Oklahoma state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

Elections in Oklahoma, 2018

* General election: Nov. 6
* Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
* Early voting: Nov. 1 - Nov. 3
* Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

* Online registration: No
* Same-day registration: No
* Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
* Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

* * *

On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2018 Oklahoma
State Legislature elections

General| November 6, 2018
Primary| June 26, 2018
Primary Runoff| August 28, 2018
2018 elections

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This page covers the June 26, 2018, Republican state legislative primary elections in Oklahoma. Click here for coverage of the August 28, 2018, Republican state legislative primary runoff elections.

Sixteen Republican incumbents in the Oklahoma State Legislature either lost or failed to avoid runoffs during the June 26 primaries. Six incumbents--one state Senate and five state House--lost, while 10 state House incumbents went to runoffs on August 28.

The primaries occurred in the aftermath of a public school teacher strike in April 2018. Oklahoma teachers went on strike for nine days to protest what they said was a lack of education funding and inadequate pay. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) signed House Bill 1010xx in response to the teachers' threats to protest in March 2018. HB 1010xx increased taxes to pay for teacher raises averaging $6,000. The Oklahoma Education Association said this was less than it asked for and the teacher strike commenced on April 2. Fallin signed additional legislation to increase education funding on April 10 before the strike ended on April 12. Read more below.

Following the strikes, 112 teachers or persons otherwise associated with public education filed to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries and 71 either won or advanced to a runoff. Of these 71 candidates, 28 won their primaries, 21 advanced to runoffs, 21 ran unopposed, and one was unopposed in the primary and in the general election.[1]

University of Oklahoma political scientist Keith Gaddie said, "This is entirely a mobilization against anti-tax, anti-education lawmakers in the GOP primary."[2]

State Rep. Scooter Park (R) was defeated by middle school teacher Toni Hasenbeck. Two of the 19 state representatives who voted against HB 1010xx—Scott McEachin (R) and Chuck Strohm (R) were defeated and seven more were forced into runoff elections.[3]

Schools closed in four other states—Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia—in 2018 due to teacher strikes over education funding. In the May 22 Kentucky state House primaries, teacher Travis Brenda (R) defeated majority leader Jonathan Shell (R) after criticizing the incumbent's support for decreasing teacher pensions.[4]

After the primaries, the Associated Press reported that several Republican influencers, including state Rep. Chris Kannady (R) and The Conservative Alliance PAC, had been involved in efforts to oppose members of the Platform Caucus, which included several of the Republicans who voted against the education funding legislation and later lost their primaries.[5] Read more below.

The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives were on June 26, 2018, and the Republican primary runoff elections were on August 28, 2018.

For information about the Democratic primary elections in Oklahoma, click here.

As of June 2018, Oklahoma was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

## Contents

* 1 Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
* 1.1 Retiring incumbents
* 1.2 Incumbents defeated
* 2 Competitiveness
* 3 Battleground races
* 3.1 House battleground primaries
* 3.1.1 House District 41
* 3.1.2 House District 81
* 3.1.3 House District 82
* 4 Analysis
* 4.1 October 2018 Associated Press report
* 5 Oklahoma public school teachers strike
* 5.1 Background
* 5.2 March 8: Oklahoma Education Association demands funding, threatens strike
* 5.3 March 14: Lawmakers pass pay raise but fail to approve funds
* 5.4 March 28: Teacher pay raise clears legislature
* 5.5 March 29: Gov. Fallin signs pay raise into law
* 5.6 April 2: Teachers walk out
* 5.7 April 3: State's 10 largest districts remain closed
* 5.8 April 4: State House approves education tax bill
* 5.9 April 5: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responds to strike
* 5.10 April 6: Senate sends education funding bill to governor
* 5.11 April 9: Teachers rally at the state capitol, starting second week of strike
* 5.12 April 10: Gov. Fallin signs education funding bills
* 5.13 April 12: Oklahoma Education Association declares end of strike
* 6 Media coverage
* 7 Partisan control
* 7.1 Oklahoma House of Representatives
* 7.2 Oklahoma State Senate
* 8 Voter information
* 8.1 How the primary works
* 8.2 Poll times
* 8.3 Registration requirements
* 8.4 Automatic registration
* 8.5 Online registration
* 8.6 Same-day registration
* 8.7 Residency requirements
* 8.8 Verification of citizenship
* 8.9 Verifying your registration
* 8.10 Voter ID requirements
* 8.11 Early voting
* 8.12 Absentee voting
* 9 See also
* 10 Footnotes

## Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

### Retiring incumbents[edit]

Six state Senate Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.

