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Oklahoma Democratic Party
ChairwomanAlicia Andrews[1]
Senate leaderJulia Kirt
House leaderCyndi Munson
Interim Executive DirectorLauren Craig
Founded1907
Headquarters3815 N Santa Fe Ave., Suite 122
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118
Youth wingYoung Democrats of Oklahoma
Membership (2023)Decrease656,017[2]
IdeologyModern liberalism
National affiliationDemocratic Party
Unofficial colorsBlue
Statewide Executive Offices
0 / 12
Seats in the United States Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the United States House of Representatives
0 / 5
Seats in Oklahoma Senate
8 / 48
Seats in Oklahoma House of Representatives
20 / 101
Tribal Chiefs
2 / 5
Election symbol
Website
www.okdemocrats.org
Politics of Oklahoma
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Divisions
Congressional delegation

The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the Democratic Party. Along with the Oklahoma Republican Party, it is one of the two major parties in the state.

The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma almost since the days of early statehood in 1907 to 1994. In national politics, the party became a dominant force beginning with the presidential election of 1932 and the Franklin D. Roosevelt political re-alignment. From 1932 to 1994, the majority of members of Congress from Oklahoma have been Democrats, and of the 28 men and women who have been elected to the office of Governor of Oklahoma, 22 have been Democrats.[3]

However, the party has fared poorly since 1994; Democrats lost five out of six congressional races that year. Since then, they have won only a handful of seats, which they no longer hold. In response, the traditionally disorganized Oklahoma Democrats have taken steps to create a more organized state party, hiring a professional executive director in 1995.[4] Even so, Democrats continued to lose ground in the 2000s, losing control of both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate. In 2008, Oklahoma gave the lowest percentage of any state's vote to national Democrat Barack Obama in the presidential election.

As of January 15, 2021, there are 748,222 registered Democratic voters in Oklahoma.[5]

In 2018, Kendra Horn defeated incumbent Republican congressman Steve Russell, to become the first Democrat elected to Congress from Oklahoma since 2010. She lost reelection to Republican challenger Stephanie Bice in 2020.

History

Statehood and the 20th Century

The Oklahoma Democratic Party once dominated state politics for much of Oklahoma history from with its strength in greatest concentrations in Oklahoma's 5th congressional district and the southeastern part of the state.[4]

Upon statehood, all but one of the Congressional seats was held by Democrats. The Democrats won eighteen of the twenty-one gubernatorial elections since its statehood in 1907. The Democratic Party held on average 81 percent of the seats in the state legislature between 1907 and 1973.[6] With the onset of the Great Depression, the party gained even more influence for several decades

Democratic opposition to deficit spending in the late 1930s marked a growing conservative movement in the party, which led to a 1941 constitutional amendment requiring legislators to pass a balanced budget.[7]

After the federal Voting Rights Act and congressional reapportionment in Oklahoma in the 1960s, black state lawmakers returned to the Oklahoma Legislature, this time many aligning with the Democratic Party and hailing from Tulsa or Oklahoma City.[8]

Since the 1980s the party has seen a decline as Christian fundamentalists have shifted to the Republican Party. The Democratic Party has not attained more than 41 percent of the vote for president.

21st Century

As of 2000 about 55 percent of Oklahoma voters registered as Democrats.[4] The party continues to decline in strength in both the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch. For the first time since statehood, Republicans held all statewide-elected offices starting in 2011.

In the 2012 general election, the party was successful in defending all incumbents in the Oklahoma Legislature and defeating two Republican House members.

