Jun 27, 2012

State of Play in OK-02

Only one Republican has represented Oklahoma’s 2nd District in Congress over the past 90 years. With Democrats’ registration advantage, it is highly unlikely that another one will win this year.

While Republicans will be in a fight to prove who has the more disastrous policies for the middle class, Democratic candidates are showing strength with strong fundraising, earning prized endorsements, and receiving overwhelming grassroots support from voters across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s 2nd District votes for Democrats.

  • While Republicans have been successful in Oklahoma presidential elections, the 2nd District has a long history of voting Democratic, having only one Republican representing the district since 1921.
  • Party registration in Oklahoma’s 2nd District heavily favors Democrats:

Democrat: 63%

Republican: 28%

Independent: 8%

  • 14 of the 32 (44 percent) Oklahoma State House seats in the 2nd Congressional District are controlled by Democrats.
  • Democrats won 18 of 18 state-wide races in the 2002 and 2006 midterm elections. In the high profile election for Governor in 2006, Democrat Brad Henry (who has endorsed Rob Wallace) won 73.6% of the vote in the 2nd District.
  • In recent years, Democrats Dan Boren, Mike Synar, and Brad Carson have all repeatedly survived Republican presidential victories in Oklahoma’s 2nd District.
  • Over the past five Congressional elections in Oklahoma’s 2nd District, the Democrat received between 56 and 74 percent of the vote even when the party’s Presidential nominee received 40 percent in 2004 and 34 percent in 2008.
  • Democratic primary turnout was nearly two-and-a-half times larger than Republican turnout.
  • Democrats have shown early strength and Rob Wallace and Wayne Herriman have profiles as strong conservative Democrats that match this district.

Markwayne Mullin and George Faught are severely flawed candidates.

  • Receiving less than a third of the combined vote as the top two Democrats (Democrats: 60,290, Republicans: 18,582), Markwayne Mullin and George Faught are flawed candidates who will be spending money trying to defeat each other over the next eight weeks.
  • Markwayne Mullin could still face charges from a 2009 arrest of a former employee. Last week, the Washington Times noted, “One particular disturbing story circulating around local Tulsa media is a speculation that Mr. Mullin could face felony charges from a 2009 arrest of a Mullin Plumbing supervisor Timothy Lee Saylor.” [Washington Times, 6/20/12]
  • Mullin is also under investigation by the Federal Election Commission. In May 2012, the FEC issued a draft opinion arguing Mullin’s corporate commercials and a home improvement radio show he sponsors are electioneering communications as they clearly identify a federal candidate and reach at least 50,000 people in the district. [The Oklahoman, 5/24/12]
  • Mullin has dodged answering questions about important election issues. In May 2012, The Oklahoman noted, “Markwayne Mullin, of Westville, and Dwayne Thompson, of Fort Gibson, did not directly answer the question,” addressing the House Republican budget that would force seniors to pay more for Medicare. [The Oklahoman, 5/27/12]
  • George Faught has prominently featured the endorsement of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, whose tax plan would impose a 23 percent national sales tax on nearly everything, but would eliminate the corporate income tax, shifting more of the burden onto the middle class. [Tulsa Beacon, 4/26/12; CNN, 2/21/08]
  • Faught supports the House Republican budget that would force seniors to pay more for Medicare while giving tax breaks to companies shipping American jobs overseas. [The Oklahoman, 5/27/12]

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