The Oklahoma Republican Party is the
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 ...
state affiliate of 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 ...
(GOP). Along with the
Oklahoma Democratic Party
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 Oklahoma politics.
The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma ...
, it is one of the two major parties in the state.
It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all five of Oklahoma's
U.S. House seats, both
U.S. Senate seats, the
governorship, and has supermajorities in both houses of the
state legislature
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
.
Current structure and composition
The Oklahoma Republican Party headquarters is located on North Lincoln Boulevard in
Oklahoma City.
[Oklahoma Republican Party](_blank)
(accessed May 11, 2013). Additionally, the state party has a
Tulsa office on East 51st Street.
They host the biennial state conventions in odd-numbered years, in which they elect executive officers and delegates to the
Republican National Committee.
The state party coordinates campaign activities with Republican candidates and county parties and receives some funding from the national GOP organizations.
History
Territorial period through 1930s
The Oklahoma Republican Party takes its roots from the territorial period, gaining a larger portion of its support from the Northwestern part of the state, where migrants from the state of Kansas brought with them
Republican political leanings of the time.
[Gaddie, Ronald]
REPUBLICAN PARTY
, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society (accessed May 11, 2013) For most of Oklahoma history, the Oklahoma Republican Party has the fewest members in the old
Indian Territory or the area located in the Southeast.
Republicans held the American presidency during most of the territorial period, resulting in the appointments of Republican territorial governors. Despite the dominance of Republicans as governor and delegate, the two main parties had almost reached parity in the territorial legislature by statehood.
[Brown, Kenny]
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY
, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture] (accessed May 11, 2013)
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 ...
at the time of statehood in 1907 was not the party of most Oklahomans, but was the party of most African-Americans. Republican
A. C. Hamlin
Albert Comstock Hamlin (February 10, 1881 – August 29, 1912) was the first African American elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. He lost his re-election bid as a direct result of a constitutional amendment that prevented many black Oklahomans ...
was Oklahoma's first black legislator, serving in the first legislature of the new state.
Republicans experienced a short-lived resurgence in the early 1920s, with the election of
John W. Harreld
John William Harreld (January 24, 1872December 26, 1950) was a United States representative and United States Senate, Senator from Oklahoma. Harreld was the first Republican Party (United States), Republican senator elected in Oklahoma and repre ...
in 1920 as the first Republican United States senator for the state of Oklahoma. During this time the Republican Party had gained a majority of the state's seats in United States Congress, attaining five of the nine seats available. 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 ...
saw their first Republican majority and first Republican
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923. The first female member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives was a Republican.
In the 1928 election, Republicans gained 26 new 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 ...
due in part to the low popularity of the time of presidential candidate Al Smith and the incumbent governor's stumping on his behalf.
[A Century to Remember](_blank)
(accessed May 11, 2013) With a total of forty-seven seats, they were only five seats from having a majority.
With thirteen Democratic members, they elected a coalition Democratic Speaker over the incumbent speaker.
But it was the 1930s or
The Great Depression that would prove to be the most troublesome for Republicans in Oklahoma. It was during this time that Republican voters had shifted their support to the revitalized Democratic Party.
Late 20th century
Beginning in the 1960s, the Oklahoma Republican party made gains in voter registration and state legislative seats.
[Gaddie, Ronald Keith]
Democratic Party
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013) Henry Bellmon won election as Oklahoma's first Republican governor in 1962, by appealing to Democratic voters and as an anti-corruption candidate.
[Hannemann, Carolyn G]
, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013) Only 18 percent of Oklahomans were registered as Republicans at the time.
Bellmon's term helped increase the image of Republicans in Oklahoma. Under his administration, total highway projects increased 46 percent over the previous administration and the first retirement system for state employees was created.
Bellmon also oversaw the racial integration of Oklahoma schools and the court-ordered reapportionment of the state electoral districts.
Bellmon won election to the United States Senate in 1968.
Republican
Don Nickles succeeded Bellmon in 1980.
In 1990, black Republican
J.C. Watts was elected as Oklahoma's first black statewide officeholder, serving on the
Oklahoma Corporation Commission, serving as a member of the commission from 1990 to 1995 and as chairman from 1993 to 1995.
21st century
2000s
After the
2004 Presidential Election,
Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
gained control of 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 ...
for the first time since 1921.