* Josh Brecheen (District 6)
* AJ Griffin (District 20)
* Anthony Sykes (District 24)
* Bill Brown (District 36)
* Mike Schulz (District 38)
* Jack Fry (District 42)

Twenty-four state House Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.

* John R. Bennett (District 2)
* Rick West (District 3)
* Earl Sears (District 11)
* Todd Thomsen (District 25)
* Josh Cockroft (District 27)
* Jason Murphey (District 31)
* Dennis Casey (District 35)
* Steve Vaughan (District 37)
* John Enns (District 41)
* Tim Downing (District 42)
* John Paul Jordan (District 43)
* Leslie Osborn (District 47)
* Pat Ownbey (District 48)
* Casey Murdock (District 61)[6]
* John M. Montgomery (District 62)
* Scott McEachin (District 67)
* Glen Mulready (District 68)
* Katie Henke (District 71)
* Dale Derby (District 74)
* Kevin Calvey (District 82)
* Randy McDaniel (District 83)
* Roger Ford (District 95)
* Michael Rogers (District 98)
* Elise Hall (District 100)

### Incumbents defeated[edit]

One state Senate Republican was defeated in the June 26 regular primaries.

* Ervin Yen (District 40)

Five state House Republicans were defeated in the June 26 regular primaries.

* Greg Babinec (District 33)
* Steve Vaughan (District 37)
* Scooter Park (District 65)
* Scott McEachin (District 67)
* Chuck Strohm (District 69)

Six state House Republicans were defeated in the August 28 primary runoffs.

* Travis Dunlap (District 10)
* George Faught (District 14)
* Bobby Cleveland (District 20)
* Jeff Coody (District 63)
* Mike Ritze (District 80)
* Tess Teague (District 101)

## Competitiveness[edit]

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Oklahoma state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2018 | 125 | 43 | 419 | 49 | 68 | 46.8% | 36 | 43.9%
2016 | 126 | 42 | 374 | 28 | 57 | 33.7% | 28 | 33.3%
2014 | 126 | 31 | 256 | 12 | 34 | 18.3% | 13 | 13.7%

## Battleground races[edit]

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Oklahoma state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Oklahoma state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.

### House battleground primaries[edit]

#### House District 41[edit]

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

What made this a battleground race?

Six Republicans filed to replace term-limited state Rep. John Enns (R). One of the candidates was middle school teacher Laura Griesel . Griesel cited teacher pay and education funding as reasons for her run.[7] She described herself as a moderate Republican.[8]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 41 Republican Primary, 2018

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Roxanne Pollard | 36.89% | 3,060
Denise Hader | 29.83% | 2,474
Greg Ingle | 18.75% | 1,555
Laura Griesel | 9.50% | 788
Charo Guillory | 2.60% | 216
Karl Fahrenthold | 2.44% | 202
Total Votes | 8,295
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.

#### House District 81[edit]

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Middle school librarian Melanie Spoon challenged incumbent Mike Osburn. She said he did not meet with her when she came to his office to discuss education funding and teacher pay. Osburn denied that he attempted to avoid her. Osburn voted for HB 1010xx, which increased taxes to pay for teacher raises.[9]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 81 Republican Primary, 2018

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Mike Osburn Incumbent | 67.67% | 3,750
Melanie Spoon | 22.34% | 1,238
Bailey Huntsman | 10.00% | 554
Total Votes | 5,542
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.

#### House District 82[edit]

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

What made this a battleground race?

