Dems oust five Oklahoma Republican incumbents

OKLAHOMA CITY — While failing to win any statewide races on Tuesday, Oklahoma House Democrats saw their biggest caucus gains in over 20 years.

Democrats not only maintained their existing seats, but gained six more in the state House by ousting five Republican incumbents and winning one other open seat previously held by the other party.

After experiencing a technical issue Tuesday night, Comanche County election officials manually tallied ballots through Wednesday afternoon before determining that a Democrats also picked up a Lawton-area seat where an incumbent was not running. 

House Minority Leader Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, said her caucus knew there was a need for the Democratic Party to focus on solutions for working families, so this election they honed in on finding candidates who aligned with solving these issues.

She said there’s excitement mixed with disappointment over Tuesday night’s outcomes. Nationally, Democrats made huge gains in other states winning governorships, statewide offices, and congressional seats. Oklahoma didn’t see a similar blue wave as the GOP continued its dominance.

But Provenzano said Oklahoma Democrats are celebrating their gains in the state House. 

“I think there’s just a lot of joy right now,” she said of Tuesday night’s outcome. “I know that the results nationwide are very exciting, but I know our state level results are also a little bit sad because we didn’t get the ones we wanted there.”

With 75 members, House Republicans are expected to retain their super majority, but Provenzano said having 26 members gives Democrats “more sway” when it comes to things like veto overrides. 

Democrat Joe Watkins won House District 75, which includes parts of Tulsa and Broken Arrow, over incumbent Republican Rep. T.J. Marti. 

Watkins, of Tulsa, said he’s still in shock after his win but he’s excited to work on housing and food insecurity, affordability issues and improving public education. He celebrated the news with his wife at a watch party in Tulsa. 

“The campaign is not my bread and butter, that’s not what I’m in it for,” he said. “I’m not comfortable with campaigning. But doing the actual work, that starts now, is what I’m most excited about.”

In House District 83, Democrat Dalton Gau bested incumbent Republican Rep. Eric Roberts to represent northwestern Oklahoma City near Lake Hefner. 

Gau, from Oklahoma City, wrote that he will fight for better schools, a more inclusive economy and greater privacy for Oklahomans’ data as a state representative.  

Democrat Jeffrey Perez was elected over Republican Rep. Tammy West to represent House District 84, which includes much of Bethany and parts of Oklahoma City and Warr Acres. 

The Bethany resident said he was at a loss for words and cried when he heard he’d won the House seat. 

“I knew that the national sentiment would help us a lot in this race,” Perez said. “But seeing it in person throughout the course of the campaign, it’s been an eye opening experience to see how many Oklahomans want change. And I’m just grateful to be the one that they chose.”

He said he wants to focus on improving public education and teacher pay. 

Democrat Tegan Malone, of Midwest City, ousted incumbent Rep. Max Wolfley. She’ll represent House District 95, which includes Midwest City, Moore, Oklahoma City, and Tinker Air Force Base. 

“Running for office three times has taught me a lot about perseverance, community, and never giving up on something you believe in,” she wrote. 

Finally, Chaunté Gilmore beat Republican Rep. Marilyn Stark in House District 100, which includes Bethany, Oklahoma City and Warr Acres. 

Gilmore, of Oklahoma City, said she’s the first African American to represent House District 100. 

“This seat belongs to HD100,” she wrote. “Every door knocked, every conversation, and every vote brought us here. I will show up and fight for our students, seniors, and working families.”

Democrat Kathy Suttles also won the Lawton-area House District 64 race, which was previously held by Rep. Rande Worthen who did not seek reelection. 

Democrats though were unable to oust incumbent Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, who a House committee found had sexually harassed multiple women. The House Rules Committee recommended he not seek reelection, be formally reprimanded by the full chamber, be stripped of his committee membership and leadership positions, lose access to House staff and attend workplace harassment training. 

Williams is also under investigation by the state Ethics Commission for a variety of allegations, including that he misused his office for personal gain.

It was not immediately clear how the committee’s recommendations would impact Williams after his reelection.