Election 2010: Oklahoma veterinarian Charles Thompson battles for U.S. House post

Oklahoma City, Okla.

-- Charles Thompson, DVM, is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Oklahoma's 2nd District. Thompson, a decorated veteran, has 25 years of service in the Army and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Thompson worked for five years as a relief veterinary and owner of a mixed animal veterinary hospital before being called back to active duty in the war in Iraq. As a DVM, Thompson has worked in both small- and large-animal medicine and surgery. His main interest area is equine dentistry.

On Tuesday, Thompson is challenging Democratic incumbent Dan Boren, who, according to New York Times polling data, leads Thompson 60 percent to 40 percent. The Times estimates that Boren has a 97 percent chance of winning. Boren has held the seat since 2004.

Thompson has focused his campaign on health-care reform, which he is against, illegal immigration, reducing the size of the federal government, maintaining gun ownership rights and changing the tax code. Thompson supports the fair tax, flat tax and national sales tax strategies, according to his website.

Incumbent Boren voted against the health-care bill, but voted for both the stimulus and TARP bills, according to the Times.

As of mid-October, Boren spent about $1.5 million on the campaign, whereas Thompson spent some $45,000. Thompson has received endorsements from former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, Sen. Tom Coburn and others.