Oklahoma Upsets Political Order

House Democrat Leader, Steve Kouplen

  The results are nearly complete and so are the realities for some political leaders. Those who took races for granted are now reordering their personal lives for a new season of life out-of-office.

Steve Russell was warned by several analysts that his Oklahoma City metro congressional district(5) is the breeding ground of a reborn Democratic machine. Evidently he didn't tool up with the right response.  Newcomer Kendra Horn ran a very effective race and managed to keep Russell's team overconfident. this means that Oklahoma now has one Democrat in the Washington delegation for the first time since Dan Boren represented Eastern & Southern Oklahoma (district  2)

Rural Democrats are an endangered species. 

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• Steve Kouplen is defeated. He was the top Democrat in the Oklahoma House. He represented Eastern Okmulgee County. Ten years ago the Democrat strongholds were largely rural, especially in the area of southeastern Oklahoma we called 'little dixie'. But those areas are now voting not only Republican, but very socially conservative.
• Democrat McAlester's  Donnie Condit lost to a Republican in Gene Stipe's old 'stomping grounds.
• ​In southeast Tulsa, Karen Gaddis faced a strong candidate and failed to keep the seat she won when Dan Kirby resigned amid sexual scandals.
• Ben Loring was nearly defeated in his Vinita area district.

  Oklahoma City metro saw more territory flip to the Democrats. Republican OKC mayor David Holt watched his old senate seat become a Democrat held trophy.

  The Democrats won multiple special elections in the past 2 years. Last night they kept most of them.
  Drew Edmondson failed to meet expectations. His heavy defeat will impact politics in Oklahoma for at least the next 14 years, because political redistricting comes up in 3 years, but Kevin Stitt will govern during that process.  This dynamic has helped Oklahoma Republicans take power, because Frank Keating and Mary Fallin governed that process in the past 2 redrawings of the maps.

Congressman Steve Russell of OKC.

  Oklahoma does not have an effective state Democrat Party. But Oklahoma County definitely does. That, coupled with the apathetic Oklahoma County Republican Party; is a big reason why the real energy of the Democrat party is in OKC & Norman.