Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
- Early voting: Nov. 1 - Nov. 3
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2022 →
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Governor of Oklahoma |
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Democratic primary Republican primary Libertarian primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: April 13, 2018 |
Primary: June 26, 2018 Primary runoff: August 28, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Mary Fallin (Republican) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Oklahoma |
Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican Inside Elections: Lean Republican |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
Oklahoma executive elections |
Governor Lieutenant governor |
Businessman Kevin Stitt (R) defeated former state Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D) and Chris Powell in the general election on November 6, 2018, for governor of Oklahoma.
Incumbent Mary Fallin (R) was term-limited, leaving the seat open. Republican candidates have won five of the past ten gubernatorial elections in Oklahoma, while no Democratic presidential nominee has carried the state since Lyndon B. Johnson (D) in 1964. As of November 2018, two election forecasting outlets rated this race Leans Republican and a third rated it a Toss-up. In an overview of gubernatorial races following the conclusion of primaries, Governing indicated that it had shifted its prediction from Likely Republican to Lean Republican owing to the results of the primary: "Stitt is a relative unknown and is polling about even with Edmondson, who is a more familiar name."[1]
Stitt's victory preserved the state's Republican trifecta. At the time of the election, Oklahoma had been a Republican trifecta since 2011, when Gov. Mary Fallin (R) took office. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Oklahoma state law, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district boundaries, which the governor may veto. In the event that the legislature cannot approve a plan for state legislative district boundaries, the governor is responsible for appointing two members—one Democrat and one Republican—to the seven-member backup panel which draws state legislative districts.
Oklahoma was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here. Click here for more information about the Republican primary runoff.
For more information about the Libertarian primary, click here.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Governor of Oklahoma
Kevin Stitt defeated Drew Edmondson and Chris Powell in the general election for Governor of Oklahoma on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Kevin Stitt (R) ![]() | 54.3 | 644,579 |
![]() | Drew Edmondson (D) | 42.2 | 500,973 | |
![]() | Chris Powell (L) ![]() | 3.4 | 40,833 |
Total votes: 1,186,385 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Governor of Oklahoma
Kevin Stitt defeated Mick Cornett in the Republican primary runoff for Governor of Oklahoma on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Kevin Stitt ![]() | 54.6 | 164,892 |
![]() | Mick Cornett | 45.4 | 137,316 |
Total votes: 302,208 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Libertarian primary runoff election
Libertarian primary runoff for Governor of Oklahoma
Chris Powell defeated Rex Lawhorn in the Libertarian primary runoff for Governor of Oklahoma on August 28, 2018.
Candidate | ||
![]() | Rex Lawhorn | |
✔ | ![]() | Chris Powell ![]() |
![]() | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Oklahoma
Drew Edmondson defeated Constance Johnson in the Democratic primary for Governor of Oklahoma on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Drew Edmondson | 61.4 | 242,764 |
![]() | Constance Johnson | 38.6 | 152,730 |
Total votes: 395,494 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Oklahoma
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Oklahoma on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Mick Cornett | 29.3 | 132,806 |
✔ | ![]() | Kevin Stitt ![]() | 24.4 | 110,479 |
![]() | Todd Lamb | 23.9 | 107,985 | |
![]() | Dan Fisher | 7.9 | 35,818 | |
![]() | Gary Jones | 5.6 | 25,243 | |
![]() | Gary Richardson | 4.0 | 18,185 | |
![]() | Blake Cowboy Stephens | 2.7 | 12,211 | |
![]() | Christopher Barnett | 1.2 | 5,240 | |
![]() | Barry Gowdy | 0.5 | 2,347 | |
![]() | Eric Foutch | 0.5 | 2,292 |
Total votes: 452,606 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Governor of Oklahoma
Chris Powell and Rex Lawhorn advanced to a runoff. They defeated Joe Exotic in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Oklahoma on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Chris Powell ![]() | 48.9 | 1,740 |
✔ | ![]() | Rex Lawhorn | 32.4 | 1,154 |
![]() | Joe Exotic | 18.7 | 664 |
Total votes: 3,558 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Candidate profiles
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Political office: Attorney General of Oklahoma (1995-2011), Oklahoma House of Representatives (1975-1977)
Biography: After his graduation from Northeastern State College, Edmondson enlisted in the United States Navy, reaching the rank of petty officer second class and serving in Vietnam. He returned to Oklahoma to teach speech and debate at Muskogee High School before his election to the state legislature. After serving a single term in the legislature, Edmondson attended law school at the University of Tulsa and joined the Muskogee County District Attorney's office as chief prosecutor before being elected district attorney in 1982. After serving four terms as state attorney general, Edmondson ran for governor in 2010 but was defeated in the Democratic primary. He opened a private law practice in 2011.