Twelve Republican filed to replace term-limited state Rep. Kevin Calvey (R), an opponent of HB 1010xx, which raised taxes to pay for teacher raises. Two of the Republicans who ran for the seat, Casey Satterlee and Gregory Mills, were teachers. Besides Satterlee and Mills, three other candidates, Robert Jernigan, Brent Nyberg, and Brad Schmitt, said they would have voted for HB 1010xx. Two others, Brad Martin and Cobi Ceron, said they would have opposed it.[10]

Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 82 Republican Primary, 2018

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Nicole Miller | 33.87% | 2,706
Brad Martin | 17.44% | 1,393
Brad Schmitt | 9.90% | 791
Robert Jernigan | 8.64% | 690
Cobi Ceron | 5.68% | 454
Brent Nyberg | 5.58% | 446
Travis Hays | 5.26% | 420
Kip Baird | 3.93% | 314
Casey Satterlee | 3.84% | 307
Denara Manning | 3.13% | 250
Noel Tucker | 1.59% | 127
Gregory Mills | 1.14% | 91
Total Votes | 7,989
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.

## Analysis[edit]

### October 2018 Associated Press report[edit]

After the primaries, the Associated Press reported that state Reps. Chris Kannady (R) and Josh West (R), Republican consultants Fount Holland and Trebor Worthen, and The Conservative Alliance PAC had been involved in efforts to oppose the members of the Platform Caucus, which included several of the members who voted against the education funding legislation and later lost their primaries. Kannady said he did not coordinate with The Conservative Alliance PAC, which spent $750,000 opposing members of the Platform Caucus.

Kannady denied that House Republican leaders were involved with the efforts. He added, "You can name any sector in the community, and I can tell you every one was frustrated. That's indicative of the amount of money that was infused into the process."

Worthen said he did not know who funded the anti-Platform Caucus efforts. He said, "There's widespread dissatisfaction with that element of the Legislature. My guess is it was a whole bunch of people from the more mainstream, pro-business type of element that said: 'We need to get together and get rid of some of these people.'"[5]

## Oklahoma public school teachers strike[edit]

See also:

* 2018 Oklahoma legislative session
* Public education in Oklahoma

Schools closed across the state as teachers went on strike—the first since 1990—on April 2, 2018, to protest a lack of education funding. The strike occurred four days after Republican Gov. Mary Fallin signed a tax increase bill that would raise teacher pay. It lasted for nine days, ending on April 12, 2018, when the Oklahoma Education Association declared the end of the strike after a week in which there was no legislative response to educator demands.[11]

#### Background[edit]

* The National Education Association (NEA) ranked the average salary for Oklahoma teachers ($45,292) in 2017 as one of the lowest (50th) out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Teacher salaries were lower in Mississippi. The national average for teacher salaries in 2017 was $59,660.[12]

* The NEA also ranked Oklahoma among the states with the lowest per-student spending (ranked 45th) in 2017, at $8,249. The national average for per-pupil expenditures in 2017 was $11,642.[12]

* According to The Oklahoman, education funding when adjusted for inflation decreased 28 percent per student between 2008 and 2018, and student enrollment increased 8 percent.[13]

* Oklahoma school funding is linked to the state budget and was impacted by the decline in oil and natural gas prices, a major tax revenue source for the state.[14]

* Tax increases require a three-fourths majority in the state.[14]

* Voters rejected a ballot initiative in 2016 to increase teacher salaries by $5,000 through a 1 percentage point increase in the sales tax. The measure failed 59.4 percent to 40.6 percent.