2010s
In 2010, Republicans increased their gains 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 ...
and took majority control of 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.[supermajority
A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority ru ...]
control of both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.
In 2015, the number of registered Republican voters overtook the number of registered Democratic voters for the first time in the state's history (as of January 15, 2015, there are 886,153 registered Republicans, 882,686 registered Democrats, and 261,429 independent voters).
2020s
After Joe Biden won the 2020 election and Donald Trump refused to concede while making false claims of fraud, Oklahoma Republican Party head John R. Bennett said he would support a primary challenge against incumbent Oklahoma Senator
James Lankford because Lankford refused to object to the certification of the Electoral College results in Congress.
On July 27, 2021 the
Jewish Federation of
Tulsa and Greater
Oklahoma City denounced the Oklahoma Republican Party's use of the yellow
Star of David
The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
in a
Facebook post by the party. The picture included a yellow
Star of David
The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
with the words "Unvaccinated" accompanied by numbers meant to be
reminiscent of the numbers tattooed on victims of the
Holocaust. The post called on party members to call
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 ...
, who was acting
Governor of Oklahoma at the time, to call a special legislative session to pass legislation banning
vaccine mandates. The post was denounced by many high-ranking members of the Oklahoma Republican Party including
Governor Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...
,
Lt. Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
Matt Pinnell,
U.S. Senators James Lankford &
Jim Inhofe,
U.S. Congressman
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
Markwayne Mullin, and both the
Oklahoma Legislature's leaders
Greg Treat
Greg Treat (born May 9, 1978) is an American Republican politician from Oklahoma and the current President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. He represents district 47, which includes parts of Oklahoma City, Edmond, Deer Creek, and Bethany. He ...
and
Charles McCall.
The post was also denounced in separate statements by
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister and Oklahoma Republican Party Vice Chair Shane Jemison.
The
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the dean of American Jewish org ...
and the
Jewish Federation also denounced the
Facebook post.
On August 1, 2021, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman
John Bennett defended his comments, saying “When they put that on the Jews, they weren’t sending them directly to the gas chambers, they weren’t sending them directly to the incineraries. This came before that," and “It’s not about the star. It’s about a totalitarian government.”
The same day ''The Norman Transcript'' reported a majority of Republicans are unhappy with Bennett and that plans were in the works to remove him from office. Removal of a sitting chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party requires either the vice-chair or one of the other two national committee members to call for a vote for removal. After the vote, a 10 day notice is given before the state committee votes on the removal.
Some Republican groups supported Bennett including the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association President Don Spencer and
Tulsa County
Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the seco ...
Republican Chairwoman Ronda Vuillemont-Smith.
Electoral history
Note:
Notable Oklahoma Republicans
*
A. C. Hamlin
Albert Comstock Hamlin (February 10, 1881 – August 29, 1912) was the first African American elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. He lost his re-election bid as a direct result of a constitutional amendment that prevented many black Oklahomans ...
, Oklahoma's first black state legislator after statehood
*
George B. Schwabe, first Republican
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
*
Bessie S. McColgin
Amelia Elizabeth Simison McColgin (January 7, 1875 – July 9, 1972) was an American businesswoman and politician. A native of Kansas, she moved to western Oklahoma Territory in 1901. In 1920, she was the first woman elected to the Oklahoma Hous ...
, one of Oklahoma's first female state legislators
*
John W. Harreld
John William Harreld (January 24, 1872December 26, 1950) was a United States representative and United States Senate, Senator from Oklahoma. Harreld was the first Republican Party (United States), Republican senator elected in Oklahoma and repre ...
, Oklahoma's first Republican U.S. Senator
* Congresswoman
Alice Mary Robertson, Oklahoma's first (and the nation's second) woman to be elected to Congress, first woman to defeat an incumbent congressman
* Governor
Henry Bellmon, Oklahoma's first Republican governor
* Governor
Dewey F. Bartlett
* Governor
Mary Fallin
* Governor
Frank Keating
* Choctaw chief
Green McCurtain
* Choctaw chief
Gary Batton
* Cherokee chief
Ross Swimmer
* Speaker of the Chickasaw Tribal Legislature
Lisa Johnson Billy
Lisa Johnson Billy (born February 21, 1967) is a Chickasaw-American politician who represented Oklahoma House of Representatives District 42, which includes Cleveland, Garvin, Grady and McClain Counties, from 2004 to 2016. She served as deputy ...