- Edmondson highlighted his connections to the state, particularly his Oklahoma upbringing and four terms as attorney general. Edmondson pointed voters to his settlements on the state's behalf in suits involving tobacco companies, public schools, and environmental protection to make the case that he had a record of standing up for the state.[2]
- Edmondson portrayed the state's existing political leaders as ineffective, saying "Oklahoma isn't a poor state. We're a poorly run state."[3]
- Edmondson said that his policy positions would change the state's direction for the better, promising voters that "the end of the Fallin Administration marks a new beginning for Oklahomans." Edmondson pointed to his proposals to increase education funding, establish an Office of Open Government, emphasize rural development, and accept Medicaid expansion funds as crucial elements of his policy platform.[3]
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: Stitt graduated from Oklahoma State University with an accounting degree in 1996. After working as a loan officer, Stitt founded Gateway Mortgage Group in 2000. As of the 2018 election, Stitt was active as the chief executive officer of the firm, which had expanded its presence nationwide and acquired a loan portfolio worth $16 billion.
- Stitt emphasized his background in business, saying that he would apply his knowledge to state government to "put Oklahoma’s checkbook online, apply performance metrics, and audit every state agency."[4]
- Stitt highlighted his "five pillars for building an Oklahoma we can believe in", which included an audit of all state agencies, increased funding for education, an emphasis on economic development, infrastructure spending, and an audit of Medicaid.[5][6]
- Stitt said that, if elected, Edmondson would pay for his policy proposals by increasing taxes, while Stitt said he would pay for his policy proposals by cutting spending and reducing waste in state government.[7]
Party: Libertarian
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: After graduating high school, Powell joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in the Gulf War. After his return, he moved to a suburb of Oklahoma City. His professional experience includes work in the public and private sectors.
- Powell said that the Democratic and Republican parties have mismanaged Oklahoma and that he was running "to give our state back to the people."[8]
- Powell stated his support for modifications to the state's criminal justice system to reduce the incarceration rate and a reduction in the state budget as well as his opposition to state- and federal-level education regulations and to firearms regulations.[9]
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Governor of Oklahoma, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Poll sponsor | Drew Edmondson (D) | Kevin Stitt (R) | Chris Powell (L) | Undecided/Other | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||
SoonerPoll (October 31 - November 3, 2018) | N/A | 44% | 47% | 3% | 6% | +/-5.3 | 338 | ||||||||||||
SoonerPoll (October 23-25, 2018) | News9/Newson6 | 42% | 46% | 4% | 8% | +/-4.6 | 447 | ||||||||||||
Magellan Strategies (October 22-23, 2018) | N/A | 44% | 51% | 1% | 4% | +/-4.4 | 500 | ||||||||||||
Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates | N/A | 40% | 46% | 4% | 10% | +/-4.3 | 500 | ||||||||||||
The Right Strategy Group (September 25-26, 2018) | N/A | 43% | 47% | 2% | 8% | +/-3.0 | 1,058 | ||||||||||||
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org |
Click [show] to view older polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PredictIt Prices
This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[10][11][12]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- A Stronger Oklahoma, a group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association, booked $778,000 in air time in support of Edmondson.[13]
- The Foundation for Economic Prosperity spent $190,000 on ads opposing Edmondson.[14]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[15]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[16][17][18]
Race ratings: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2018 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. |
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites:
Noteworthy general election endorsements | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Endorsement | Edmondson (D) | Stitt (R) | ||||
Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
The Tulsa World[19] | ✔ | |||||
Elected officials | ||||||
President Donald Trump (R)[20] | ✔ | |||||
Former Gov. David Boren (D)[21] | ✔ |
Timeline
- November 4, 2018: A SoonerPoll poll found Stitt about even with Edmondson, with 47 percent support to Edmondson's 44 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 5.3 percentage points.
- October 30, 2018: A SoonerPoll poll sponsored by News 9 and News on 6 found Stitt about even with Edmondson, with 46 percent support to Edmondson's 42 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.
- October 29, 2018: The candidates submitted updated campaign finance reports covering the period between August 13 and October 22.