* The last teacher strike occurred in 1990 and the state legislature responded by passing a bill that, among other things, increased taxes to pay for raises. An attempt to repeal the bill through an initiated constitutional amendment failed in October 1991. However, in March 1992 voters passed State Question 640, which required voter approval for tax increases unless three-fourths (75 percent) of each legislative chamber voted for the increases. After this, no tax increases were approved until 2017.[15]

#### March 8: Oklahoma Education Association demands funding, threatens strike[edit]

* The Oklahoma Education Association threatened to strike beginning April 2 if lawmakers did not approve $800 million in education funding, including a $10,000 teacher pay raise and a $5,000 school support staff pay raise, before then. OEA President Alicia Priest said raises could be funded over the course of three years, beginning with a $6,000 raise for the next fiscal year. The association also demanded $200 million in public school funding. According to The Oklahoman, the OEA suggested increasing the gross production tax, income tax, and cigarette tax, as possibilities for funding their demands.[16]

* House Speaker Charles McCall (R) issued a statement before the OEA's press conference in which he said the Republican caucus supported raising revenue to increase teacher pay but had no help from Democrats.[16]

#### March 14: Lawmakers pass pay raise but fail to approve funds[edit]

* On March 14 lawmakers approved a bill to raise teacher pay by 12.7 percent but failed to pass a measure that would have funded the raise. Lawmakers were two votes short of the required three-fourths majority.

* According to the Oklahoma Education Association, the bill would have given teachers a $5,000 raise and state employees a $2,500 raise.[17]

#### March 28: Teacher pay raise clears legislature[edit]

* A bill to raise teacher pay by 16 percent, about $6,000, cleared the state legislature on March 28. The bill proposed raising taxes on gasoline and diesel, cigarettes, hotels, and oil and natural gas production.[18]

* The Oklahoma Education Association continued to encourage a strike, tweeting, "April 2 is still on. Our ask is still our ask. The House is considering a number of bills tonight that could be a step in the right direction. We’re still asking for a complete package, including funding for years 2 and 3."[19]

#### March 29: Gov. Fallin signs pay raise into law[edit]

* Gov. Fallin signed a package of bills intended to raise $450 million in revenue towards increasing teacher pay and providing additional education funding. It was the state's first tax increase in 25 years.[20]

* The Oklahoma Education Association released a statement calling for educators to strike on April 2: "The goal of Oklahoma educators has always been to avoid a walk out, because lawmakers continue breaking promises, even promises made less than 24 hours ago, we call on schools to remain closed on Monday so educators can send a clear message at the Capitol: Oklahoma educators won’t stand for these games any longer."[21]

#### April 2: Teachers walk out[edit]

* Schools closed across the state as teachers went on strike for the first time in 30 years to protest a lack of education funding. About 200 of the state's 512 school districts closed.[22]

* The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) continued to call for a $10,000 pay raise over three years, a $5,000 raise for school support staff and state employees, and $200 million in additional education funding.[22]

* Ellen Kraft, a teacher at Truman Primary in Norman, Oklahoma, told Oklahoma News 4: "You can’t cut 28%, and then fill it with half of that and call it a day. There’s more work to be done than that."[23]

* Gov. Mary Fallin (R) issued a statement saying, "I appreciate teachers coming to the Capitol today to talk with their elected officials. ... Just like Oklahoma families, we are only able to do what our budget allows. Significant revenue-raising measures were approved to make this pay raise and additional school funding possible. We must be responsible not to neglect other areas of need in the state such as corrections and health and human services as we continue to consider additional education funding measures. I look forward to continuing to talk with legislative leaders and teachers as we forge a positive pathway forward for education."[24]

* OEA President Alicia Priest said before the strike, "Teachers are so drastically underpaid they are forced to donate plasma, work multiple jobs and go to food pantries to provide for their families. Oklahoma is better than this."[14]

#### April 3: State's 10 largest districts remain closed[edit]

* Oklahoma's 10 largest school districts remained closed on April 3.[25] Teachers, parents and students statewide protested declining education funding.[14]

* The Oklahoma City Public Schools system, the largest school district in the state, announced that classes were cancelled for April 4: "Classes are cancelled again tomorrow, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. We are hopeful that our legislators will continue working this afternoon toward a solution, but we wanted to make this decision as early as possible to give our families adequate time to plan."[26]

* Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb (R), a candidate in the 2018 gubernatorial election, said that a minimum of 65 percent of education funding should be allocated for teacher pay, textbooks, technology, and in-classroom infrastructure.[27]

