Oklahoma Republican Party

The Oklahoma Republican Party is a political party affiliated with the United States Republican Party (GOP). Along with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics.

Oklahoma Republican Party
ChairpersonDavid McLain
Senate leaderGreg Treat
House leaderCharles McCall
Founded1907
HeadquartersDewey F. Barlett Center
4031 N. Lincoln Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
IdeologyConservatism
Fiscal conservatism
Social conservatism
Political positionRight-wing[1]
Seats in State Upper Houses
39 / 48
Seats in State Lower Houses
77 / 101
Website
Oklahoma Republican Party

As of the November 2012 elections, Republicans have a supermajority in both the Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House of Representatives, hold all statewide offices, and both Senate seats. This accomplishment is notwithstanding that the Republicans have fewer registered voters in the state than the Democrats (as of January 15, 2014, there are 854,329 registered Republican voters in Oklahoma, compared to 885,609 Democratic voters and 238,874 voters registered as independent or with other parties).[2]

The current chair of the state party is David McLain.

Current structure and composition

The Oklahoma Republican Party headquarters is located on North Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City.[3] Additionally, the state party has a Tulsa office on East 51st Street.[3] They host the biennial state conventions in odd-numbered years, in which they elect executive officers and delegates to the Republican National Committee. [3]

The state party coordinates campaign activities with Republican candidates and county parties and receives some funding from the national GOP organizations.

History

Territorial period through 1930s

The Oklahoma Republican Party takes its roots from the territorial period, gaining a larger portion of its support from the Northwestern part of the state, where migrants from the state of Kansas brought with them Republican political leanings of the time.[4] For most of Oklahoma history, the Oklahoma Republican Party has the fewest members in the old Indian Territory or the area located in the Southeast.[4]

Republicans held the American presidency during most of the territorial period, resulting in the appointments of Republican territorial governors. Despite the dominance of Republicans as governor and delegate, the two main parties had almost reached parity in the territorial legislature by statehood.[5]

The Republican Party at the time of statehood in 1907 was not the party of most Oklahomans, but was the party of most African-Americans. Republican A. C. Hamlin was Oklahoma's first black legislator, serving in the first legislature of the new state.[6]

Republicans experienced a short-lived resurgence in the early 1920s, with the election of John W. Harreld in 1920 as the first Republican United States senator for the state of Oklahoma. During this time the Republican Party had gained a majority of the state's seats in United States Congress, attaining five of the nine seats available. The Oklahoma House of Representatives saw their first Republican majority and first Republican Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923.[7] The first female member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives was a Republican.[8]

In the 1928 election, Republicans gained 26 new seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives due in part to the low popularity of the time of presidential candidate Al Smith and the incumbent governor's stumping on his behalf.[9] With a total of forty-seven seats, they were only five seats from having a majority.[9] With thirteen Democratic members, they elected a coalition Democratic Speaker over the incumbent speaker.[9]

But it was the 1930s or The Great Depression that would prove to be the most troublesome for Republicans in Oklahoma. It was during this time that Republican voters had shifted their support to the revitalized Democratic Party.[4]

Late 20th century
Henry Bellmon

Beginning in the 1960s, the Oklahoma Republican party made gains in voter registration and state legislative seats.[10] Henry Bellmon won election as Oklahoma's first Republican governor in 1962, by appealing to Democratic voters and as an anti-corruption candidate.[11] Only 18 percent of Oklahomans were registered as Republicans at the time.[10]

Bellmon's term helped increase the image of Republicans in Oklahoma. Under his administration, total highway projects increased 46 percent over the previous administration and the first retirement system for state employees was created.[11] Bellmon also oversaw the racial integration of Oklahoma schools and the court-ordered reapportionment of the state electoral districts.

Bellmon won election to the United States Senate in 1968.[11] Republican Don Nickles succeeded Bellmon in 1980.

In 1990, black Republican J.C. Watts was elected as Oklahoma's first black statewide officeholder, serving on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission,[12] serving as a member of the commission from 1990 to 1995 and as chairman from 1993 to 1995.

21st century

After the 2004 Presidential Election, Republicans gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the first time since 1921.[13]

In 2010, Republicans increased their gains in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and took majority control of the Oklahoma Senate.[14] Furthermore, Republicans captured every statewide office and came within six percentage points of capturing the 2nd District (the only Congressional seat that it did not already hold); in 2012 it would capture that seat as well and gain supermajority control of both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.

In 2015, the number of registered Republican voters overtook the number of registered Democratic voters for the first time in the state's history (as of January 15, 2015, there are 886,153 registered Republicans, 882,686 registered Democrats, and 261,429 independent voters).