- October 24, 2018: Edmondson and Stitt met for a debate in Oklahoma City.
- October 24, 2018: A Magellan Strategies poll found Stitt apparently leading Edmondson with 51 percent support to Edmondson's 44 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.
- October 21, 2018: The Tulsa World endorsed Stitt.
- October 6, 2018: A Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates poll found Stitt apparently leading Edmondson, with 46 percent support to Edmondson's 40 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.
- October 3, 2018: A Stronger Oklahoma booked $280,000 in airtime in support of Edmondson.
- September 26, 2018: A Right Strategy Group poll found Stitt apparently leading Edmondson, with 47 percent support to Edmondson's 43 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.0 percentage points.
- September 24, 2018: Edmondson and Stitt met for a debate in Oklahoma City.
- September 13, 2018: The Edmondson campaign released an ad titled Common Sense for Education.
- September 10, 2018: A Sooner Poll poll found Stitt about even with Edmondson, with 47 percent support to Edmondson's 44 percent. The poll reported a 4.9 percent margin of error.
- September 7, 2018: The Edmondson campaign released an ad titled Common Sense.
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Drew Edmondson
Support
- "Common Sense for Education" - Edmondson campaign ad, released September 13, 2018
- "Common Sense" - Edmondson campaign ad, released September 7, 2018
- "Schools" - Edmondson campaign ad, released August 31, 2018
Oppose
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Kevin Stitt
Support
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Oppose
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Debates and forums
- Edmondson and Stitt met for a debate in Oklahoma City on October 24, 2018. Click here for coverage of the debate.
- Edmondson and Stitt met for a debate in Oklahoma City on September 24, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
Campaign themes
Drew Edmondson
Edmondson's campaign website stated the following:
“ |
Education
Health Care Our governor’s decision to reject Medicaid expansion not only robbed tens of thousands of health care, it created an insurance monopoly that robbed Oklahomans of choice and let insurance companies set sky-high rates. It also crippled the ability of our state’s rural hospitals to provide care to low-income Oklahomans and put enormous pressure on local economies across the state. On his first day as Governor, Drew Edmondson will reverse our legislature’s harmful decision to reject Medicaid expansion funds. We need to bring both parties together and consider every option to make sure our health care market is competitive, affordable and working for our families, not insurance companies. To tackle out-of-control prescription costs, we will force the negotiation of price increases, sue companies that manipulate costs and import drugs from Canada when it is safe and effective to do so. Leadership
We can breathe new life into rural communities across Oklahoma by encouraging investment, expanding fiber optic networks and passing a Family Farmers Bill of Rights to empower small farmers with fair market access. Transparency It’s not the fault of Oklahoma families that we’re in this mess, and I’m sure not going to make them shoulder the load to fix it. We start by cracking down on those who broke it – the lobbying industry and corrupting political donations and establishing new transparency rules. And I’ll establish an Office of Open Government within the governor’s office to facilitate the public’s right to know. The Fallin administration’s practice of stonewalling the public ends with me. A Lifelong Advocate For Open Government and Transparency