* Rep. Kevin McDugle (R) posted a Facebook video which he later removed saying that he disagreed with teachers' behavior and would not vote for another education funding measure "when they’re acting the way they’re acting." He continued, "I understand the frustration, but this is not the way to go about it. You’re losing support of people who supported you all year long."[28]

McDugle later released a second video apologizing for the way the first video came across and saying, "I have voted for teachers. I will continue to vote for teachers." He reiterated his belief that teachers were losing public support because of the strike.[29]

Cyndi Ralston, a school teacher with Haskell Public Schools, announced on Facebook that she would be running as a Democratic against McDugle for the Oklahoma House of Representatives District 12 seat. She said that McDugle "disrespected and denigrated teachers and administrators who have come to the capitol to protest the legislature’s wholly inadequate support for education," and continued, "Republican members of the legislature have made it crystal clear that they do not believe they work for us, that our concerns do not matter."[30]

#### April 4: State House approves education tax bill[edit]

* Teachers from the state's largest school districts continued to strike on April 4. They demanded revenue-raising legislation that would eliminate the capital gains income tax deduction and expand tribal gaming. The measures, which face Republican opposition, would bring in about $120 million and $20 million, respectively.[31]

* The Oklahoma House of Representatives approved legislation that would raise a projected $20 million for education by requiring third-party sellers on the internet to pay state sales taxes.[32]
* Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) President Alicia Priest said the bill "is a win for students and educators and signals major progress toward funding the schools our students deserve."[32]
* Rep. Scott Inman (D) said teachers shouldn't be satisfied with the legislation: ""You're here for more than a $20 million band aid. You're here for the kids and you're here for fixing the systemic problems facing the budget and education funding in this state."[33]

#### April 5: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responds to strike[edit]

* U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reportedly said teachers should think about the students: "I think we need to stay focused on what’s right for kids. And I hope that adults would keep adult disagreements and disputes in a separate place, and serve the students that are there to be served."[34]

* Former U.S. Secretary of Education John King responded to Devos' comment: "We have to be careful not to draw a false distinction between adult issues and student issues. If teachers can't be compensated to the level where they can afford to live and teach in this state, that's not just an adult issue, that's a student issue. If schools don't have adequate resources to provide textbooks, that's not an adult issue, that's a student issue."[35]

#### April 6: Senate sends education funding bill to governor[edit]

* The Oklahoma State Senate rarely convenes on Fridays but senators were in session April 6 to consider three revenue-raising bills that could provide more education funding.[36]

* The Senate approved the following bills:
* HB 1019xx requires internet vendors like Amazon to pay state sales taxes. Senators projected the bill would raise $20 million. They approved the bill 42 to 2.
* HB 1012xx repeals the $5-per-night hotel tax provision of the revenue package signed by Gov. Mary Fallin (R) on March 29 that funded part of the teacher pay raise. A press release from the state Senate said that funds from the internet sales tax bill would make up for any funds lost by repealing the hotel tax.[37] The Senate approved the measure 42 to 3.
* HB 3375 allows casinos in the state to offer ball and dice games and sports betting pools. The measure was expected to raise $24 million. It passed the Senate in a 29-16 vote.[38]

* Responses to Senate action.
* Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest called on Republican Gov. Mary Fallin to veto HB 1012xx. She also encouraged lawmakers to vote on a bill removing capital gains exemptions.[39]
* Senate Majority Leader Greg Treat (R) said the OEA's demands were unclear: "They wanted the Amazon they wanted ball and dice what did you see on our floor, you saw Amazon and ball and dice. I'm not sure what their next set of demands will be."[40]

* The state's largest districts remained closed.[41]

#### April 9: Teachers rally at the state capitol, starting second week of strike[edit]

* Teachers rallied at the state capitol in what was reportedly the biggest assembly since the beginning of the protests.[42]

* Teachers asked the legislature to repeal the capital gains tax exemption and re-implement a $5-per-night hotel tax that lawmakers repealed on April 6. The two measures together would raise a projected $150 million.[42]

> Here is what OEA members are lobbying for today. #OKwalk4kids #TogetherWeAreStronger #okteacherwalkout pic.twitter.com/iWux1unlcg

