The 2010 Oklahoma elections were held on November 2, 2010. The

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

was held on July 27. The runoff primary election was held August 24. The

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

swept every statewide election and took full control of Oklahoma government for the first time in the state's history, flipping every statewide executive office from Democratic to Republican control, as well as expanding its majorities in the legislature. An extremely socially conservative state,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, but remained reliably Democratic at the state level well into the 2000s. This election marked a new and decisive alignment in the state's partisanship at all levels of government, with the GOP continuing to make gains in almost every election since.

Overview

NOTES: *Bob Anthony and Jeff Cloud were not on the 2010 ballot due to the staggered election terms of the Corporation Commission. *With Todd Lamb's election to Lieutenant Governor, one Oklahoma Senate seat remains vacant, to be filled in a January 2011 special election. Executive Branch Before Election Legislature Before Election Congressional Delegation Before Election Executive Branch After Election Legislature After Election Congressional Delegation After Election

Governor

The 2010 gubernatorial election determined the successor of incumbent Democratic Governor

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who was the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002. Henry won re-election for a second term ...

, who, due to term limits placed on him by the

Oklahoma Constitution The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th U.S. state. At its ratification, the Oklahoma ...

, could not seek re-election.

Candidates

Democrats *

Jari Askins Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...

- current

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

* Drew Edmondson - current Attorney General of Oklahoma Republicans * Roger L. Jackson - retired businessman, former President of the Oklahoma Office Machine Dealers Association (OOMDA) * Mary Fallin - former Lieutenant Governor and current Congresswoman for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional * Randy Brogdon - current state senator * Robert Hubbard - business owner of Piedmont, Oklahoma's "Hubbard Ranch Supply"

Primary

Democrat Republican

General

Lieutenant Governor

The 2010 lieutenant governor election determined the successor of incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor

, who stepped down to run for Governor.

Candidates

Democrats *

Kenneth Corn Kenneth Corn (born October 8, 1976) is a former member of the Oklahoma Senate, representing an electoral district that includes Sequoyah and Le Flore counties. He served as caucus chair for the Democratic caucus in the Oklahoma Senate. He prev ...

- current State Senator Republicans *Bernie Adler - Oklahoma City real estate investor * Todd Lamb - current State Senator *

John A. Wright John A. Wright (born August 5, 1954) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Wright was the Majority Caucus Chairman in the Oklahoma House of Representatives before he was soundly defeated in the Republican Party's 2010 Prima ...

- current State Representative *Bill Crozier - former Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction *Paul F. Nosak - Oklahoma City resident Independent *Richard Prawdzienski - Edmond resident

Primary

Corn ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican

General

State Auditor

The 2010 State Auditor and Inspector election was the first election for the office of State Auditor and Inspector since former Democratic State Auditor Jeff McMahan was forced to resign in 2008 due to corruption charges. Governor Brad Henry appointed fellow Democrat

Steve Burrage Steve Burrage (born July 7, 1952) is an American politician from Oklahoma and the Chairman of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Burrage served as Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector upon his appointment to that post by Governor Brad Henry on July ...

to serve out the remainder of McMahan's unexpired term. Burrage then sought a full term in office but lost to Gary Jones, who was making his third run for the office. Article 6, Section 19 of the

places one additional requirement upon the State Auditor and Inspector beyond the other constitutional requirements for those seeking statewide offices: s/he must have at least 3 years prior experience as an "expert accountant" before seeking office. (The term "expert accountant" is not defined but is generally understood to require that the officeholder must be a

certified public accountant Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United Sta ...

Candidates

Democrats *

- incumbent State Auditor Republican *David Hanigar - Pocasset

and United States Navy submariner during Vietnam War * Gary Jones - Lawton

, former Comanche County Commissioner and current Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party

Primary

Burrage ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican

General

Attorney General

The 2010 Attorney General election determined the successor of incumbent Democratic Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who stepped down to run for Governor but lost in the Democratic Party primary.