|
” |
—Drew for Oklahoma[23] |
Kevin Stitt
Stitt's campaign website stated the following:
“ |
Prioritizing Government Efficiency
Reforming Our Education System
Expanding Economic Prosperity
Promoting Oklahoma's Agriculture
Advancing Pro-Life Priorities Protecting Second Amendment Rights Improving Our Infrastructure Fostering a Healthy Oklahoma
|
” |
—Stitt for Governor[24] |
Social media
Twitter accounts
Tweets by Drew Edmondson Tweets by Kevin Stitt
Facebook accounts
Republican winning streak
Stitt's victory in the general election was the third in a series beginning with Mary Fallin's (R) victory in 2010, continuing a record-long Republican winning streak in Oklahoma gubernatorial elections. The longest Democratic winning streak in state history was 14 elections, occurring between 1907 and 1958.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Oklahoma. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Oklahoma with 65.3 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 28.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1904 and 2016, Oklahoma voted for the winning presidential candidate 72.4 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Oklahoma supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 65.5 to 34.5 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Oklahoma. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[25][26]
In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 8 out of 101 state House districts in Oklahoma with an average margin of victory of 37.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 11 out of 101 state House districts in Oklahoma with an average margin of victory of 27.7 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 93 out of 101 state House districts in Oklahoma with an average margin of victory of 37.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 90 out of 101 state House districts in Oklahoma with an average margin of victory of 42.2 points. Trump won 18 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
1 | 24.32% | 75.68% | R+51.4 | 16.67% | 80.81% | R+64.1 | D |
2 | 29.47% | 70.53% | R+41.1 | 20.82% | 76.06% | R+55.2 | R |
3 | 29.56% | 70.44% | R+40.9 | 19.56% | 76.82% | R+57.3 | R |
4 | 43.62% | 56.38% | R+12.8 | 34.58% | 58.79% | R+24.2 | D |
5 | 31.75% | 68.25% | R+36.5 | 22.03% | 74.09% | R+52.1 | R |
6 | 28.92% | 71.08% | R+42.2 | 19.41% | 76.14% | R+56.7 | D |
7 | 34.12% | 65.88% | R+31.8 | 23.64% | 72.17% | R+48.5 | D |
8 | 29.55% | 70.45% | R+40.9 | 19.53% | 75.61% | R+56.1 | R |
9 | 26.43% | 73.57% | R+47.1 | 20.72% | 73.96% | R+53.2 | R |
10 | 27.27% | 72.73% | R+45.5 | 19.29% | 75.83% | R+56.5 | R |
11 | 26.06% | 73.94% | R+47.9 | 23.18% | 70.49% | R+47.3 | R |
12 | 30.64% | 69.36% | R+38.7 | 21.78% | 73.34% | R+51.6 | R |
13 | 46.26% | 53.74% | R+7.5 | 36.08% | 59.48% | R+23.4 | R |
14 | 38.47% | 61.53% | R+23.1 | 29.50% | 65.07% | R+35.6 | R |
15 | 31.90% | 68.10% | R+36.2 | 20.23% | 75.99% | R+55.8 | D |
16 | 39.02% | 60.98% | R+22 | 29.97% | 65.84% | R+35.9 | R |
17 | 31.39% | 68.61% | R+37.2 | 21.06% | 74.60% | R+53.5 | D |
18 | 31.64% | 68.36% | R+36.7 | 21.84% | 73.83% | R+52 | D |
19 | 27.18% | 72.82% | R+45.6 | 17.56% | 79.47% | R+61.9 | R |
20 | 25.66% | 74.34% | R+48.7 | 19.48% | 75.42% | R+55.9 | R |
21 | 27.83% | 72.17% | R+44.3 | 20.76% | 75.19% | R+54.4 | R |
22 | 29.42% | 70.58% | R+41.2 | 19.19% | 76.84% | R+57.7 | R |
23 | 37.17% | 62.83% | R+25.7 | 34.74% | 59.77% | R+25 | R |
24 | 34.55% | 65.45% | R+30.9 | 24.22% | 71.24% | R+47 | D |
25 | 30.62% | 69.38% | R+38.8 | 24.52% | 70.33% | R+45.8 | R |
26 | 33.33% | 66.67% | R+33.3 | 27.68% | 65.11% | R+37.4 | R |
27 | 27.54% | 72.46% | R+44.9 | 19.98% | 74.47% | R+54.5 | R |