> -- OK Education Assoc. (@okea) April 9, 2018

* According to Reuters, schools serving 500,000 of the state's 700,000 public school students were closed.[42]

#### April 10: Gov. Fallin signs education funding bills[edit]

* Gov. Mary Fallin (R) signed two bills to help raise revenue earmarked for education. She also signed a third bill repealing a provision of the revenue package raising teacher pay that she signed in March.
* HB 1019xx requires third-party online retailers to pay sales taxes to the state. A press release from the governor projected the legislation would bring in $20.5 million for public schools.[43]
* HB 3375 allows tribal casinos to use traditional roulette and dice games, which were prohibited in 2004. HB 3375 requires casinos to pay 10 percent of the monthly net proceeds from the games to the state.[43] Revenue expected from the bill was estimated at $24 million.[38]
* HB 1012xx repeals a $5-per-night tax on hotel and motel rooms. Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest called on Fallin to veto HB 1012xx, but Fallin said that the original revenue package containing the $5 hotel tax provision and funding the teacher pay raise would not have passed without an agreement to repeal the hotel tax.[39][43]

* The Oklahoma Education Association responded that Fallin and the legislature were not doing enough for public education.

> “Governor Fallin has spent years doing far too little for public education, so it’s no surprise that she took measures to further neglect students today. The governor and lawmakers keep closing the door on revenue options when Oklahomans are asking for a better path forward. 1/

> -- OK Education Assoc. (@okea) April 11, 2018

> Filing for office starts Wednesday. Public education should be the issue this November. We need candidates who are worthy of our children.” — @apriestOEA 2/2 #OKwalk4kids #togetherwearestronger #oklaedwalkout #OklahomaTeachers

> -- OK Education Assoc. (@okea) April 11, 2018

* Republican Rep. John Pfeiffer said, "As far as this year, we’ve accomplished a whole lot, and I just don’t know how much more we can get done this session."[44]

* Multiple school districts were closed.[45]

#### April 12: Oklahoma Education Association declares end of strike[edit]

* Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest announced the end of the teacher strike. She applauded educators for securing $479 million in education funding in a matter of weeks and encouraged teachers to focus on elections: "Instead of making our case at the steps of the Capitol, we have the opportunity to make our voices heard at the ballot box."[11]

* Priest voiced disappointment in Senate Republicans, whom she said refused to provide more education funding. "They say they don't believe Oklahoma students need more funding. They're wrong," she said.[11]

* Democratic Rep. Emily Virgin tweeted about the strike ending:

> Teachers: I know this doesn’t feel great at all, but from someone who has witnessed every day of the walkout, you absolutely changed the conversation and accomplished big things. And if you stay engaged, you will change the legislature in November.

> -- Emily Virgin (@EmilyVirginOK) April 12, 2018

* A statement from Gov. Mary Fallin's (R) office said she appreciated teachers and was glad they were returning to class.[46] The statement also said,

“  | I am very proud that Republican lawmakers have led the way on increasing educational expenditures for Oklahoma’s students this session. In addition, they have protected Oklahomans, especially small businesses and farmers, from an irresponsible capital gains tax.[47] | ”

|
|

* Teachers demanded that lawmakers repeal the capital gains tax exemption to raise revenue for education funding.[48]

* Schools in districts such as Moore and Shawnee returned to school. Teachers in Moore, however, responded to the superintendent's order to return with disappointment.
* The Oklahoman reported that Diane Milam, a chemistry teacher at Southmoore High School, said, "I'm really disappointed that this wasn't communicated better to our teachers. I know that this was a big decision and that he truly cares for every student in our district, but the teachers feel like they had the rug pulled out from under them."[49]

## Media coverage[edit]

This section provides an overview of media reactions to the Oklahoma state legislative Republican primaries.[50] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.

