2022 Oklahoma elections
A general election will be held in the state of Oklahoma on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Runoff primary elections, if necessary, will be held on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.[1] The candidate filing deadline was April 15, 2022.[2]
 | ||
| ||
|
| ||
| Elections in Oklahoma |
|---|
 |
 Government |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
Oklahoma voters will elect the Class III U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, the Governor of Oklahoma, the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, the Attorney General of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector, the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Oklahoma State Treasurer, 1 of the 3 Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners, the Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor, the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, all of its seats to the House of Representatives, all of the seats of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, 24 of 48 seats in the Oklahoma State Senate, and other local and municipal offices.
Oklahoma also has a special election for retiring U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's Class II Senate seat in 2022.
Oklahoma primaries are closed primaries, meaning that only voters registered with a political party can vote in that party's primary. However, state law allows parties to 'open up' their primary and allow independent voters to participate in their primary if they file a notice with the State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax. The Democratic Party of Oklahoma has filed to allow independent voters to participate in their primaries for 2022 and 2023. The Libertarian Party of Oklahoma has filed notice it will hold closed primaries. The Republican Party of Oklahoma has filed no notice, meaning it will hold closed primaries.[3]
Federal offices
United States Class III Senate Seat
| Parties | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2022 | +/- | Strength | |||
| Republican Party | 2 | - | - | 100% | ||
| Democratic Party | 0 | - | - | 0% | ||
United States House of Representatives
| Parties | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2022 | +/- | Strength | |||
| Republican Party | 5 | - | - | 100% | ||
| Democratic Party | 0 | - | - | 0% | ||
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Candidates
- Melinda Alizadeh-Fard, attorney and former administrative law judge (Democratic)[4]
- Matt Pinnell, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma (Republican)[5][6]
- Chris Powell, Bethany, Oklahoma city councilor, Oklahoma City Police Department employee (2009-present), and nominee for governor in the 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election (Libertarian)[4]
Attorney General
On June 1, 2021, Attorney General of Oklahoma Mike Hunter resigned after filing for a divorce from his wife and having an affair with a state employee.[7]
On July 23, 2021, John M. O'Connor was appointed Attorney General of Oklahoma by Governor Kevin Stitt.[8]
Candidates
- John M. O'Connor, appointed incumbent Attorney General of Oklahoma (2021–Present)[9]
- Gentner Drummond, 2018 candidate for Oklahoma Attorney General, rancher, and Tulsa attorney[10]
Endorsements
- City officials
- Mick Cornett, former mayor of Oklahoma City[11]
- Kirk Humphries, former mayor of Oklahoma City[11]
- Organizations
- Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police[12]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
Gentner Drummond |
John M. O'Connor |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Integrated (R) | March 24–27, 2022 | 455 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 37% | 16% | – | 47% |
| Amber Integrated (R) | December 15–19, 2021 | 253 (RV) | ± 6.2% | 16% | 24% | 4% | 56% |
| Amber Integrated (R) | September 29 – October 3, 2021 | 253 (RV) | ± 6.2% | 16% | 33% | 8% | 43% |
Candidates
- TBD (Republican nominee)
- Lynda Steele, Oklahoma Army National Guard member, first qualified female cannon crew member in the Oklahoma National Guard, and founder of Furnishing Fatherhood. (Libertarian nominee)[4]
State Auditor and Inspector
Since no Independent, Democratic, or Libertarian candidate filed for Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector there will be no general election for the office. Instead, the winner of the Republican primary on June 28 will take office.
