Trump defeats Harris to win back presidency

Despite sizable turnover in the Oklahoma Legislature, Republicans retain supermajority.

Republican Donald Trump again won the presidency on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, after earning victories in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada, states all won by President Joe Biden in 2020. Trump also led close races in Michigan and Arizona, both of which broke Biden’s way last election.

As of 11:30 a.m. CST on November 6, 2024, Trump had won 286 Electoral College votes, more than the 270 necessary to win the Oval Office. Vice President Kamala Harris won 226 Electoral College votes. Harris, a Democrat, was relying on the midwestern “Blue Wall” states to secure victory, but she lost narrow races in all three, including Pennsylvania by 2.2 percentage points, and Wisconsin by a single percentage point, or 35,000 votes out of 3.4 million cast. Trump led Harris in Michigan by just .9 percentage points, or about 48,000 votes out of 5.4 million cast.

In all, Trump flipped fifty-one Electoral College votes from the 2020 presidential contest, including sixteen in Georgia that went Biden’s way last time. Only the 26 Electoral College votes from Nevada and Michigan were unaccounted for by midday Wednesday.  “I’m asking every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor,” Trump said during his victory speech early Wednesday morning in Florida. “It’s time to put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite, and we’re gonna try. We’re gonna try. We have to try.”

Trump is now the second president to win non-consecutive terms, joining Grover Cleveland who accomplished the feat in 1884 and 1892. Trump is also the first convicted felon to be elected president, and he is projected to be the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to win the nationwide popular vote. This year’s race will be the first time in three attempts that Trump has won the popular vote.

According to rumor, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt is eager to land a job in the new Trump administration, which has the potential to upend Oklahoma politics. If lured away to Washington D.C., Stitt, currently serving his second term, would be succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell.

Trump easily won Oklahoma’s seven Electoral College votes with 66.17 percent of the 1.56 million votes cast. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, 64.35 percent of the state’s 2.4 million registered voters turned out to participate in this year’s general election. However, Oklahoma’s voting-age population is about 3.1 million, leaving the turnout for the state’s eighteen-and-older population at 51.6 percent, among the nation’s worst. “I am encouraged by the latest numbers and the growth in registered voters we have seen over the past several years. Hopefully, they point to better overall turnout,” said Paul Ziriax, Secretary of the State Election Board in a statement released before the Tuesday’s election.

Status quo reigns in Oklahoma as GOP retains supermajority

There was never any doubt that the Republicans would retain control of the Oklahoma Legislature, but Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate expressed optimism before the election that they could flip a few seats. That did not happen, as after the dust had settled, the Republicans still held eighty-one out of 101 House seats and forty out of forty-eight Senate seats, a testament to the carefully gerrymandered legislative map approved in 2021. “This week was strong for House Republicans,” said Speaker-Designate Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow). “Our candidates ran phenomenal campaigns and voters locally and nationally made it clear they support our conservative vision. Our caucus is ready to work with President Trump, our Congressional delegation, the state Senate, and the Governor to continue building on the great momentum we have behind us in Oklahoma.”

A handful of state House races were competitive, but incumbents won them all. The closest race of the night was in northwest Oklahoma City’s House District 100, as Republican Marilyn Stark defeated Chaunte Gilmore by 287 votes. Another close contest was in Midwest City’s House District 95, as incumbent Max Wolfley defeated Democrat Tegan Malone with 54 percent of the vote.

There were other close races, but House incumbents went undefeated, including in Stillwater’s House District 34, as Democrat Trish Ranson defeated Republican Andrew Muchmore with 58.55 percent of the vote, and in Norman’s House District 45, where Democrat Annie Menz defeated Republican Matt Watson and Libertarian Robert Murphy with 52.4 percent of the vote. In Norman’s House District 46, Democrat Jacob Rosecrants defeated Republican Alexander Torvi with 53.99 percent of the vote, and in Lawton’s House District 62, Republican Daniel Pae defeated Democrat Allison Offield with 56.97 percent of the vote. In Lawton’s House District 64, Republican Rande Worthen defeated Democrat Tom Sutherlin with 53.82 percent of the vote, and in Tulsa’s House District 70, Democrat Suzanne Schreiber defeated Republican Bradley Banks with 56.46 percent of the vote.

