Candidates File for Oklahoma Legislature
A number of legislators were not able to run for reelection this year due to term-limits. Legislators are limited to a total combined service in the House and/or Senate of 12 years. Voters overwhelmingly adopted a state question in 1990 that placed term-limits on lawmakers. It took effect in 1992, but did not affect previous years of service. The Oklahoma House of Representatives has 101 members and the Oklahoma Senate has 48 members. In 2016 there are 30 legislators who cannot run for reelection because of term-limits. Neither House Speaker Jeff Hickman (R-Fairview), nor Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa) will be returning next year.
Nineteen members of the Oklahoma House, nine Democrats and ten Republicans, are ineligible to run again. Term-limited Representatives include: Gary Banz (R-Midwest City), Lisa Billy (R-Lindsay), Mike Brown (D-Tahlequah), Ann Coody (R-Lawton), Marian Cooksey (R-Edmond), Doug Cox (R-Grove), Lee Denney (R-Cushing), Jeff Hickman (R-Fairview), Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City), Jeannie McDaniel (D-Tulsa), Jerry McPeak (D-Warner), Richard Morrissette (D-Oklahoma City), Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa), R.C. Pruett (D-Antlers), Wade Rousselot (D-Wagoner), Mike Shelton (D-Oklahoma City), Ben Sherrer (D-Chouteau), Jerry Shoemake (D-Morris), and Paul Wesselhoft (R-Moore).
In 2016, twelve senators, four Democrats and eight Republicans, are ineligible to run for re-election. Term-limited Senators include: Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee), Clark Jolley (R-Edmond), Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa), Susan Paddack (D-Ada), and Charles Wyrick (D-Fairland).
One term-limited legislator, Rep. Morrissette, is the Democrat candidate for the seat on the Corporation Commission that is on the ballot this year.
A number of other legislators decided simply not to run. Representatives David Derby (R-Owasso), Dan Fisher (R-El Reno), Randy Grau (R-Edmond), Charlie Joyner (R-Midwest City), James Lockhart (D-Heavener), Mark McCullough (R-Sapulpa), Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City), Seneca Scott (D-Tulsa), and Justin Wood (R-Shawnee) are not running for reelection. State Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater) also is not running.
Other legislators are seeking another office rather than running for reelection to the Legislature. Rep. Mike Christian (R-Oklahoma City) is running for Oklahoma County Sheriff, and Rep. James Leewright (R-Bristow) is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Bingman.
Republicans currently hold a 39-9 majority in the 48 member chamber. 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 2018. The exception is Senate District 12 which is currently held by Sen. Bingman who cannot serve the remaining two years of his four-year term because of the 12-year legislative term limits. Bingman was first elected to his Senate seat in 2006 after serving two years in the House of Representatives. The special election to fill the remaining two years of Ellis' term will be held on the same dates as the regularly scheduled elections. Republicans hold 18 of the even numbered seats not on the ballot this year, with Democrats holding the other five. So, the GOP only needs to hold seven of the seats up for election this year to maintain control.
The twenty-four odd numbered districts are up for election this year. Twenty of those are currently held by Republicans, and only four by Democrats. With the election to fill Sen. Bingman's seat there are 25 seats to be filled. There are 13 incumbent senators running for reelection, including 12 Republicans and just one Democrat. Democrats did not field a candidate in two districts, but the Republican nominee will need to defeat an Independent candidate in those districts. One seat held by a Democrat will remain in the Democrat column and will be filled in the Primary Elections, since no Republicans nor Independents are running. When added to the five Democrat seats not up for election this year, Democrats are guaranteed to have only six seats. But, it is mathematically possible for Democrats to regain control of the Senate if they win 19 of the 22 seats that they are fielding a candidate. Libertarian Party candidates are running for two of the seats. Republicans are expected to win at least enough of the contested seats to maintain their current edge, and picking up several additional seats is considered likely.
It is much the same story for the House chamber. All 101 House seats are up for election each election cycle. Republicans hold a 71-30 majority in the House. There are 71incumbents who filed for reelection in the House -- 52 Republicans and 19 Democrats. Because they drew no opponents, or their opponents withdrew after filing, 17 members of the House have already been elected. That number includes 13 Republicans and 4 Democrats. Four Republicans and two Democrats will be elected in the Primary Elections, since they have no opposition in the General Election. Therefore, the GOP will go into the General Election guaranteed to have at least 17 seats compared to just 6 for the Democrats. There are 78 seats at stake in the General Election, including one that only a Republican and an Independent are running, and one that only a Democrat and Independent are running. The Libertarian Party is only fielding a candidate in ten of the races. It is expected that Republicans will finish at least near their current level and could make further gains, especially if GOP candidates higher up on the ballot run strong in the fall election.
As we went to press, 21 "Contests of Candidacy" had been filed by the April 19 deadline. These were filed by candidates, mostly incumbents, who charge that one of their opponents does not meet the requirements to file for office. This could include that the candidate does not live in the district, or had not lived in the district, for the required time, or had not been a registered voter for the required period of time. Hearings on the cases will be held and a decision made by the Oklahoma State Election Board on the cases the week of April 25. If those challenges are successful, another four incumbents could be reelected without opposition, and several more races could be decided in the Primaries instead of the General Election since the candidates in the opposition party would be disqualified from running.
The following incumbents have been elected to the House because they had no opponents:
Dennis Casey (R-Morrison)
Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City)
Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City)
John Enns (R-Enid)
Steve Kouplen (D-Beggs)
Mark McBride (R-Moore)
Charles McCall (R-Atoka)
Pat Ownby (R-Ardmore)
John Pfeiffer (R-Mulhall)
Pat Ownbey (R-Ardmore)
Eric Proctor (D-Tulsa)
Michael Rogers (R-Broken Arrow)
Mike Sanders (R-Kingfisher)
Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville)
Steve Vaughan (R-Ponca City)
Cory Williams (D-Stillwater)
Harold Wright (R-Weatherford)
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