Candidates
- Cindy Byrd, incumbent Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector[6]
- Steven McQuillen, fixed asset accounting manager for Tulsa Public Schools (1998-present) and former auditor and treasurer of the Philippine American Association of North Eastern Oklahoma (2004-2006)[4]
State Superintendent
Incumbent Democratic Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister, elected as a Republican, is term limited in 2022 and running for Governor in the 2022 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.[13]
Candidates
- William Crozier, retired veteran and candidate for State Superintendent of Oklahoma in 2006.[4]
- John Cox, Superintendent of Peggs Public Schools (1999-present)[4][13]
- April Grace, Superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools (2016-present)[14][4]
- Ryan Walters, Oklahoma Secretary of Education (2020-present), former teacher, and former education non-profit executive director[15][4]
Declared, but failed to file
- Jerry Griffin, Tulsa Public Schools board member for district 6[16]
Endorsements
- Statewide officials
- Kevin Stitt, 28th Governor of Oklahoma (2019-present)[17]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
John Cox |
April Grace |
Ryan Walters |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Integrated (R) | March 24–27, 2022 | 455 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 11% | 6% | 7% | – | 77% |
| Amber Integrated (R) | December 15–19, 2021 | 253 (RV) | ± 6.2% | 13% | 13% | 13% | 3% | 57% |
| Amber Integrated (R) | September 29 – October 3, 2021 | 253 (RV) | ± 6.2% | 23% | 14% | 14% | 10% | 40% |
Candidates
- TBD (Republican nominee)
- Jena Nelson, Oklahoma Teacher of the Year (2020) and Deer Creek Middle School teacher (2017-present) (Democratic nominee)[4][18]
State Treasurer
Corporation Commissioner
The incumbent Republican Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy is term limited in 2022.[19]
Candidates
Declared
- Kim David, Majority Leader of the Oklahoma State Senate[19]
- Justin Hornback, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma resident[4]
- Harold Spradling, candidate for Corporate Commissioner in 2018 and 2020[4]
- Todd Thomsen, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2006-2017) and managing director of community relations for Epic Charter Schools[20][4]
Endorsements
- Organizations
- POWhER PAC[21]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
Kim David |
Todd Thomsen |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Integrated (R) | March 24–27, 2022 | 455 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 14% | 15% | 0% | 72% |
Candidates
- TBD (Republican)
- Margaret Warigia Bowman, University of Tulsa College of Law professor specializing in water, energy, infrastructure and regulatory law (Democratic)[22]
- Don Underwood, Inola, Oklahoma resident (Independent)[5]
Commissioner of Labor
Candidates
- Leslie Osborn, incumbent Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor[5]
- Sean Roberts, State Senator for the 36th district (2011-present)[5]
- Keith Swinton, candidate for Commissioner of Labor in 2018 and project engineer for Ready Services, LLC[4]
Candidates
- TBD (Republican nominee)
- Will Daugherty, development manager at FirstLight Home Care (Libertarian nominee)[4]
- Jack Henderson, former Tulsa, Oklahoma city councilor for the 1st district (2004-2016) (Democratic nominee)[4]
Insurance Commissioner
Only one candidate filed for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, incumbent Glen Mulready. Therefore there will be no election for this office in 2022, and Glen Mulready is re-elected without opposition.[4]
State Legislature
All 101 seats of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and 24 of 48 seats of the Oklahoma State Senate are up for election.