In the 2020 Oklahoma elections, Democrat Mauree Turner became the first Muslim Oklahoma state legislator and the first publicly non-binary U.S. state legislator in the United States.[9]

In the 2024 Tulsa Mayoral election, Monroe Nichols made history as Tulsa's first African-American mayor and its first Democratic mayor since 2006

Electoral history

Election year No. of
House seats 		+/– Governorship No. of
Senate seats 		+/–
1907
85 / 101
 Decrease 16 Charles N. Haskell
42 / 48
 Decrease 6
1908
62 / 101
 Decrease 23
38 / 48
 Decrease 4
1910
75 / 101
 Increase 13 Lee Cruce
35 / 48
 Decrease 3
1912
82 / 101
 Increase 7
38 / 48
 Increase 3
1914
83 / 101
 Increase 1 Robert L. Williams
42 / 48
 Increase 4
1916
75 / 101
 Decrease 6
43 / 48
 Increase 1
1918
71 / 101
 Decrease 4 James B.A. Robertson
38 / 48
 Decrease 6
1920
28 / 101
 Decrease 43
31 / 48
 Decrease 7
1922
87 / 101
 Increase 59 Jack C. Walton
36 / 48
 Increase 5
1924
77 / 101
 Decrease 10 Martin Trapp
42 / 48
 Increase 6
1926
79 / 101
 Increase 2 Henry S. Johnston
39 / 48
 Decrease 3
1928
54 / 101
 Decrease 25
38 / 48
 Decrease 1
1930
91 / 101
 Increase 37 William H. Murray
36 / 48
 Decrease 2
1932
97 / 101
 Increase 6
43 / 48
 Increase 7
1934
94 / 101
 Decrease 3 E.W. Marland
47 / 48
 Increase 4
1936
98 / 101
 Increase 4
48 / 48
 Increase 1
1938
88 / 101
 Decrease 10 Leon C. Phillips
47 / 48
 Decrease 1
1940
94 / 101
 Increase 6
46 / 48
 Decrease 1
1942
77 / 101
 Decrease 17 Robert S. Kerr
44 / 48
 Decrease 2
1944
79 / 101
 Increase 2
42 / 48
 Decrease 2
1946
79 / 101
 Steady 0 Roy J. Turner
42 / 48
 Steady 0
1948
89 / 101
 Increase 10
43 / 48
 Increase 1
1950
81 / 101
 Decrease 8 Johnston Murray
44 / 48
 Increase 1
1952
88 / 101
 Increase 7
42 / 48
 Decrease 2
1954
82 / 101
 Decrease 6 Raymond D. Gary
43 / 48
 Increase 1
1956
81 / 101
 Decrease 1
45 / 48
 Increase 2
1958
91 / 101
 Increase 10 J. Howard Edmondson
45 / 48
 Steady 0
1960
88 / 101
 Decrease 3
44 / 48
 Decrease 1
1962
77 / 101
 Decrease 11 Henry Bellmon
42 / 48
 Decrease 2
1964
79 / 101
 Increase 2
41 / 48
 Decrease 1
1966
78 / 101
 Decrease 1 Dewey F. Bartlett
39 / 48
 Decrease 2
1968
79 / 101
 Increase 1
38 / 48
 Decrease 1
1970
79 / 101
 Steady 0 David Hall
39 / 48
 Increase 1
1972
78 / 101
 Decrease 1
38 / 48
 Decrease 1
1974
78 / 101
 Steady 0 David L. Boren
38 / 48
 Steady 0
1976
81 / 101
 Increase 3
38 / 48
 Steady 0
1978
77 / 101
 Decrease 4 George Nigh
37 / 48
 Decrease 1
1980
75 / 101
 Decrease 2
36 / 48
 Decrease 1
1982
75 / 101
 Steady 0
34 / 48
 Decrease 2
1984
69 / 101
 Decrease 6
34 / 48
 Steady 0
1986
70 / 101
 Increase 1 Henry Bellmon
31 / 48
 Decrease 3
1988
69 / 101
 Decrease 1
34 / 48
 Increase 3
1990
67 / 101
 Decrease 2 David Walters
36 / 48
 Increase 2
1992
67 / 101
 Steady 0
35 / 48
 Decrease 1
1994
60 / 101
 Decrease 7 Frank Keating
31 / 48
 Decrease 4
1996
59 / 101
 Decrease 1
29 / 48
 Decrease 2
1998
59 / 101
 Steady 0
29 / 48
 Steady 0
2000
53 / 101
 Decrease 6
27 / 48
 Decrease 2
2002
54 / 101
 Increase 1 Brad Henry
26 / 48
 Decrease 1
2004
55 / 101
 Increase 1
26 / 48
 Steady 0
2006
44 / 101
 Decrease 11
24 / 48
 Decrease 2
2008
40 / 101
 Decrease 4
22 / 48
 Decrease 2
2010
31 / 101
 Decrease 9 Mary Fallin
16 / 48
 Decrease 6
2012
29 / 101
 Decrease 2
12 / 48
 Decrease 4
2014
29 / 101
 Steady 0
8 / 48
 Decrease 4
2016
26 / 101
 Decrease 3
8 / 48
 Steady 0
2018
25 / 101
 Decrease 1 Kevin Stitt
9 / 48
 Increase 1
2020
20 / 101
 Decrease 5
9 / 48
 Steady 0
2022
21 / 101
 Increase 1
8 / 48
 Decrease 1

