TULSA (AP) – The two Republicans competing for the nomination to represent Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District met Tuesday for their first and likely last political forum ahead of the June 26 primary, with each stressing their conservative credentials to an overflow crowd.

Five-term U.S. Rep. John Sullivan’s campaign has been met with stout resistance in recent weeks from tea party-backed Navy pilot Jim Bridenstine, who says his opponent has held the office representing northeastern Oklahoma and the city of Tulsa far too long.

“I’m running against a career politician,” Bridenstine told the audience gathered at a south Tulsa hotel in opening remarks. “It’s time to have real conservative leadership in Washington D.C.”

During his opening remarks, Sullivan returned to the argument he’s made since he announced he was running for a sixth term: that he has the kind of conservative leadership that “speaks for itself,” including an endorsement by the National Rifle Association and a 100 percent score by the anti-abortion group National Right to Life, among other bonafides.

“I’m proud of my record, but the job is not yet done,” Sullivan told the forum sponsored by the Republican Women’s Club of Tulsa County. “Join me as I go toe-to-toe with Barack Obama to make sure he’s a one-term president.”

Because of the format, Tuesday’s forum lacked the electricity of the candidates’ debate on local radio last week, where both men constantly fought and traded barbs at every chance, prompting the host to pull the plug on both microphones.

Shortly after the radio debate last week, Bridenstine called his opponent out, accusing him of ducking several opportunities to debate him because he lacked the courage. Sullivan responded that he has welcomed “all opportunities” to debate, but the congressional voting schedule didn’t allow enough time in the district when several groups would have been available to host a forum.

The low-key setting – likely the last between the candidates– meant that Bridenstine’s chief attack accusing Sullivan of missing hundreds of votes since he took office more than 10 years ago was scrubbed. Ditto for Sullivan’s explanation for the missed votes that he had a death in the family and checked himself into the Betty Ford Center to treat alcoholism in 2009.

Instead, the men took turns answering the same question written on cards submitted by the audience. They agreed on nearly every subject, including support for Israel, streamlining government, border security and solving the country’s fiscal crisis, among other topics.