Candidates

Democrats * Jim Priest - Oklahoma City defense attorney Republicans *

Ryan Leonard Ryan Ian Leonard (born 24 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Millwall. A midfielder, he graduated through the Plymouth Argyle Academy to make his senior debut in March 2010, following whic ...

- former state prosecutor in

Canadian County Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,405, making it the fifth most populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is El Reno. The county is named for the Canadian Ri ...

and former senior aide to former U.S. Senator Don Nickles * Scott Pruitt - former State Senator from Tulsa

Primary

Priest ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican

General

State Treasurer

The 2010 State Treasurer election determined the successor of incumbent Democratic State Treasurer

Scott Meacham Scott Meacham (born 1963) served as the 17th State Treasurer of Oklahoma from June, 2005 to January, 2011, having been appointed to that post by then-Governor Brad Henry following the resignation of then-State Treasurer Robert Butkin. Meacham ...

, who declined to seek a second full term in office.

Candidates

Democrats *Stephen E. Covert -

Midwest City Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,371, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in r ...

resident Republicans *

Owen Laughlin Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

- lawyer and businessman from

Woodward A woodward is a warden of a wood. Woodward may also refer to: Places ;United States * Woodward, Iowa * Woodward, Oklahoma * Woodward, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place * Woodward Avenue, a street in Tallahassee, Florida, which bisects the ca ...

, former State Senator * Ken Miller - current State Representative, current Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and economics professor at

Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma Christian University (OC) is a private Christian university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1950 by members of the Churches of Christ. History Oklahoma Christian University, originally named Central Christian College, w ...

Primary

Covert ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican

General

Superintendent of Public Instruction

The 2010 Superintendent of Public Instruction election determined the successor of incumbent Democratic Superintendent

Sandy Garrett Sandy Garrett is a retired American Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Garrett is the former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction. She was first elected to this office in 1990, and again in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 200 ...

, who declined to seek a sixth full term in office.

Candidates

Democrats *Jerry Combrink - former

Boswell Public Schools Boswell may refer to: Places Canada * Boswell, British Columbia, a rural community * Boswell, British Columbia (Central Coast), a former cannery town * Mount Boswell, Alberta England * Boswell, a hamlet in Elkington, Lincolnshire United States * ...

superintendent *Susan Paddack - current State Senator from

Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tur ...

Republican *

Janet Barresi Janet Barresi (born March 6, 1952) is a former dentist and former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction who was elected on November 2, 2010 and began her term of service on January 10, 2011. Her term in office followed former Superintende ...

- charter school founder, dentist, and school speech pathologist from

Edmond Edmond is a given name related to Edmund. Persons named Edmond include: * Edmond Canaple (1797–1876), French politician * Edmond Chehade (born 1993), Lebanese footballer * Edmond Conn (1914–1998), American farmer, businessman, and politician ...

*Brian S. Kelly - educator from Edmond Independents *Richard E. Cooper - former educator

Primary

Republican

General

Labor Commissioner

Incumbent Democratic Labor Commissioner

Lloyd Fields Lloyd L. Fields (born September 10, 1957) is an American politician who was Oklahoma Labor Commissioner, Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor from 2007 to 2011. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he was elected in 2006, receiving 456,373 vo ...

was defeated in an attempt to win a second full term in office.

Candidates

Democrats *

- incumbent Labor Commissioner Republican * Mark Costello - businessman from Edmond *Jason Reese - labor attorney from Oklahoma City

Primary

Fields ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican

General

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland was defeated in an attempt to win a second full term in office.

Candidates

Democrats * Kim Holland - incumbent Insurance Commissioner Republicans *

John Doak John Doak (26 March 1959 – 31 March 2021) was an Australian sprint canoeist who competed in the mid-1980s. He finished seventh in the K-4 1000 m event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, ...

- insurance agent from Tulsa *Mark Croucher - insurance agent from Jenks *

John P. Crawford John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

- former Insurance Commissioner (1995–1999)

Primary

Incumbent Holland ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Republican Primary Republican Runoff Primary

General

Corporation Commissioner

The 2010 Corporation Commissioner election was for the seat currently held by incumbent Republican Commissioner Dana Murphy, who won her primary election. As the Democratic Party did not field a candidate, and no independent candidate sought office, Murphy was thus elected as Commissioner.