*
Edward P. McCabe, founder of Langston, Oklahoma, leading figure to stimulate black migration into what was then the territory of Oklahoma
* U.S. Senator
Don Nickles
*
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of ...
, legendary
University of Oklahoma football coach (lost 1964 U.S. Senate election to
Fred R. Harris)
* U.S. Representative
J.C. Watts, Oklahoma's first black U.S. Representative
* U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator
Tom Coburn
* U.S. Senator
James Inhofe
* Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation
Neal McCaleb
Neal A. "Chief" McCaleb (born 1935) is an Americans, American civil engineer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, McCaleb served in several positions in the Government of Ok ...
* Historian
Muriel Hazel Wright
* Christian Evangelist
Oral Roberts
*
T.W. Shannon, Oklahoma's first black
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
* Governor
Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...
Current elected officials
As of 2015 the Oklahoma Republican Party controls 11 out of the 12 statewide executive offices and holds majorities in both 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.[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 ...]
; Republicans also hold both of the state's
U.S. Senate seats and all five of the state's U.S. House seats.
Members of Congress
U.S. Senate
File:Jim Inhofe official portrait (cropped).jpg, Senior U.S. Senator
File:James Lankford official Senate photo (cropped).jpg, Junior U.S. Senator
U.S. House of Representatives
State Officials
Statewide offices
*
Governor:
Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...
*
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
:
Matt Pinnell
*
Secretary of State:
Brian Bingman
Brian John Bingman (born December 9, 1953) is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma serving as Secretary of State and Native American Affairs and was formerly the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate.
He cur ...
*
State Auditor and Inspector:
Cindy Byrd
*
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
:
John M. O'Connor
John Michael O'Connor (born December 5, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 19th attorney general of Oklahoma between 2021 and 2023. O’Connor was previously a shareholder of Hall Estill and a nominee to be a United ...
*
Treasurer:
Randy McDaniel
Randy McDaniel (born August 8, 1967) is an American politician who served as the Oklahoma State Treasurer from 2019 to 2023. A Republican, he was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, for the 83rd district, from 2007 through 2019.
...
*
Labor Commissioner:
Leslie Osborn
Leslie Osborn (born October 17, 1963) is an American politician serving as the Oklahoma Labor Commissioner, Oklahoma labor commissioner. She was previously a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2008 to 2018.
Early life and care ...
*
Insurance Commissioner:
Glen Mulready
Glen Mulready (born November 21, 1960) is an American politician who has served as the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner since 2019. He was first elected in 2018.
He previously served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 68th district ...
*
Corporation Commissioners:
Bob Anthony,
Todd Hiett and
Dana Murphy
Legislative leadership
*
President Pro Tem of the Senate:
Greg Treat
Greg Treat (born May 9, 1978) is an American Republican politician from Oklahoma and the current President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. He represents district 47, which includes parts of Oklahoma City, Edmond, Deer Creek, and Bethany. He ...
**Senate Majority Floor Leader:
Kim David
*
Speaker of the House:
Charles McCall
**House Majority Floor Leader:
Josh West
City officials
*
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt
*
Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum
George Theron Bynum IV (born August 28, 1977) is an American politician and lobbyist from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, Bynum is the 40th mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to becoming mayor, he served as a city councilo ...
Republican Governors
, there have been a total of six Republican Party Governors.
See also
*
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 ...
*
Oklahoma Democratic Party
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 Oklahoma politics.
The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma ...
*
Oklahoma Libertarian Party
The Oklahoma Libertarian Party is the state affiliate of the Libertarian Party in Oklahoma. It has been active in state politics since the 1970s, but due to Oklahoma's ballot access requirements the party has been an officially recognized p ...
*
Oklahoma's congressional districts
*
Politics of Oklahoma
*
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 ...
References
External links
Oklahoma Republican Party Home PageOklahoma Federation of College RepublicansOklahoma Republican Party Grassroots Platform 2005Current Oklahoma Republican Elected Officials.Lawton PoliticsFirst person interview conducted on April 14, 2009 with Henry Bellmon. Original audio and transcript archived wit
{{State Republican Parties in the US
Republican Party (United States) by state
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 ...