Electoral history
Election year No. of
House seats		 +/– Governorship No. of
Senate seats		 +/–
1907
16 / 101
 16 Charles N. Haskell
6 / 48
 6
1908
39 / 101
 23
10 / 48
 4
1910
26 / 101
 13 Lee Cruce
13 / 48
 3
1912
19 / 101
 7
10 / 48
 3
1914
18 / 101
 1 Robert L. Williams
6 / 48
 4
1916
26 / 101
 6
5 / 48
 1
1918
30 / 101
 4 James B.A. Robertson
10 / 48
 6
1920
73 / 101
 43
17 / 48
 7
1922
14 / 101
 59 Jack C. Walton
12 / 48
 5
1924
24 / 101
 10 Martin Trapp
6 / 48
 6
1926
22 / 101
 2 Henry S. Johnston
9 / 48
 3
1928
47 / 101
 25
10 / 48
 1
1930
10 / 101
 37 William H. Murray
12 / 48
 2
1932
4 / 101
 6
5 / 48
 7
1934
7 / 101
 3 E.W. Marland
1 / 48
 4
1936
3 / 101
 4
0 / 48
 1
1938
13 / 101
 10 Leon C. Phillips
1 / 48
 1
1940
7 / 101
 6
2 / 48
 1
1942
24 / 101
 17 Robert S. Kerr
4 / 48
 2
1944
22 / 101
 2
6 / 48
 2
1946
22 / 101
 0 Roy J. Turner
6 / 48
 0
1948
12 / 101
 10
5 / 48
 1
1950
20 / 101
 8 Johnston Murray
4 / 48
 1
1952
13 / 101
 7
6 / 48
 2
1954
19 / 101
 6 Raymond D. Gary
5 / 48
 1
1956
20 / 101
 1
3 / 48
 2
1958
10 / 101
 10 J. Howard Edmondson
3 / 48
 0
1960
13 / 101
 3
4 / 48
 1
1962
24 / 101
 11 Henry Bellmon
6 / 48
 2
1964
22 / 101
 2
7 / 48
 1
1966
23 / 101
 1 Dewey F. Bartlett
9 / 48
 2
1968
22 / 101
 1
10 / 48
 1
1970
22 / 101
 0 David Hall
9 / 48
 1
1972
23 / 101
 1
10 / 48
 1
1974
23 / 101
 0 David L. Boren
10 / 48
 0
1976
20 / 101
 3
10 / 48
 0
1978
24 / 101
 4 George Nigh
11 / 48
 1
1980
26 / 101
 2
12 / 48
 1
1982
26 / 101
 0
14 / 48
 2
1984
32 / 101
 6
14 / 48
 0
1986
31 / 101
 1 Henry Bellmon
17 / 48
 3
1988
32 / 101
 1
14 / 48
 3
1990
34 / 101
 2 David Walters
12 / 48
 2
1992
34 / 101
 0
13 / 48
 1
1994
41 / 101
 7 Frank Keating
17 / 48
 4
1996
42 / 101
 1
19 / 48
 2
1998
42 / 101
 0
19 / 48
 0
2000
48 / 101
 6
21 / 48
 2
2002
47 / 101
 1 Brad Henry
22 / 48
 1
2004
46 / 101
 1
22 / 48
 0
2006
57 / 101
 11
24 / 48
 2
2008
61 / 101
 4
26 / 48
 2
2010
70 / 101
 9 Mary Fallin
32 / 48
 6
2012
72 / 101
 2
36 / 48
 4
2014
72 / 101
 0
40 / 48
 4
2016
75 / 101
 3
40 / 48
 0
2018
76 / 101
 1 Kevin Stitt
39 / 48
 1

Note: Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins provided tie breaking vote in the State Senate following the 2006 elections, giving Democrats a majority

Notable Oklahoma Republicans
Don Nickles

Current elected officials

As of 2015 the Oklahoma Republican Party controls all 12 statewide offices and holds majorities in both the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives; Republicans also hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and four of five of the state's U.S. House seats.

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate
Jim Inhofe

U.S. House of Representatives

State Officials
Governor Kevin Stitt

Statewide offices

Legislative leadership

City officials

Republican Governors

As of 2020, there have been a total of five Republican Party Governors.

# Name Picture Lifespan Gubernatorial
start date		 Gubernatorial
end date
18 Henry Bellmon 1921–2009 January 14, 1963 January 9, 1967
19 Dewey F. Bartlett 1919–1979 January 9, 1967 January 11, 1971
23 Henry Bellmon 1921–2009 January 12, 1987 January 14, 1991
25 Frank Keating 1944– January 9, 1995 January 13, 2003
27 Mary Fallin 1954– January 10, 2011 January 14, 2019
28 Kevin Stitt 1972– January 14, 2019
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See also

References
  1. http://www.tulsaworld.com/newshomepage1/oklahoma-proud-to-be-red-state/article_a2660428-a7fe-5944-a755-750200ae0ab3.html Oklahoma proud to be 'red state'
  2. 2014 Registration Report, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed September 23, 2014)
  3. Oklahoma Republican Party (accessed May 11, 2013).
  4. Gaddie, Ronald. REPUBLICAN PARTY Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society (accessed May 11, 2013)
  5. Brown, Kenny. OKLAHOMA TERRITORY Archived 2011-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture] (accessed May 11, 2013)
  6. Bruce, Mic hael. HAMLIN, ALBERT COMSTOCK (1881-1912), Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  7. Hannemann, Carolyn G. SCHWABE, GEORGE BLAINE Archived 2012-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  8. Pappas, Christine. MCCOLGIN AMELIA ELIZABETH SIMISON Archived 2014-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  9. A Century to Remember Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 11, 2013)
  10. Gaddie, Ronald Keith. Democratic Party, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  11. Hannemann, Carolyn G. BELLMON, HENRY LOUIS Archived 2009-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  12. Verhovek, Sam Howe (1994-10-07). "The 1994 Campaign: The Republicans; More Black Candidates Find Places on Republican Ballots". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  13. McNutt, Michael. "Republicans select speaker designate" http://newsok.com/republicans-select-speaker-designate/article/2969390, The Oklahoman November 10, 2006.
  14. McNutt, Michael. "Oklahoma's legislative leaders pledge to work with Democrats", The Oklahoman, November 7, 2010.
  15. Oklahoma Republican Partry. "Elected Officials". Retrieved May 11, 2013.
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