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

Current structure and composition

The Oklahoma Democratic Party headquarters is located North Santa Fe Avenue in Oklahoma City.[10] They host the biennial state conventions in June of odd-numbered years, in which they elect executive officers and delegates to the Democratic National Committee. The Democratic National Committee is responsible for promoting Democratic campaign activities, overseeing the process of writing the national Democratic Platform, and supervising the Democratic National Convention. Delegates serve four-year terms concurrent with presidential elections.

Alicia Andrews, the first African American and African American Woman chair was re-elected for a third term in June, 2023. Former state Representative of House District 34, Cory Williams was elected vice chair.[11] Former Governor David Walters and Kalyn Free are delegates for the Democratic National Committee.[11]

The state party coordinates campaign activities with Democratic candidates and county parties, and officers who correspond with the state's five Congressional districts. In 2005, the Democratic National Committee began a program called the "50 State Strategy" of using national funds to assist all state parties and pay for full-time professional staffers.[12]

The Young Democrats of Oklahoma is the official age 13-35 division of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.[13]

Officers and Staff

Officers:

Staff:

  • Executive Director, Lauren Craig[15]
  • Voter File Manager, Josh Miles[16]
  • Field Director, Krislyn Sherer[17]
  • Finance Director, Charles Outlaw[18]
  • Communications Director, Naomi Andrews[19]

Ideology

Further information: Political ideologies in the United States and Factions in the Democratic Party (United States)

The Oklahoma Democratic Party is made up of conservative, centrist and liberal members. Less than a third of registered Democratic voters in Oklahoma supported President Barack Obama in 2012, due to the larger proliferation of conservative and centrist members of the party.[20]

Compared to other Democratic factions, Centrist members of the Oklahoma Democratic Party support the use of military force and the use of deadly force in self-defense. They are more willing to reduce government welfare. Many Oklahoma Democrats are socially conservative by supporting the United States pro-life movement and traditional marriage. The Oklahoma Democratic Party tends to support moderate to conservative positions on gun control and open carry.

The Oklahoma Democratic Party held a state convention on May 14, 2011, in which they discussed a number of platform positions.[21] Participants discussed support for public health programs, government-funded embryonic stem cell research, the legalization of medical marijuana, education funding, and opposition to voucher programs that divert tax dollars to private institutions.[21] They also discussed the state party's support of teacher's rights to unionize and policies to protect homeowners from unfair foreclosures.[21] Other party platform positions included support for the elimination of predatory lending practices, support for limitations on credit card interest rates, support for the elimination of the state sales tax on food, support for increasing taxes on the wealthiest citizens of Oklahoma, and support for reforms to the state criminal justice system.[21] The party's position on gun laws was moderate, stating support for limited, but responsible gun laws.[21] The party also supports continued investments in green energies.[21]

Current elected officials

Democrats haven’t won the Oklahoma House of Representatives since 2002 nor the Oklahoma State Senate since 2006, when they last won any statewide election (with Democrats winning most statewide executive offices on the ballot that year). The last Democrat to hold statewide office in Oklahoma is Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, who switched parties from Republican to Democrat in October 2021 and subsequently left office in January 2023, having been term limited and unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Oklahoma in 2022. She was succeeded by Republican Ryan Walters. At least 2 of the current chiefs of the 5 Tribes are Democrats: Chuck Hoskin Jr. (Cherokee Nation), and Bill Anoatubby (Chickasaw Nation). Oklahoma’s congressional delegation has been entirely Republican since 2021 and previously from 2013 to 2019.

