosophy, though he demonstrates more flexibility than many of his party colleagues on certain issues.

LiberalModerateConservative
Republican avg

More liberal than the average Republican (0.52)

Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)

Policy Positions

Category Breakdown

242

total votes analyzed

Overview

Tom Cole is a long-serving Republican representative from Oklahoma who has established himself as a reliable conservative voice while occasionally departing from the most conservative positions within his party. His voting record spans multiple policy areas with particular activity in healthcare and budget matters. Cole's legislative activity shows strong support for defense-related measures, voting in favor 100% of the time on recorded defense votes. He also demonstrates consistent support for education initiatives within his recorded votes. On healthcare, which comprises his largest category of votes, he has supported approximately 62% of measures that came before him. His budget voting shows more selectivity, with support for 46% of budget-related measures, suggesting he carefully evaluates fiscal legislation rather than voting along strictly partisan lines. This pattern aligns with his overall ideology score, which positions him as conservative but more moderate than the typical House Republican.

Key Positions

  • Strong supporter of defense and military measures
  • Active participant in healthcare policy debates
  • Selective approach to budget and fiscal legislation
  • Consistent support for education-related measures
  • Generally supports Republican procedural positions

By Policy Area

Healthcare133
62% yea38% nay
Budget & Spending37
46% yea54% nay
Agriculture34
56% yea44% nay
Other11
64% yea36% nay
Banking & Finance10
60% yea40% nay
Defense8
100% yea0% nay

Analysis updated: January 9, 2026

Campaign Finance

Follow the Money

Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →

Career: $25.1M

Fundraising Over Time

Raised per election cycleSpent

Contribution Sources

Individual$2.1M

57%

PAC / Committees$1.6M

43%

Individual Breakdown

Itemized (>$200)

$2.0M

Small Dollar (<$200)

$109K

Donation Sizes

Under $200
$143K · 6%
$200 – 499
$57K · 3%
$500 – 999
$122K · 5%
$1,000 – 1,999
$441K · 20%
$2,000+
$1.5M · 66%

Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.

Where the Money Comes From

In-state (OK)$643K · 30%
Out-of-state$1.5M · 70%

Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.

OK
$643K
VA
$277K
CA
$249K
TX
$229K
DC
$95K
NY
$90K
FL
$83K
NE
$78K

Top Contributors

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Top Contributing Industries

Top Donor Employers

INDIAN TRIBE$187K
RETIRED$173K
SELF$138K
HOMEMAKER$38K
LOCKHEED MARTIN$35K
CHICKASAW NATION$34K
CORVID TECHNOLOGIES$25K
SILENCER SHOP$25K
SENIOR STAR$21K
BLACKSTONE$21K
NELNET INC$20K
SELF EMPLOYED$19K

Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.

Where the Money Goes

Spending by Purpose

Other / Uncategorized
$2.2M
Advertising
$359K
Fundraising
$195K
Events
$165K
Administrative
$43K
Materials
$3K
Refunds
$322.35

Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.

Top Payees

1.

KEY & ASSOCIATES

$889K
2.

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

$385K
3.

AMERICAN EXPRESS

$364K
4.

GUSTO

$262K
5.

MEDIA AD VENTURES

$250K
6.

RED RIVER STRATEGIES

$165K
7.

FULLFILLMENT SOLUTIONS

$102K
8.

PUSH DIGITAL LLC

$66K

Detailed Breakdown

Expenditures

Operating Costs

$3.0M

Operating Offsets

$109.5

Net Operating

$3.0M

Refunds

Individual Refunds

$402

Committee Refunds

$1K

Outside Spending (Super PACs)

Supporting

$860K

Opposing

$103K

Total Outside Spending

$964K

Top Outside Spenders

01

DEFEND AMERICAN JOBS

+$424K
$424K
02

AMERICANS 4 SECURITY PAC

+$262K
$262K
03

CATALYST OKLAHOMA

+$58K-$62K
$120K
04

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

+$49K
$49K
05

DEFENDING MAIN STREET SUPERPAC INC.

+$48K
$48K
06

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE EXPENDITURES

-$34K
$34K
07

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND

+$9K
$9K
08

NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

+$11.54-$6K
$6K

Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.

Coverage: 1/1/2025 6/30/2026FEC: H2OK04055Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)