GOP expected to hold Oklahoma legislative majority

Oklahoma City (AP) — With Republicans holding huge majorities in the Oklahoma House and Senate, Democrats are content to target what they say are vulnerable GOP-controlled seats in the Nov. 4 general election.

Democratic Party leaders make no prediction about gaining political control of the state House this year but believe they can whittle away at the advantage Republicans enjoy in the Oklahoma Legislature. They cannot grab a majority in the Oklahoma Senate.

"We feel that we have a chance to win several of these races," state Democratic Party Chairman Wallace Collins said.

Republicans, meanwhile, believe reports of their vulnerability are being overstated and that they will hold on to and even increase their majority status in the House and Senate. Republicans currently enjoy a 72-29 advantage in the 101-member House and 36-12 majority in the 48-member Senate.

"Obviously, we have to hold on and compete," Republican Party Chairman Dave Weston said.

Chamber control

Only 12 seats in the Senate are up for grabs in the general election and Democrats cannot mathematically win control of the chamber in November. Republicans picked up one Democratically controlled Senate seat in the current election cycle when Rep. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, was unchallenged for an open seat previously held by a Democrat, outgoing Sen. Minority Leader Sean Burrage of Claremore, who chose not to seek re-election.

A total of 36 House seats are up for grabs on Nov. 4 and, if every Democratic challenger wins their race, Democrats could win back control of the House they lost in 2004 after 80 years of majority status.

Republicans have targeted rural Democratic lawmakers over the past decade to become the Legislature's majority party, Weston said. Their efforts have been bolstered in recent years by the unpopularity in the state of Democratic President Barack Obama, who failed to win a single one of the state's 77 counties with he was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012.

Unpopular President

Weston said the national Democratic Party has abandoned the values that are cherished by rural Oklahoma Democrats.

"Those conservative Democrats are very frustrated about that," Weston said. "You name it across the board, they're highly upset with what's taking place."

Collins said Obama's election has been anything but a windfall for Democratic candidates across the state.

"President Obama is not real popular in Oklahoma," Collins said. And Republicans use his unpopularity when they campaign for legislative seats that have nothing to do with Obama or national politics, he said..

"There's a disconnect in the public's mind," Collins said.

Republican House Speaker Jeff Hickman of Fairview said he believes rural Oklahomans look for conservative values in their legislative candidates, regardless of which party they belong to.

"They don't necessarily look at the partisan labels," Hickman said. "The party affiliation doesn't really matter."

Key races

Candidates in both parties are targeting open seats in the House and Senate in which incumbents are not seeking re-election.

Democrat Selina Jayne-Dornan is campaigning against Republican Roger Thompson for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, who chose not to seek re-election.

Republican Joseph Silk is challenging freshman state Rep. Curtis McDaniel, D-Smithville, for the unexpired term of the southeastern Oklahoma seat of outgoing Democratic Sen. Jerry Ellis of Valliant.

Democrats are also mounting challenges against a couple of incumbent Republican senators. Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, faces a challenge from Democrat Joe B. Hill and independent Vicki J. Gaylor, while Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, is seeking re-election over Democrat Michael Brooks-Jimenez and independent Constance Fawcett.

In the House, Republican Scooter Park is challenging Democrat Toni Hasenbeck for the seat of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Dorman, a term-limited state representative from Rush Springs.

Republicans are also challenging a couple of rural Democratic House members seeking re-election. Rep. James Lockhart, D-Heavener, faces Republican Traci Barnes on Nov. 4 and Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha, faces Republican Chuck Utsler.

by Tim Talley, Associated Press

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – October 20, 2014 @ 12pm