28 | 31.29% | 68.71% | R+37.4 | 23.00% | 72.55% | R+49.6 | R |
29 | 27.44% | 72.56% | R+45.1 | 19.03% | 76.45% | R+57.4 | R |
30 | 27.26% | 72.74% | R+45.5 | 22.28% | 72.41% | R+50.1 | R |
31 | 24.22% | 75.78% | R+51.6 | 21.13% | 72.89% | R+51.8 | R |
32 | 28.96% | 71.04% | R+42.1 | 19.60% | 75.11% | R+55.5 | R |
33 | 30.42% | 69.58% | R+39.2 | 24.69% | 68.50% | R+43.8 | R |
34 | 43.63% | 56.37% | R+12.7 | 41.69% | 47.73% | R+6 | D |
35 | 27.29% | 72.71% | R+45.4 | 19.27% | 75.77% | R+56.5 | R |
36 | 27.27% | 72.73% | R+45.5 | 20.70% | 74.80% | R+54.1 | R |
37 | 30.60% | 69.40% | R+38.8 | 24.59% | 70.14% | R+45.6 | R |
38 | 22.95% | 77.05% | R+54.1 | 15.96% | 79.29% | R+63.3 | R |
39 | 27.52% | 72.48% | R+45 | 30.36% | 61.83% | R+31.5 | R |
40 | 27.22% | 72.78% | R+45.6 | 23.93% | 69.43% | R+45.5 | R |
41 | 20.25% | 79.75% | R+59.5 | 19.65% | 74.25% | R+54.6 | R |
42 | 24.59% | 75.41% | R+50.8 | 16.63% | 79.04% | R+62.4 | R |
43 | 23.51% | 76.49% | R+53 | 22.34% | 70.39% | R+48.1 | R |
44 | 60.12% | 39.88% | D+20.2 | 58.74% | 32.02% | D+26.7 | D |
45 | 46.57% | 53.43% | R+6.9 | 45.28% | 45.98% | R+0.7 | D |
46 | 40.27% | 59.73% | R+19.5 | 41.33% | 51.65% | R+10.3 | D |
47 | 20.44% | 79.56% | R+59.1 | 18.77% | 75.26% | R+56.5 | R |
48 | 31.02% | 68.98% | R+38 | 24.52% | 71.34% | R+46.8 | R |
49 | 25.99% | 74.01% | R+48 | 17.67% | 78.58% | R+60.9 | R |
50 | 24.87% | 75.13% | R+50.3 | 18.06% | 78.21% | R+60.2 | R |
51 | 21.55% | 78.45% | R+56.9 | 15.47% | 80.44% | R+65 | R |
52 | 26.37% | 73.63% | R+47.3 | 19.34% | 76.19% | R+56.9 | R |
53 | 30.19% | 69.81% | R+39.6 | 28.09% | 64.20% | R+36.1 | R |
54 | 30.53% | 69.47% | R+38.9 | 27.73% | 64.36% | R+36.6 | R |
55 | 20.90% | 79.10% | R+58.2 | 13.10% | 82.88% | R+69.8 | R |
56 | 35.15% | 64.85% | R+29.7 | 26.25% | 68.53% | R+42.3 | D |
57 | 23.41% | 76.59% | R+53.2 | 18.74% | 75.79% | R+57.1 | R |
58 | 17.05% | 82.95% | R+65.9 | 11.66% | 83.28% | R+71.6 | R |
59 | 16.90% | 83.10% | R+66.2 | 13.11% | 83.23% | R+70.1 | R |
60 | 27.03% | 72.97% | R+45.9 | 21.85% | 72.52% | R+50.7 | R |
61 | 13.07% | 86.93% | R+73.9 | 11.23% | 84.53% | R+73.3 | R |
62 | 48.97% | 51.03% | R+2.1 | 44.21% | 50.19% | R+6 | R |
63 | 35.33% | 64.67% | R+29.3 | 27.60% | 67.41% | R+39.8 | R |
64 | 44.83% | 55.17% | R+10.3 | 39.78% | 53.14% | R+13.4 | R |
65 | 27.73% | 72.27% | R+44.5 | 19.27% | 75.91% | R+56.6 | R |
66 | 36.00% | 64.00% | R+28 | 31.50% | 62.79% | R+31.3 | R |
67 | 24.45% | 75.55% | R+51.1 | 27.75% | 66.45% | R+38.7 | R |
68 | 31.36% | 68.64% | R+37.3 | 28.26% | 65.55% | R+37.3 | R |
69 | 24.16% | 75.84% | R+51.7 | 25.05% | 69.12% | R+44.1 | R |
70 | 38.78% | 61.22% | R+22.4 | 41.95% | 51.10% | R+9.2 | R |
71 | 46.54% | 53.46% | R+6.9 | 49.59% | 43.09% | D+6.5 | R |
72 | 64.07% | 35.93% | D+28.1 | 57.75% | 36.56% | D+21.2 | D |
73 | 89.78% | 10.22% | D+79.6 | 85.51% | 10.95% | D+74.6 | D |
74 | 23.76% | 76.24% | R+52.5 | 21.80% | 72.58% | R+50.8 | R |
75 | 36.45% | 63.55% | R+27.1 | 36.07% | 58.00% | R+21.9 | D |
76 | 29.23% | 70.77% | R+41.5 | 29.60% | 64.51% | R+34.9 | R |
77 | 46.33% | 53.67% | R+7.3 | 42.71% | 50.64% | R+7.9 | D |
78 | 46.33% | 53.67% | R+7.3 | 47.44% | 45.53% | D+1.9 | D |
79 | 36.43% | 63.57% | R+27.1 | 38.62% | 54.86% | R+16.2 | R |
80 | 22.50% | 77.50% | R+55 | 22.26% | 72.43% | R+50.2 | R |
81 | 30.71% | 69.29% | R+38.6 | 32.57% | 58.39% | R+25.8 | R |
82 | 28.67% | 71.33% | R+42.7 | 32.14% | 60.98% | R+28.8 | R |
83 | 37.63% | 62.37% | R+24.7 | 41.87% | 50.91% | R+9 | R |
84 | 34.99% | 65.01% | R+30 | 34.26% | 57.94% | R+23.7 | R |
85 | 38.90% | 61.10% | R+22.2 | 43.24% | 49.36% | R+6.1 | D |
86 | 33.30% | 66.70% | R+33.4 | 22.16% | 72.65% | R+50.5 | D |
