Unusually high number of Oklahoma House incumbents face November reelection challenges

OKLAHOMA CITY — Dozens of incumbent Oklahoma lawmakers are facing challengers in November due in part to a push by Democrats to recruit more candidates and growing frustration with legislative actions. 

Experts say the unusually high number of contested legislative races could fuel voter turnout, but is unlikely to result in Republicans losing control of the lower chamber.

Of the 101 Oklahoma House seats, 55 will have contested races on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. During the 2024 general election, only 32 House seats were on the ballot. 

The vast majority of these involve an incumbent lawmaker hoping to be reelected for another term.

Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, is one of the 43 incumbent lawmakers facing a reelection challenger. He said he decided to seek reelection for what would be his final term because he “owes it” to his constituents. 

“I feel like both parties should have a chance to have somebody on the ballot, that’s their right to have those so it doesn’t surprise me,” he said of an increase in challengers this year. “I think that the Democratic Party has been big on trying to make sure there are some challenges in every race, as many races as they can.” 

And, part of the job of a state representative is working with new people every two years, Newton said.  

Erin Brewer, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said they actively focused on encouraging more candidates to run to give voters a choice at the ballot box and drive voter participation. 

In the past, many Oklahoma elections have been decided during June’s primary or August’s runoff elections, both of which are closed and partisan. Oklahoma also has some of the lowest voter turnout in the country. 

Brewer said her party made an effort to recruit more candidates to run in elections across the state, she said. They’ve also been able to do more this year to help candidates with campaign websites and materials. 

“Oklahoma is one of the lowest voter turnout states in the nation, but part of that is because we simply haven’t been having as many competitive races as we should have in general elections,” she said. 

Oklahomans are ready for a “different kind of leadership,” she said. 

“We know that we’re going to flip some seats in November, and part of that is because of the sheer number of candidates we have on the ballot,” Brewer said. “But part of it is because they’re really strong quality candidates and they’re doing the work.”

Another incumbent being challenged, Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, said competition brings out the best in elections, and he hopes it will lead to higher voter turnout. He is facing Democrat Blake Munoz in November. 

“The thing learned over the years, even going back to when I was running for student council at Lawton High, you should never be complacent when it comes to campaigning so I always campaign as if I’m 15, 20 points down,” he said. 

Allyson Shortle, a political science professor at University of Oklahoma, said she doesn’t think Oklahoma will see lots of seats flipped, but the races will be more competitive – even if the Republican candidate ends up on top. 

“But it certainly will get the Democrats in the state very enthusiastic in a way I don’t think we’ve seen in many, many years, if not decades,” Shortle said. 

First time candidates

Linda Pedro, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, is challenging Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, for his seat representing House District 65. 

Pedro, a Democrat from El Reno, said she’s making her first run for public office because she’s seen her community struggling with housing, homelessness and affordability issues. 

“I’d like to be a voice for the people to say, ‘Hey, you know, that’s gonna affect these people, cause I’m one of them,’” she said. 

Pedro said she feels good about her chances in the election because her communities and district know who she is and what’s important to her. 

Seth McKee, an Oklahoma State University political science professor, said voter turnout could aid Democratic candidates as the people angriest with President Donald Trump’s administration are likely to vote against Republicans. 

The president’s approval ratings have dropped across the country, including in Oklahoma, as war with Iran continues and everyday costs continue to rise. 

“That coalition is going to be overwhelmingly Democratic in terms of the people who show up, and of course it’s going to vary across states,” McKee said. “It’s not going to be as Democratic in Oklahoma, but it’s all going to have that same bias to it. And so, if you look in Oklahoma, it’s going to be a much lighter red coalition than you would normally see.”

Tony Oliva, an independent, said he doesn’t expect to win his race against incumbent Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa. He said he just has his name on the ballot to give people another choice but isn’t spending money or campaigning. 

Oliva said he launched his first bid for office because he is frustrated with his representation and the two-party system. 

Open seats

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said, this election will mark the largest incoming class of lawmakers since 2018, regardless of the outcome of the incumbents’ races.

A dozen seats will not have a returning representative either due to term limits or a legislator not seeking reelection. 

Two of these seats are vacant following lawmaker resignations. 

Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, resigned effective Oct. 1 after admitting to using artificial intelligence to make a GIF of him and a potential election candidate kissing. He’ll be replaced by Democrat Kristina Gabriel, who defeated him in the primary.

Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, also resigned this year after pleading guilty to forgery-related charges. Democrat Herschel Brown and Republican Melvin Latham are vying to fill the House District seat 99, which represents parts of Nichols Hills and northeast Oklahoma City. 

Democrat Andrea Biscardi, of Owasso, said she is running for public office for the first time to represent House District 9, which includes parts of Claremore and Owasso. Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, currently holds the seat and cannot run for reelection because of term limits. 

It’s her first time running for any political office and she chose to do so because the seat is “almost always uncontested.” 

Biscardi said she’s passionate about healthcare and public education. 

“I’ve seen a lot of issues with people just getting the benefits that they already deserve,” Biscardi said. “You know, it takes two months to get on this or two years to get on disability, two hours to get someone on the phone to get SNAP benefits turned back on. There’s a lot of social services that could use help in Oklahoma.” 

She’s set to face Republican Scotty Stokes in November.