By Constitution Staff

The candidate filing period this year was April 13-15. Oklahoma’s Primary will be June 28 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 23. The General Election will be on November 8. 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. 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 2022 there were ten legislators who could not run for reelection because of Term Limits, all but one was a Republican . Six members of the Oklahoma House were ineligible to run this time: Tommy Hardin (R-Madill), Jadine Nollan (R-Sand Springs), Dustin Roberts (R-Durant), Sean Roberts (R-Hominy), Todd Russ (R-Cordell), and Emily Virgin (D-Norman). Four members of the State Senate were unable to seek reelection in 2022: Mark Allen (R-Spiro), Kim David (R-Porter), Marty Quinn (R-Clarmore), and Frank Simpson (R-Springer). Five of the term-limited legislators are now running for another office.

A number of other legislators decided not to run, even though they were not term-limited, including seven members of the Oklahoma House, and two Senators: Rep. Merleyn Bell (D-Norman), Rep. Carol Bush (R-Tulsa), Rep. Denise Brewer (D-Tulsa), Rep. Sheila Dills (R-Tulsa), Rep. Avery Frix (R-Muskogee), Gary Mize (R-Edmond), Rep. Collin Walke (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. James Leewright (R-Bristow), and Sen. Zack Taylor (R-Seminole). Also, earlier this year, Rep. Jose Cruz (D-Oklahoma City) resigned. Representative Frix is running for the open Second District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives instead of reelection.

Senators serve four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election each election cycle. The odd numbered districts will not be on the ballot until 2024. The even numbered seats are up for election this year. Republicans currently hold a 39-9 majority in the 48 member Senate. Republicans hold 22 of the odd numbered seats not on the ballot this year, with Democrats holding only two. So, the GOP only needed to hold three of the 24 seats up for election this year to maintain control.

Nine senators were automatically elected because no other candidates filed. Six of those are Republicans, and three are Democrats. Therefore, Republicans are already guaranteed to have 28 seats, which will ensure continued control. Republicans will pick up six more seats at the conclusion of the primary elections, since only Republicans are running for those seats. While Democrats will take just one. So, the GOP will have 34 seats, compared to six for the Democrats.. Republicans are expected to win most of the eight seats on the November ballot..

All 101 Oklahoma House seats are up for election each election cycle. In the House there are currently 88 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one vacant seat that was held by a Democrat. Because no other candidates filed, or their opponents withdrew or were stricken from the ballot after filing, 48 members of the House have already been elected. That number includes 41 Republicans and just 7 Democrats. Twenty-two Republicans and one Democrat 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 63 seats compared to 8 for the Democrats. So, Republicans are already guaranteed to keep control of the House. There are 30 seats at stake in the General Election. The Libertarian Party is only fielding a candidate in one of the races, and there are independent candidates in three races. One seat does not have a Republican running, and one has no Democrat running.

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

David Bullard (R-Durant)

Mary Boren (D-Norman)

Michael Brooks (D-Oklahoma City)

Kay Floyd (D-Oklahoma City)

Chuck Hall (R-Perry)

Brent Howard (R-Altus)

Roger Thompson (R-Okemah)

Darrell Weaver (R-Moore)

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

Jerry Alvord (R-Wilson)

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

Forrest Bennett (D-Oklahoma City)

Meloyde Blancett (R-Tulsa)

Jeff Boatman (R-Tulsa)

Brad Boles (R Marlow)

Rusty Cornwell (R-Vinita)

Bob Ed Culver (R-Tahlequah)

Dean Davis (R-Broken Arrow)

Mike Dobrinski (R-Okeene)

Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City)

Scott Fetgatter (R-Okmulgee)

Andy Fugate (D-Oklahoma City)

Tom Gann (R-Inola)

Regina Goodwin (D-Tulsa)

Jim Grego (R-Wilburton)

David Hardin (R-Stilwell)

Toni Hasenbeck (R-Elgin)

Brian Hill (R-Mustang)

Justin Humphrey (R-Lane)

Ronny Johns (R-Ada)

Chris Kannady (R-Oklahoma City)

Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus)

Mark Lawson (R-Sapulpa)

Dick Lowe (R-Amber)

Robert Manger (R-Oklahoma City)

T.J. Marti (R-Tulsa)

Ryan Martinez (R-Edmond)

Stan May (R-Broken Arrow)

Charles McCall (R-Atoka)

Nicole Miller (R Edmond)

Carl Newton (R-Cherokee)

Monroe Nichols (D-Tulsa)

Jim Olsen (R-Roland)

Mike Osburn (R-Edmond)

Daniel Pae (R-Lawton)

Kenton Patzkowsky (R-Balko)

John Pfeiffer (R-Orlando)

Ajay Pittman (D-Oklahoma City)

Lonnie Sims (R-Jenks)

Chris Sneed (R-Fort Gibson)

Danny Sterling (R-Tecumseh)

Preston Stinson (R-Edmond)

Judd Strom (R-Copan)

Mark Vancuren (R-Owasso)

John Waldron (D-Tulsa)

Kevin West (R-Moore)

Rick West (R-Heavener)

Danny Williams (R-Seminole)

One Representative, not an incumbent, was elected to the House because he had no opponent:

Mark Tedford (R-Tulsa)