To be honest, nothing too exiting happened in last night's elections. Oklahoma recently went to term limits, so you had packed fields of term limmited state legislators trying to salvage their careers by running for more prestigious positions.
Below, I'll give last nights results followed by some analysis for each race.
Democratic Governor Primary
Winner Candidate Incumbent Votes Vote %
X Henry X 227,264 86%
Marr 37,532 14%
Marr was not a serious challanger and Henry, one of the most popular governors in the country, won this one handidly. Although I think governor Henry has been an overall great governor, I would have voted for Marr to send a message that I don't want my Dem governor cutting taxes like a Republican.
I'd compare Henry's philisophy to that of President Clinton. Like Clinton, Henry has turned a massive deficit into a massive surplus. Netiher one of them are hardcore economic populists yet they don't want to drain social programs like the Republicans do. Henry's more progressive than someone like our lone U.S. congressman Dan Boren yet more conservative than Oklahoma's progressive DEmocratic base. A solidly centrist Dem, if you will.
Although he most definitely lacks Clinton's charisma, Henry plays politics very well. Heck, if you have a 67% approval rating in this state as a Democrat, you must be playing your cards right.
Henry will crush the laughable congressman Ernest Istook who avoided a runoff from Tulsa oilman Bob Sullivan.
Williamson 17,772 10%
X Istook 100,278 54%
Evanoff 8,371 5%
Sullivan 56,353 31%
The question is, will Henry have the guts to run against Tom Coburn when his second term expires in 2010.
Lt. governor Democratic Primary
Hobson 46,816 18%
X Askins 103,747 40%
X Regan 74,835 29%
Rogers 32,392 13%
Cal Hobson was my guy. A lontime majority leader in the state senate, Cal had built a solidly progressive record that could appeal to rank in file Oklahomans. He jumped into this race late, otherwise, I think he would at least be in a runoff. Like so many other candidates, Hobson got term limitted out of the state senate where he served us so honorably for so many years. Hopefully, he'll find a way to get back into politics somehow.
As for Regan and Askins, I'm not crazy about either one of them. I have no idea how Regan didn't blow Askins away. Although this race was pretty tame, Askins ran the most ads, some of them negative from what I've heard. I find absolutely no appeal in this woman. Although I know little about her political career, the commercials I have seen are bland and she says little on her website about what she believes.
Pete Regan, despite his association with Dan Boren, one of congress' most conservative Democrats (especially on economic issue which is inexcuseable in a poor state like Oklahoma), he seems to be ok. He has advocated an ambitious platform of collge education for all students and supports an increase in the minimum wage. More importantly, however, I think he simply has a better shot at beating Todd Hiett or Scott Pruitt. He's younger, more energetic and his associations with the popular Boren family might actually help. If I could vote, I'd vote for Pete.
Republican Lt. governor
X Hiett 76,656 43%
Riley 41,972 23%
X Pruitt 60,373 34%
As a Democrat, I have greatly appreciated the entertainment value of this race. Basically, ya got two ultra right wing Republicans trying to out-conservative each other. As for Todd Hiett, he is the powerful speaker of the state house. Definitely an effective politican who governor Henry is forced to compromise with too often. His challanger, however, Scott Pruitt I think is marginally more conservative. Pruitt is a frequent guest on our local hate radio station, KFAQ 1170, and the very few times I've tuned in, I've been frightened by Mr. Pruitt's point of view.
To draw a comparison to national politics, think of Hiett as a Tom Delay type figure- extremely conservative, effective power broker. Pruitt, on the other hand, is more like a Tom Tancredo- way out in right field, hero amongst hardcore conservatives.
Last but least, US. house district 5 primary, which impacts all of you outside of Oklahoma
Bode 9,137 19%
Calvey 4,867 10%
Roy 1,375 3%
X Cornett 11,715 24%
X Fallin 16,688 35%
Morgan 4,491 9%
Cornett, mayor of Oklahoma City and Mary Fallin, our 3 term Lt. governor are going to be nearly impossible for Democratic nominee Dr. David Hunter to beat. Although Denise Bode was the top fundraiser in this race, she is only the state corporation commissioner a job that brings less name recognizition than Lt. governor and mayor of the state's largest city. Most of her money came from oil companies who she is all too close to as corp commisioner. As for Calvey, he was a state legislator and the nuttiest candidate. He got the endorsement of the Minutemen and the Club for Growth.
Fallin and Cornett both suck but Cornett gets the edge simply because he brought the New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma after Hurricane Katrina. I gotta give him credit for that. Plus, I know he's dying to have the support of a non-voting aged Democrat that lives outside of his district.