More victorious House incumbents included Democrat Melissa Provenzano in Tulsa’s House District 79, where she defeated Republican Paul Hassink with 54.57 percent of the vote. In Oklahoma City’s House District 83, Republican Eric Roberts defeated Democrat Jimmy Lawson with 55.43 percent of the vote. In House District 84, covering Bethany and Warr Acres in the Oklahoma City metro, Republican Tammy West defeated Democrat Jeremy Lamb with 58.18 percent of the vote.

Several new members across the state were elected in open House races. In Wagoner County’s House District 12, Republican Mark Chapman defeated Democrat Crystal LaGrone, and in House District 20, covering parts of Cleveland and McClain counties, Republican Jonathan Wilk defeated Democrat Mitchell Jacob. In Oklahoma City’s House District 88, Ellen Pogemiller defeated Independent Bobby McCollum, and in Oklahoma City’s House District 90, Republican Emily Gise defeated Democrat Nana Abram Dankwa. In Broken Arrow’s House District 98, Republican Gave Woolley defeated Democrat Cathy Smythe.

Democratic membership in the state Senate was hopeful about their chances to reach double digits, but only two out of twelve of Tuesday’s races were even moderately close. In Tulsa’s Senate District 39, incumbent Republican Dave Rader won a third term, defeating upstart Democrat Melissa Bryce with 56.31 percent of the vote. In Oklahoma City’s open Senate District 47 seat—which saw about $235,000 raised between both candidates—Republican Kelly Hines defeated Democrat Erin Brewer by almost six percentage points, with 52.95 percent of the vote.

Senate incumbents winning reelection included Warren Hamilton in southeastern Oklahoma’s Senate District 7 and Democrat Jo Anna Dossett in Tulsa’s Senate District 35. New state senators were elected in nine districts, including Republican Julie McIntosh in northeastern Oklahoma’s Senate District 3, Republican Lisa Standridge in Norman’s Senate District 15, Republican Randy Grellner in Stillwater’s Senate District 21, Republican Brian Guthrie in Tulsa’s State District 25, Republican Christi Gillespie in Broken Arrow’s Senate District 33, Republican Aaron Reinhardt in Tulsa’s Senate District 37, Republican Kendal Sacchieri in south-central Oklahoma’s Senate District 43, and Democrat Mark Mann in Oklahoma City’s Senate District 46.

“Oklahomans spoke loud and clear last night when the election results came in,” said Senate Pro Tempore Designee Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle). “They show a clear endorsement of our continued efforts to ensure safer communities, individual liberties, and a growing economy for hardworking Oklahomans.”

Oklahoma Supreme Court justice ousted

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger became the first Oklahoma judge ever to lose a retention ballot. Kauger, who has served on the state’s highest court since being appointed by then-Governor George Nigh in 1984, was voted off the bench by about 7,000 votes out of 1.4 million. Supreme Court Justices Noma Gurich and James Edmondson were narrowly retained for new six-year terms.

All three justices, appointed by Democratic governors, were attacked in the weeks leading up to the election as “liberal, activist judges” by dark money advertisements paid for by organizations with ties to Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Speaking to the Tulsa World, Edmondson said he was saddened that the state’s independent, nonpartisan judiciary had been politicized in such a way. “I went into the judiciary to get away from that trap and like to navigate according to a fixed star when I’m making judicial decisions,” he said. “The hope is that we follow the constitution in all respects.”

Once a new state Supreme Court justice is installed, six will have been appointed by Republican governors and three by Democratic governor Brad Henry. When a vacancy on the court arises, the state Judicial Nominating Commission vets applicants and submits a list of three nominees to the governor, who chooses one of them.

In other election news:

• All of Oklahoma’s Congressional representatives—Kevin Hern, Josh Brecheen, Tom Cole, and Stephanie Bice—won reelection. Representative Frank Lucas won reelection in June after winning the Republican primary and having no Democratic opponent in the general election.

• Nine other state judges were retained for new terms.

• Of the two legislatively referred state questions on the ballot, one failed and one passed. Voter rejected State Question 833, which would have changed the state constitution to allow municipalities to create “public infrastructure districts” that include property tax increases. State Question 834, which amends the state constitution to specify that “only” U.S. citizens may vote in state elections, was overwhelmingly passed, even though non-citizens are already barred by state law from voting.

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