State Senate
Before the election the composition of the state senate was:
| Parties | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2022 | +/- | Strength | |||
| Republican Party | 39 | - | - | 81% | ||
| Democratic Party | 9 | - | - | 19% | ||
House of Representatives
Before the election the composition of the state house was:
| Parties | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2022 | +/- | Strength | |||
| Republican Party | 81 | - | - | 80% | ||
| Democratic Party | 20 | - | - | 20% | ||
Ballot initiatives
Ballot initiative process in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, ballot initiatives are drafted by their proponents and then submitted to the Oklahoma Secretary of State who then must notify the Governor, the Oklahoma Election Board, and publish a notice so that any citizen of the state may file a protest as to the constitutionality of the ballot initiative. Citizens have 10 days to file a protest with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. After all legal challenges are heard, the petition process begins. The number of signatures required for the petition to be successful depends on the type of ballot initiative, but all measures are based on the total number of votes cast in the last general election for Governor. Referendums and Initiatives require the least number of signatures at 5% and 8% respectively. Initiatives for Constitutional Changes require 15%. Rejected Initiative or Referendum Measures require 25%. Once collected, the signed petitions are submitted to the Secretary of State for counting. Once counted, the proposed ballot title is sent to the Attorney General of Oklahoma for legal review. After this review, the Secretary of State submits the signed petition to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. After a short period where objections can be filed, the Secretary of State sends the petition to the Governor and the State Election Board. The Governor of Oklahoma chooses the date of the vote on the ballot initiative.[23]
Official ballot initiatives
As of April 2022, no ballot initiatives have been given an election date for 2022.[24]
Attempted and potential ballot initiatives
Currently being challenged
- State Question 818 is a potential state question that would make changes to current medical marijuana laws and enshrine the state's medical program in Oklahoma's constitution.[25]
- State Question 819 is a potential state question that would change the Oklahoma Constitution to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21 years of age.[26]
Gathering signatures
- State Question 820 is a potential state question that would change Oklahoma statute to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21 years of age while not changing the states existing medical marijuana program.[25]
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- "2022 Oklahoma Elections-Voter Information Calendar" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- "2022 Statutory Election Dates and Deadlines" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- "Independents again may vote in Oklahoma Democratic primary". Tulsa World. AP. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- Prather, Megan (16 April 2022). "Crowded fields for most statewide offices in Oklahoma". NonDoc. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- "CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE 2022" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- "Oklahoma". politics1.com. Politics1. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- Clay, Nolan; Casteel, Chris (26 May 2021). "Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announces resignation". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- Cooper, Skyler (23 July 2021). "Tulsa attorney John O'Connor named Oklahoma Attorney General". 102.3 KRMG Tulsa. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- Krehbiel, Randy (23 July 2021). "Stitt names Tulsa lawyer as Oklahoma attorney general". Tulsa World. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- Clay, Nolan (29 May 2021). "After narrow 2018 loss, Tulsa attorney Gentner Drummond to run again for AG". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- Krehbiel, Randy (1 April 2022). "Political notebook: Sgt. Craig Johnson Act becomes law". Tulsa World. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- Krehbiel, Randy (6 February 2022). "Political notebook: State's tax revenue continues sharp upward turn". Tulsa World. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- Prather, Megan (6 July 2021). "April Grace, John Cox are early candidates for state superintendent of public instruction". NonDoc. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- McCarville, Mike (7 July 2021). "Grace Announces Candidacy for State Superintendent". The McCarville Report. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- DenHoed, Andrea (18 July 2021). "Ryan Walters announces run for state superintendent of public instruction". NonDoc. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- Andrea, Eger (7 April 2022). "Field for next state superintendent widens to 5 as TPS board member files campaign". Tulsa World. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- Gorman, Reese; Adcock, Clifton (25 March 2022). "Records show State Superintendent candidate failed to report campaign expenses". The Frontier. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- Martinez-Keel, Nuria (17 March 2022). "Former Teacher of the Year is first Democrat to enter campaign for state superintendent". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- Krehbiel, Randy (18 July 2021). "Political notebook: Lawmakers push Gov. Stitt to bar COVID-19 shot requirement for health care employees". Tulsa World. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- Savage, Tres (7 April 2022). "Joel Kintsel to challenge Kevin Stitt in GOP primary". NonDoc. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- Krehbiel, Randy (20 March 2022). "Political notebook: Oklahoma Democrats have their Horns out in U.S. Senate races". Tulsa World. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- Krehbiel, Randy (14 April 2021). "Candidates file for Oklahoma offices including governor, congressman, attorney general". Tulsa World. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- "Outline of the Oklahoma Initiative and Referendum Petition Process". sos.ok.gov. Oklahoma Secretary of State. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- "Search State Questions". sos.ok.gov. Oklahoma Secretary of State. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- Forman, Carmen (7 January 2022). "Second petition filed to legalize recreational cannabis in Oklahoma". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- Vincent, Samantha (8 October 2021). "Petition to allow cannabis for recreational adult use filed in Oklahoma". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2 January 2022.