Candidates

Democrats *none Republicans *Dana Murphy - incumbent Corporation Commissioner *Tod Yeager -

Del City Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 21,822 at the United States Census, 2020. Del City is located near two major interstate highways, both of wh ...

resident

Primary

Republican

General

Murphy did not have a Democratic or independent opponent; thus, she was elected unopposed.

US Senator

The 2010 US Senatorial election gave incumbent Republican Senator Tom Coburn a second full term in office.

US Representatives

All five Oklahoma seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2010. However, incumbent Tom Cole in District 4 had no opposition in the general election.

State Senators

24 of the 48 seats in the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.

State Representatives

All 101 seats in the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

were up for election in 2010.

Judicial

These races were "retention" votes based on Oklahoma's use of the

Missouri Plan The Missouri Plan (originally the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, also known as the merit plan, or some variation) is a method for the selection of judges. It originated in Missouri in 1940 and has been adopted by many states of the United States. ...

for electing judicial nominees.

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals is an intermediate appellate court in the state of Oklahoma. Cases are assigned to it by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the state's highest court for civil matters.

State Questions

SQ 744

State Question 744 would have amended the Oklahoma Constitution by adding a new article: Article 13-C - Amount of money the State provides to support common schools. The proposed Constitutional amendment would have mandated that the Oklahoma Legislature spend no less than the average amount spent by "neighboring states" (those states which border Oklahoma: Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico) on "common education" (defined as grades pre-kindergarten through high school) on an annual, per-student basis. If the surrounding-state average ever declined, the legislature would be required to spend the same amount as it did the year before. The measure required that increased spending begin in the first fiscal year after its passage and that the surrounding-state average be met in the third fiscal year after passage. The proposed amendment did not provide a funding source for the new spending requirements and was therefore overwhelmingly defeated.

SQ 746

State Question 746 would amend various State laws relating to voting requirements. It requires that each person appearing to vote present a document proving their identity. The document must meet the following requirements: *It must have the name and photograph of the voter. *It must have been issued by the federal, state or tribal government. *It must have an expiration date that is after the date of the election. No expiration date would be required on certain identity cards issued to person 65 years of age or older. In lieu of such a document, voters could present voter identification cards issued by the County Election Board. A person who cannot or does not present the required identification may sign a sworn statement and cast a provisional ballot. Swearing to a false statement would be a felony. If approved, the measure would become effective July 1, 2011.

SQ 747

State Question 747 would amend the Oklahoma Constitution by placing term limits on all Statewide elected officials. All officials would be allowed to serve no more two terms in office. Terms served need not be consecutive for the limits to apply.

SQ 748

State Question 748 would amend the Oklahoma Constitution by amending Article 5, Sections 11A and 11B. The measure would change how the districts of the Oklahoma Legislature are apportioned. Currently, the Apportionment Commission is responsible for setting district boundaries every ten years if the Legislature itself fails to do so. The Apportionment Commission, as currently established, is composed of the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The measure would change the commission's name to the Bipartisan Commission on Legislative Apportionment and would increase the number of members from three to seven. The

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate The President ''pro tempore'' of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-r ...

would appoint one Democrat and one Republican, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives would appoint one Democrat and one Republican, and the Governor of Oklahoma would appoint one Democrat and one Republican. The

would chair the commission and would be a nonvoting member. It requires orders of apportionment to be signed by at least four members of the commission.

SQ 750

This measure would amend the

by altering the initiative petitions and with referendum petitions process by changing the number of signatures required for such petitions. The following voter signature requirements would apply: *8% must sign to propose law *15% must sign to propose to change the State Constitution. *5% must sign to order a referendum. These percentages are based upon the State office receiving the most total votes at the last General Election when the Governor is on the ballot. The measure's basis does not use General Elections with the President on the ballot. More votes are usually cast at Presidential General Elections. Thus, the measure would generally have a lowering effect on the number of required signatures.