87 | 44.55% | 55.45% | R+10.9 | 45.90% | 45.36% | D+0.5 | D |
88 | 62.10% | 37.90% | D+24.2 | 62.41% | 28.23% | D+34.2 | D |
89 | 59.05% | 40.95% | D+18.1 | 57.41% | 36.36% | D+21.1 | D |
90 | 39.90% | 60.10% | R+20.2 | 35.95% | 56.77% | R+20.8 | R |
91 | 26.81% | 73.19% | R+46.4 | 27.93% | 66.24% | R+38.3 | R |
92 | 58.72% | 41.28% | D+17.4 | 54.66% | 38.25% | D+16.4 | D |
93 | 42.09% | 57.91% | R+15.8 | 43.18% | 50.17% | R+7 | D |
94 | 47.76% | 52.24% | R+4.5 | 43.29% | 49.41% | R+6.1 | D |
95 | 41.84% | 58.16% | R+16.3 | 37.94% | 54.62% | R+16.7 | R |
96 | 24.15% | 75.85% | R+51.7 | 21.91% | 72.25% | R+50.3 | R |
97 | 74.13% | 25.87% | D+48.3 | 69.20% | 26.39% | D+42.8 | D |
98 | 25.49% | 74.51% | R+49 | 23.71% | 70.43% | R+46.7 | R |
99 | 81.48% | 18.52% | D+63 | 76.46% | 17.59% | D+58.9 | D |
100 | 36.62% | 63.38% | R+26.8 | 38.23% | 54.28% | R+16.1 | R |
101 | 32.40% | 67.60% | R+35.2 | 27.61% | 66.12% | R+38.5 | R |
Total | 33.23% | 66.77% | R+33.5 | 28.93% | 65.32% | R+36.4 | - |
Source: Daily Kos |
Election history
2014
- See also: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor of Oklahoma, 2014 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
55.8% | 460,298 | |
Democratic | Joe Dorman | 41% | 338,239 | |
Independent | Kimberly Willis | 2.1% | 17,169 | |
Independent | Richard Prawdzienski | 1.1% | 9,125 | |
Total Votes | 824,831 | |||
Election results via Oklahoma State Election Board |
2010
- See also: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2010
On November 2, 2010, Mary Fallin won election to the office of Governor of Oklahoma. She defeated Jari Askins in the general election.
Governor of Oklahoma, 2010 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
60.4% | 625,506 | |
Democratic | Jari Askins | 39.6% | 409,261 | |
Total Votes | 1,034,767 | |||
Election results via Oklahoma State Election Board. |
2006
On November 7, 2006, Brad Henry won re-election to the office of Governor of Oklahoma. He defeated Ernest Istook in the general election.
Governor of Oklahoma, 2006 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | ![]() |
66.5% | 616,135 | |
Republican | Ernest Istook | 33.5% | 310,327 | |
Total Votes | 926,462 | |||
Election results via Oklahoma State Election Board. |
2002
On November 5, 2002, Brad Henry won election to the office of Governor of Oklahoma. He defeated Steve Largent and Gary Richardson in the general election.
Governor of Oklahoma, 2002 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | ![]() |
43.3% | 448,143 | |
Republican | Steve Largent | 42.6% | 441,277 | |
Independent | Gary Richardson | 14.1% | 146,200 | |
Total Votes | 1,035,620 | |||
Election results via Oklahoma State Board of Elections. |
Wave election analysis
- See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
Gubernatorial wave elections | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | President | Party | Election type | Gubernatorial seats change | Elections analyzed[27] | |
1970 | Nixon | R | First midterm | -12 | 35 | |
1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -11 | 33 | |
1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -10 | 35 | |
1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -10 | 36 | |
1994 | Clinton | D | First midterm | -10 | 36 | |
1930 | Hoover | R | First midterm | -9 | 33 | |
1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -9 | 33 | |
1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[28] | -9 | 35 | |
1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -8 | 33 | |
1982 | Reagan | R | First midterm | -7 | 36 | |
2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -7 | 33 |
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Oklahoma heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Oklahoma.
