Democratic primary
Candidates
* Brad Carson, United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative * Carroll Fisher, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner * Jim Rogers, perennial candidate * Monte E. Johnson, attorney * W. B. G. WoodsonPolling
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
* Tom Coburn, former U.S. Representative * Kirk Humphreys, former Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City * Bob Anthony, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner * Jay Richard Hunt, activistCampaign
Humphreys, the former Mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, ran for the United States Senate with institutional conservative support, namely from Senators Don Nickles and Jim Inhofe, as well as former Congressman J. C. Watts. However, Coburn received support from the Club for Growth and conservative activists within Oklahoma. Humphreys noted, "[Coburn is] kind of a cult hero in the conservative portion of our party, not just in Oklahoma. You can't get right of the guy." Much of Coburn's celebrity within the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party came from his tenure in Congress, where he battled Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who he argued was moving the party to the center of the political spectrum due to their excessive federal spending. Coburn's maverick nature culminated itself in Republican Party presidential primaries, 2000, 2000 when he backed conservative activist Alan Keyes for President of the United States, President rather than George W. Bush or John McCain. Ultimately, Coburn triumphed over Humphreys, Anthony, and Hunt in the primary, winning every county in Oklahoma except for tiny Harmon County, Oklahoma, Harmon County.Polling
Results
General election
Candidates
* Sheila Bilyeu (I), perennial candidate * Brad Carson (D), United States Congressman from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district * Tom Coburn (R), former United States Congressman from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional districtCampaign
Carson and Coburn engaged each other head-on in one of the year's most brutal United States Senate, Senate contests. Coburn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee attacked Carson for being too liberal for Oklahoma and for being a vote in lockstep with John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy. To drive the point home, one television advertisement aired by the Coburn campaign accused Carson of being "dangerously liberal" and not supporting the War on Terrorism. Coburn was aided in this effort by the fact that the John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004, Kerry campaign did not contest the state of Oklahoma and that incumbent President George W. Bush was expected to win Oklahoma comfortably. This was compounded by the fact that Vice-President of the United States, Vice-President Dick Cheney campaigned for Coburn and appeared in several television advertisements for him. Carson countered by emphasizing his Stilwell, Oklahoma, Stilwell roots and his moderation, specifically, bringing attention to the fact that he fought for greater governmental oversight of nursing home care for the elderly. Carson responded to the attacks against him by countering that his opponent had committed Medicaid fraud years prior, in an event that reportedly left a woman sterilized without her consent. Ultimately, however, Carson was not able to overcome Oklahoma's conservative nature and Senator John Kerry, Kerry's United States presidential election in Oklahoma, 2004, abysmal performance in Oklahoma, and he was defeated by Coburn by 11.5%. As of 2022, the result remains the closest the Democrats have come to winning a Senate election in Oklahoma since David Boren won a landslide reelection victory in 1990 United States Senate election in Oklahoma, 1990.Predictions
Polling
Results
See also
* 2004 United States Senate electionsNotes
References
{{US Third Party Election 2004 Oklahoma elections, United States Senate 2004 United States Senate elections, Oklahoma United States Senate elections in Oklahoma, 2004