SQ 751

This measure would amend the

by adding a new Article to the Constitution. That Article would deal with the State's official actions. It dictates the language to be used in taking official State actions must be the English language. However, it allows for Native American languages could also be used and, when Federal law so requires, other languages could also be used. The term "official actions" is not defined. The Oklahoma Legislature could pass laws determining the application of the language requirements. No lawsuit based on State law could be brought on the basis of a State agency's failure to use a language other than English nor could such a lawsuit be brought against political subdivisions of the State.

SQ 752

This measure would amend Section 3 of Article 7-B of the

. The amendment adds two at-large members to the

Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission {{Update, inaccurate=yes, date=May 2021 The Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission is the judicial nominating commission of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It selects potential justices and judges for gubernatorial appointments for judges for state ...

. At-large members can come from any Oklahoma congressional district. The

President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate The President ''pro tempore'' of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-r ...

would appoint one of the new at-large members and the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives would appoint the other. At-large members cannot be lawyers, can not have a lawyer in their immediate family. Nor can more than two at-large members be from the same political party. This would raise the total membership on the commission from 13 to 15.

SQ 754

This measure would have added a new section, Section 55A of Article 5, to the

. Under the measure, the Constitution could not have required the Oklahoma Legislature to fund state functions based on: *1. Predetermined constitutional formulas, *2. How much other states spend on a function, *3. How much any entity spends on a function. Under the measure, these limits on the Constitution's power to control appropriations would have applied even if: *1. A later constitutional amendment changed the Constitution, or *2. A constitutional amendment to the contrary was passed at the same time as this measure. The Question was in direct opposition toward State Question 744 which also appeared on the ballot.

SQ 755

This measure amended the Constitution of Oklahoma. It requires courts to rely solely on federal and state law when deciding cases. It forbids courts from considering or using international law or using

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

. The results of State Question 755 have not been officially certified by the Oklahoma Election Board due to an injunction filed in Federal Court by the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is challenging its constitutionality under the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution of the United States. A Federal District Court in Oklahoma City temporarily blocked certification of the election results, calling the measure an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment because the measure conveys a message that the state favors one religion or particular belief. The state election board appealed the ruling to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, but that court unanimously upheld the ruling blocking the amendment:

SQ 756

This measure adds a new section, Section 37 to Article 2, of

. It defines "health care system." It prohibits making a person participate in a health care system, prohibits making an employer participate in a health care system, and prohibits making a health care provider provide treatment in a health care system. It would allow persons and employees to pay for treatment directly, it would allow health care provider to accept payment for treatment directly, it would allow the purchase of health care insurance in private health care systems and it would allow the sale of health insurance in private health care systems. The Question was proposed as an opposition toward the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...

SQ 757

This measure amends Section 23 of Article 10 of the Oklahoma Constitution. It would increase the amount of surplus revenue which goes into the Constitutional Reserve Fund. The amount would go from 10% to 15% of the funds certified as going to the General Revenue fund for the preceding fiscal year.

References

External links

Oklahoma Election Board homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma State Elections, 2010

Overview

Governor

Candidates

Primary

General

Lieutenant Governor

Candidates

Primary

General

State Auditor

Candidates

Primary

General

Attorney General

Candidates

Primary

General

State Treasurer

Candidates

Primary

General

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Candidates

Primary

Primary

General

Labor Commissioner

Candidates

Primary

General

Insurance Commissioner

Candidates

Primary

General

Corporation Commissioner

Candidates

Primary

General

US Senator

US Representatives

State Senators

State Representatives

Judicial

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals is an intermediate appellate court in the state of Oklahoma. Cases are assigned to it by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the state's highest court for civil matters.

State Questions

SQ 744

SQ 746

SQ 747

SQ 748

SQ 750

SQ 751

SQ 752

SQ 754

SQ 755

SQ 756

SQ 757

See also

References

External links