- Republicans held four of five U.S. House seats in Oklahoma, the remaining seat was vacated in April 2018 by Republican Jim Bridenstine.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held 11 of 12 state executive positions. The remaining position was officially nonpartisan.
- The governor of Oklahoma was Republican Mary Fallin. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Oklahoma State Legislature. They had a 72-27 majority in the state House and a 38-8 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Oklahoma was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.
2018 elections
- See also: Oklahoma elections, 2018
Oklahoma held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- Four U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Seven lower state executive positions
- 18 of 35 state Senate seats
- 100 state House seats
- Municipal elections in Oklahoma
Demographics
Demographic data for Oklahoma | ||
---|---|---|
Oklahoma | U.S. | |
Total population: | 3,907,414 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 68,595 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 73.1% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 7.2% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 7.3% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 7.8% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 9.6% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 86.9% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $46,879 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 19.7% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oklahoma. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
As of July 2016, Oklahoma's three largest cities were Oklahoma City (pop. est. 643,648), Tulsa (pop. est. 401,800), and Norman (pop. est. 122,843).[29][30]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Oklahoma from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Oklahoma every year from 2000 to 2016.
Election results (President of the United States), Oklahoma 2000-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2016 | ![]() |
65.3% | ![]() |
28.9% | 36.4% |
2012 | ![]() |
66.8% | ![]() |
33.2% | 33.6% |
2008 | ![]() |
65.6% | ![]() |
34.3% | 31.3% |
2004 | ![]() |
65.6% | ![]() |
34.4% | 31.2% |
2000 | ![]() |
60.3% | ![]() |
38.4% | 21.9% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Oklahoma from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
Election results (U.S. Senator), Oklahoma 2000-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2016 | ![]() |
67.7% | ![]() |
24.6% | 43.1% |
2014 | ![]() |
68.0% | ![]() |
28.5% | 39.5% |
2010 | ![]() |
70.6% | ![]() |
26.1% | 44.5% |
2008 | ![]() |
56.7% | ![]() |
39.2% | 17.5% |
2004 | ![]() |
52.8% | ![]() |
41.2% | 11.6% |
2002 | ![]() |
57.3% | ![]() |
36.3% | 21.0% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Oklahoma.
Election results (Governor), Oklahoma 2000-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2014 | ![]() |
55.8% | ![]() |
41.0% | 14.8% |
2010 | ![]() |
60.4% | ![]() |
39.6% | 20.8% |
2006 | ![]() |
66.5% | ![]() |
33.5% | 33.0% |
2002 | ![]() |
44.3% | ![]() |
42.6% | 1.7% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Oklahoma in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Oklahoma Party Control: 1992-2024
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Oklahoma governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
Oklahoma government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Governing, "With Primary Season Over, Democrats Poised to Gain 3 to 7 Governors’ Seats," September 14, 2018
- ↑ Drew for Oklahoma, "Meet Drew," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Drew for Oklahoma, "Drew Edmondson for Governor Flipbook," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ Stitt for Governor, "About Kevin," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ Stitt for Governor, "Home," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ Stitt for Governor, "Issues," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ Stitt for Governor, "Stitt Responds to Edmondson's Call for More Tax Increases," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Youtube, "Powell for Governor - Powell 2018 60," September 24, 2018
- ↑ Chris Powell for Governor, "Issues," accessed November 2, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Twitter, "AdvertisingAnalytics," October 3, 2018
- ↑ KGOU, "Dark-Money’ Spending Hits Record In Oklahoma, With A Surge To Come," September 14, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Tulsa World, "Tulsa World endorsement: In the race for governor, Kevin Stitt is the better agent of change," October 21, 2018
- ↑ Tulsa World, "President Donald Trump endorses Kevin Stitt: He 'will be a fantastic governor'," August 31, 2018
- ↑ KFOR, "David Boren endorses Drew Edmondson for governor," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Drew for Oklahoma, "Home," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Stitt for Governor, "Issues," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.
- ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
- ↑ Oklahoma Demographics, "Oklahoma Cities by Population," accessed August 30, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts Oklahoma," accessed August 30, 2018
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