1996Final results
1996 election for Oklahoma's 5th District
U.S. House · Oklahoma
Ernest Istook (R) won with 69.7% of the vote, defeating James L. Forsythe (D) by 42.7 points.
Ernest IstookRepublican · winner
69.7%148,362
James L. ForsytheDemocrat
27.1%57,594
Ava KennedyIndependent
3.2%6,835
212,791 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1996
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
James L. ForsytheErnest Istook
$43.2K
Raised by the campaign
$308.1K
$45.4K
Spent by the campaign
$306.4K
$6
Cash on hand
$74K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996