Republicans will Retain Control of Legislature

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Republicans will Retain Control of Legislature

The candidate filing period this year was April 3-5. Oklahoma’s Primary will be June 18 this year. For those seats in which no candidate in the party primary receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the Runoff Primary Election will be held on August 27. The General Election will be on November 5. Even before the first vote has been cast, Republicans are guaranteed to maintain control of both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has 101 members and the Oklahoma Senate has 48 members (only half of the senate seats are up for election this year). A number of legislators were not able to run for reelection this year due to Term Limits. Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly adopted a State Question in 1990 that placed limitations on the terms of lawmakers. It took effect in 1992, but did not affect previous years of service. Legislators are limited to a total combined service in the House and/or Senate of 12 years.

In 2024 there were eight legislators who could not run for reelection because of Term Limits, all but one was a Republican. That list includes four members of the House, and four members of the Senate.

All four members of the Oklahoma House ineligible to run this time are members of the House leadership: House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka), Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols (R-OKC), Assistant Majority Floor Leader Mark McBride (R-Moore), and Majority Whip Terry O'Donnell (R-Catoosa).

Four members of the State Senate were unable to seek reelection in 2024, including Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-OKC), the leader of the Senate. Others included Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) who was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party last year and, Rob Standridge (R-Norman). One Democrat, Kevin Matthews (D-Tulsa) was also Term-Limited. In addition, Senate Minority (Democrat) Leader Kay Floyd (D-OKC) was not up for election this year, but reached the term-limit in the middle of her term due to the time she previously served in the Oklahoma House. That seat is therefore will be vacant and Special Election will be held to fill the remainder of her term.

A number of other legislators decided not to run, even though they were not Term-Limited, including ten members of the Oklahoma House, and two Senators. Representatives Jeff Boatman (R-Tulsa) and Regina Goodwin (D-Tulsa) did not seek reelection and are instead running for seats in the Oklahoma Senate. Rep. Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa) is running for mayor of Tulsa. Rep. Lonnie Sims (R-Jenks) filed instead for an open Tulsa County commissioner seat.

Representatives Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon), Sherrie Conley (R-Newcastle), Keven McDugle (R-Broken Arrow), Marcus McEntire (R-Duncan), Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula), and Mauree Turner (D-OKC) also did not seek another term. Turner, the first “nonbinary” person and the first Muslim elected to the Oklahoma Legislature, was censured last year for not cooperating with a law enforcement investigation concerning an incident at the Capitol. Turner was removed from committees pending an apology. Turner refused to apologize and has not served on committees this session.

Four members of the Senate did not seeking reelection. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater), Cris Kidd (R-Ringling), Joe Newhouse (R-Broken Arrow), and Dewayne Pemberton (R-Muskogee). In addition, Sen. George Young (D-OKC) is resigning his seat at the end of the current session. His seat was not scheduled for election this year, so it will be filled in a Special Election which will coincide with the other legislative elections.

Some former legislators filed for seats this year. With incumbent Sen. Dewayne Pemberton (R-Muskogee) not running for reelection, former Rep. Avery Frix (R-Muskogee) filed for the open seat and won the seat since no other candidates filed. Frix gave up his former seat in the Oklahoma House in 2022 to run for the open Second District U.S. House seat. Former Senator Ron Sharp (R-Shawnee) is challenging Sen. Shane Jett (R-Shawnee) in an attempt to reclaim his old seat. With the resignation of Sen. George Young (R-OKC), former Senator Connie Johnson (R-OKC) is running for the seat. Former Rep. Wendi Stearman (R-Bartlesville) is challenging Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville).

Senators serve four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election each election cycle. The even numbered districts will not be on the ballot until 2026. The odd numbered seats are up for election this year. However, as previously noted, two of the even numbered seats are on the ballot this year due to Sen. Floyd being Term-Limited, and the resignation of Sen. Young. Republicans currently hold a 40-8 majority in the 48 member Senate. Republicans hold 17 of the even numbered seats not on the ballot this year, with Democrats holding only five. So, the GOP only needed to hold 8 of the 26 seats on the ballot his year to maintain control.

Six senators were automatically elected because no other candidates filed. All six of those are Republicans. Therefore, Republicans are already guaranteed to have 23 seats, just two seats short of the 25 needed for continued control. Republicans will pick up five more seats at the conclusion of the primary elections, since only Republicans are running for those seats. Democrats will take just one. So, the GOP will have 28 seats, compared to six for the Democrats. So, at the conclusion of the Primary Elections, Republicans will be assured of continued control of the Senate. The remaining 12 seats will be filled in the November General Election. No Democrats filed for three of the remaining seats – with only independents challenging the GOP candidates.

All 101 Oklahoma House seats are up for election each election cycle. In the House there are currently 81 Republicans, 20 Democrats. Because no other candidates filed, or their opponents withdrew or were stricken from the ballot after filing, 44 members of the House have already been elected. That number includes 38 Republicans and just 8 Democrats. Twenty-two Republicans and three Democrats will be elected in the primary elections, since they face no opposition in the General Election. Therefore, the GOP will go into the General Election guaranteed to have 58 seats compared to 11 for the Democrats. So, Republicans are already guaranteed to keep control of the House.

`There will be 32 seats at stake in the General Election. In five of those races, no Democrats filed and the Republican will only face a Libertarian or independent candidate. One seat does not have a Republican running, and the Democrat is only competing with an independent.

The following incumbents were elected to the Senate because they had no opponents:

George Burns (R-Pollard)

Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle)

Roland Pederson (R-Burlington)

Adam Pugh (R-Edmond)

Paul Rosino (R-OKC)

One Senator, not an incumbent, was elected to the Senate because he had no opponent:

Avery Frix (R-Muskogee)

The following incumbents were elected to the House because they had no opponents:

Nick Archer (R-Elk City)

Chris Banning (R-Bixby)

Steve Bashore (R-Miami)