State Legislative leadership

City officials

Democratic Governors

As of 2022, there have been a total of 22 Democratic Party Governors.

# Name Picture Lifespan Gubernatorial
start date 		Gubernatorial
end date
1 Charles N. Haskell 1860–1933 November 16, 1907 January 9, 1911
2 Lee Cruce 1863–1933 January 9, 1911 January 11, 1915
3 Robert L. Williams 1868–1948 January 11, 1915 January 13, 1919
4 James B. A. Robertson
JBA Robertson 1920.jpg
 1871–1938 January 13, 1919 January 8, 1923
5 Jack C. Walton 1881–1949 January 8, 1923 November 19, 1923
6 Martin E. Trapp 1877–1951 November 19, 1923 January 10, 1927
7 Henry S. Johnston 1867–1965 January 10, 1927 March 20, 1929
8 William J. Holloway 1888–1970 March 20, 1929 January 12, 1931
9 William H. Murray 1869–1956 January 12, 1931 January 14, 1935
10 E. W. Marland 1874–1941 January 15, 1935 January 9, 1939
11 Leon C. Phillips
Leon Phillips 1938.jpg
 1890–1958 January 9, 1939 January 11, 1943
12 Robert S. Kerr 1896–1963 January 11, 1943 January 13, 1947
13 Roy J. Turner 1894–1973 January 13, 1947 January 8, 1951
14 Johnston Murray 1902–1974 January 8, 1951 January 10, 1955
15 Raymond D. Gary 1908–1993 January 10, 1955 January 12, 1959
16 J. Howard Edmondson 1925–1971 January 12, 1959 January 6, 1963
17 George Nigh
 1927– January 6, 1963 January 14, 1963
20 David Hall 1930–2016 January 11, 1971 January 13, 1975
21 David Boren 1941– January 13, 1975 January 8, 1979
22 George Nigh 1927– January 8, 1979 January 12, 1987
24 David Walters 1951– January 14, 1991 January 9, 1995
26 Brad Henry 1963– January 13, 2003 January 10, 2011

See also

References

  1. ^ "The ODP Makes History Again – Elects First African American Chairwoman". 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Voter Registration Statistics" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. ^ Oklahoma Government, Oklahoma Historical Society (accessed February 11, 2010).
  4. ^ a b c Gaddie, Ronald Keith. (2011-11-07). "Democratic Party". Oklahoma Historical Society.
  5. ^ State Election Board Releases Annual Voter Registration Statistics, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed 21 June 2021)
  6. ^ Carney, George O., "McGuire, George O. (1865-1930)," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived May 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 28, 2010).
  7. ^ Everett, Dianna. Budget-Balancing Amendment Archived 2012-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
  8. ^ Franklin, Jimmie Lewis. African Americans Archived 2012-11-03 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived April 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 11, 2013)
  9. ^ Forman, Carmen (16 April 2021). "Rep. Mauree Turner is 'comfortable with being uncomfortable' in Oklahoma's Legislature". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  10. ^ Contact Us, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  11. ^ a b State Central Committee, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  12. ^ Gilgoff, Dan (16 July 2006). "Dean's List". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
  13. ^ Ydoklahoma.com (accessed May 11, 2013)
  14. ^ a b c d "State Central Committee".
  15. ^ "ABOUT". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  16. ^ "ABOUT". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  17. ^ "ABOUT". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  18. ^ "ABOUT". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  19. ^ "ABOUT". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  20. ^ 2012 Election Analysis: Obama and Oklahoma Democrats, Soonerpoll.com (accessed May 11, 2013)
  21. ^ a b c d e f Baggett, James. "Oklahoma Democrats." 2011 Convention: Rules, Resolutions, Affirmative Action Committee members (two men and two women); to consider proposed Minutes from 2009. Oklahoma Democrats, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. <http://www.okdemocrats.org 2011-convention-rules-resolutions-minutes-from-2009>.
  22. ^ "Kay Floyd | Oklahoma Senate".
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