## Partisan control[edit]

The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma State Senate as of March 2022:

### Oklahoma House of Representatives[edit]

Party  | As of March 2022

|

| Democratic Party | 18
| Republican Party | 82
| Vacancies  | 1
Total |  101

### Oklahoma State Senate[edit]

Party  | As of March 2022

|

| Democratic Party | 9
| Republican Party | 39
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  48

## Voter information[edit]

### How the primary works[edit]

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Oklahoma, the Republican Party conducts a closed primary, in which only registered party members may participate. The Democratic Party holds a semi-closed primary, in which unaffiliated voters may participate.[51]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

### Poll times[edit]

In Oklahoma, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[52]

### Registration requirements[edit]

To vote in Oklahoma, one must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, and a resident of Oklahoma.[53] The deadline for registration is 25 days prior to the election.

“  | Voter registration applications are available at your County Election Board, post offices, tag agencies, libraries and many other public locations. You will be offered a voter registration application when you get your driver's license and when you apply for assistance at some government agencies. You also may download an application form.[47] | ”

|
|

—Oklahoma State Election Board[53]

Once an applicant has been successfully registered, the county election board will mail him or her a voter identification card.[53]

### Automatic registration[edit]

Oklahoma does not practice automatic voter registration.

### Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

In April 2015, Oklahoma passed legislation authorizing an online voter registration system.[54] As of November 2019, this system was not yet fully active; already-registered voters could update their information, while new voters could not register online. To check the status of online registration in Oklahoma, click here.

### Same-day registration[edit]

Oklahoma does not allow same-day voter registration.

### Residency requirements[edit]

To register to vote in Oklahoma, you must be a resident of the state.

### Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Oklahoma does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

### Verifying your registration[edit]

The Oklahoma State Election Board allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

### Voter ID requirements[edit]

Oklahoma requires voters to present identification while voting.[55]

Valid forms of identification include government-issued photo IDs and county election board voter identification cards (which do not include photographs).

Voters can present a document issued by the United States government, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government. The document must include the following information:

* Name
* Photograph
* Expiration date that is after the date of the election

### Early voting[edit]

Oklahoma permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

### Absentee voting[edit]

## See also[edit]

* Oklahoma state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
* Oklahoma House of Representatives elections, 2018
* Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2018
* Oklahoma State Legislature
* Oklahoma elections, 2018

