Staff Reports
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas clinched the Democratic nomination in Oklahoma’s U.S. Senate primary runoff this week — and a months-old TikTok clip resurfaced fast enough to remind voters that in modern politics, old social-media skits travel at the speed of a trending hashtag. The short video, posted last fall, shows Thomas parodying Mean Girls by taping a photo of Secretary Markwayne Mullin into a “Burn Book” and sneering, “Stop trying to make Mullin happen. He’s not fetch.” Conservatives pounced. Voters should, too.
Viral TikTok Resurfaces After Primary Win
The clip was posted in September 2025 but went viral again after Thomas’s primary victory. On its face it’s a pop-culture parody — a nod to a teen movie — but the timing and the target matter. Secretary Markwayne Mullin vacated the Senate seat she now seeks, and Representative Kevin Hern stands to be her Republican opponent in November. That means this silly, staged moment will be used as an easy and effective ad: a reminder that campaigns live or die on a candidate’s public persona as much as on policy.
What the Clip Shows and Why It Matters
Thomas is a 31‑year‑old registered nurse, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, and a self-described democratic socialist who has campaigned on health care, tribal sovereignty, and refusing corporate PAC money. Fine. But a candidate’s temperament and judgment get tested under pressure — and voters deserve to know whether someone running for the Senate takes the job seriously. A mock “Burn Book” skit is harmless from a teenager. From someone asking to oversee national law and border security? Not so much. Opponents have already framed the video as evidence she’s unserious. Whether you agree or not, that frame will stick unless the campaign responds clearly and quickly.
Politics, Temperament, and the Weaponization of Old Posts
Here’s the ugly new rule of politics: nothing truly goes away. What a candidate posted months ago can be repackaged overnight and broadcast to millions by opponents and influencers. Conservatives are using the clip to question Thomas’s fitness; Democrats can call that mean or unfair, but the voters will judge. Campaigns should expect short attention spans and long memories. If Thomas wants to neutralize this, she needs an honest, on‑the‑record explanation — not silence or a dismissive “it was just a joke.” The alternative is letting Representative Hern and GOP groups run the clip in paid ads and social feeds all fall.
Why Oklahoma Voters Should Care
This race is not just about a single TikTok. It’s about whether Oklahoma wants a nominee whose public moments can be reduced to a social-media gag, and whether that nominee can compete against a well-funded GOP opponent. Voters in the state deserve real debate on issues like border security, jobs, and energy — not only viral theater. If Thomas wants to prove she’s more than a meme, she should prove it now. Otherwise, the resurfaced “Burn Book” will do exactly what viral clips are built to do: define a campaign and decide an election.