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ ABC News, "Oklahoma's teacher candidates surge to November after success in primary elections," June 27, 2018
2. ↑ Governing, "Not Just Joe Crowley: Many State Lawmakers Lost Primaries This Week," June 28, 2018
3. ↑ Oklahoma House of Representatives, "HB 1010xx," accessed June 29, 2018
4. ↑ Time, "This Teacher Beat Kentucky's House Majority Leader in the GOP Primary. Then He Went Back to School," May 23, 2018
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 New York Times, "Oklahoma Republicans Targeted by Colleague, Dark Money," September 27, 2018
6. ↑ Murdock was elected to the state Senate on February 13, 2018.
7. ↑ CNN, "Oklahoma teachers are swarming to run for office," April 12, 2018
8. ↑ Nondoc.com, "From sign language to social work: House District 41’s contested primaries," June 7, 2018
9. ↑ Time, "These Republican Teachers Are Running Against Their Own Party to Reverse Years of Education Cuts," May 16, 2018
10. ↑ News OK, "Oklahoma House race features 12 Republican candidates with divergent views," June 4, 2018
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 KTUL, "OEA ends teacher walkout after 9 days, shifts focus to November elections," April 12, 2018
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The National Education Association, "Rankings of the States 2017 and Estimates of School Statistics 2018," April 2018
13. ↑ The Oklahoman, "Your guide to the Oklahoma teacher walkout," April 1, 2018
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Governing, "Teachers Strike in Oklahoma and Protest in Kentucky," April 3, 2018
15. ↑ Brookings, "Not just a ‘red-state revolt’: The story behind the Oklahoma teacher walkout," April 12, 2018
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Oklahoman, "OEA demands pay raise for teachers and school staff," March 8, 2018
17. ↑ Facebook, "Oklahoma Education Association on March 15, 2018," accessed March 15, 2018
18. ↑ The Shawnee News-Star, "Potential teacher strike: Deal reached on teacher pay hike, goes to Fallin," March 28, 2018
19. ↑ News9.com, "State House Passes Deal, But Likely Won't Stop April 2 Walkout," March 26, 2017
20. ↑ KFOR, "House passes bill to fund teacher, state employee pay raises," March 26, 2018
21. ↑ Facebook, "Oklahoma Education Association," March 29, 2018
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 PBS, "What you need to know about the Oklahoma teacher walkout," April 2, 2018
23. ↑ Fortune, "What You Need to Know about Teachers on Strike in 2018," April 3, 2018
24. ↑ Governor Mary Fallin, "Governor Mary Fallin Statement on Oklahoma Teacher Rally," April 2, 2018
25. ↑ AZcentral.com, "Teacher walkouts to close all 10 of Oklahoma's largest school districts Tuesday," April 2, 2018
26. ↑ The Hill, "Oklahoma schools to close for third day due to teachers' strike," April 3, 2018
27. ↑ Fox News Insider, "Oklahoma Teacher Strike: Lt. Gov. Calls for Minimum Requirement for Classroom Funding," April 3, 2018
28. ↑ Tulsa World, "'Go ahead, be pissed at me': Oklahoma lawmaker walks back vow not to vote for education," April 4, 2018
29. ↑ Koco News 5, "Oklahoma lawmaker's video in response to teacher walkout stirs controversy," April 3, 2018
30. ↑ Facebook, "Cyndi Ralston for Oklahoma House District 12 on April 3, 2018," accessed April 5, 2018
31. ↑ Kentucky New Era, "As Oklahoma teachers strike drags on, frustration mounts," April 4, 2018
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Reuters, "Oklahoma House approves education tax bill amid teacher walkout," April 4, 2018
33. ↑ NewsOn6.com, "State Senate Expected To Vote Thursday On Education Funding Measure," April 5, 2018
34. ↑ The Washington Post, "Betsy DeVos to Oklahoma teachers: 'Serve the students,'" April 9, 2018
35. ↑ The Oklahoman, "Past and present ed secretaries comment on walkout," April 9, 2018
36. ↑ KTUU, "Teacher protests: Oklahoma lawmakers planning rare Friday sessions," April 5, 2018
37. ↑ Oklahoma Senate, "Oklahoma Senate to take up revenue measures Friday," April 5, 2018
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Non Doc, "Senate sends 'ball and dice,' Amazon bills to governor," April 6, 2018
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Tulsa World, "Update: OEA calls for veto of hotel/motel tax repeal, vote on capital gains tax exemption," April 7, 2018
40. ↑ NewsOn6.com, "State Senator Responds To OEA Demands," April 8, 2018
41. ↑ NPR, "Oklahoma's Teachers Continue Walkout As Lawmakers Vote On Giving Them More Money," April 5, 2018
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Reuters, "Oklahoma teachers press lawmakers for tax plan to end strike," April 9, 2018
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Governor Mary Fallin, "Gov. Fallin Signs Legislation Repealing Hotel/Motel Tax," April 10, 2018
44. ↑ Reuters, "Striking Oklahoma teachers push for more funds, Republicans say done," April 11, 2018
45. ↑ Oklahoma News 4, "List of Oklahoma school districts closed Wednesday, for 8th day of teacher walkout," April 10, 2018
46. ↑ Governor Mary Fallin, "Gov. Fallin Statement on End of Nine-Day Public School Teacher Walkout," April 12, 2018
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
48. ↑ The New York Times, "Oklahoma Teachers End Walkout After Winning Raises and Additional Funding," April 12, 2018
49. ↑ The Oklahoman, "Morning Bell: Walkout continues, but some return to class," April 12, 2018
50. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
51. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board Website, "Voter Registration in Oklahoma," accessed January 3, 2014
52. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed October 17, 2019
53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Voter Registration in Oklahoma," accessed October 4, 2019
54. ↑ NewsOK, "Oklahoma voter registration soon will be available online," June 16, 2015
55. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Facts about Proof of Identity for Voting in Oklahoma," accessed October 7, 2019

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