You win one, you lose one.
Jo Anna Dossett was the only Democratic candidate to prevail in an Oklahoma State Senate race Tuesday, narrowly defeating Republican Cheryl Baber with 50.9 percent of the vote for Senate District 35. The seat was open owing to term limits, and Dossett’s victory could have bumped Senate Democrats’ membership from nine to 10.
But another Tulsa seat did not go Democrats’ way. In SD 37, incumbent Sen. Allison Ikley-Freeman (D-Tulsa) fell to newcomer Cody Rogers, who is currently being sued for libel and civil conspiracy. Rogers said he ran to “once again have a solid conservative voice at the Capitol.”
“We congratulate Jo Anna Dossett for winning Senate District 35 in Tulsa, a seat which has long been held by Republicans. Jo Anna is a longtime educator in Oklahoma Public Schools and will be a strong advocate for public education as a member of the Oklahoma Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd (D-OKC) said in a statement. “We also thank Sen. Allison Ikley-Freeman for her dedicated service on behalf of the communities in Senate District 37. Her expertise in mental health has been tremendously valuable in the Senate and her advocacy on these issues will have a lasting impact in Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Republican incumbents Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman), Sen. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater), Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) all maintained their seats, keeping their districts red.
Below are summaries of the results of all Oklahoma Senate elections. Full results from the Oklahoma State Election Board can be found here.
SD 3: Blake ‘Cowboy’ Stephens prevails
Blake “Cowboy” Stephens defeated Democrat Dyllon Fite with 79.5 percent of the vote last night. In the weeks leading up to the election, Dyllon Fite had yet to file his campaign with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, and Stephens had expressed concerns regarding Fite’s failure to comply with state law. Stephens felt confident in his own ability to prevail in the polls after defeating incumbent Sen. Wayne Shaw in the Republican primary. Fite garnered 5,919 votes compared to Stephens’ 22,939 votes.
SD 5: ‘Common Sense’ candidate Randy Coleman falls to ‘Trump Train’ Republican George Burns
Between ‘Common Sense’ and the ‘Trump Train,‘ the ‘Trump Train’ prevailed last night in far southeast Oklahoma. Republican George Burns earned 78.8 percent of the vote and beat Democrat Randy Coleman by 15,880 total votes. The Senate District 5 seat, representing Oklahoma’s four southeastern most counties, became open after Sen. Joseph Silk (R-Broken Bow) vacated the seat to run for Congress.
SD 7: Abortion abolitionist Warren Hamilton wins
In the SD 7 Republican primary, Warren Hamilton defeated incumbent Larry Boggs (R-Wilburton), who had held the office since 2012. Hamilton went on to win 72.2 percent of the vote in Tuesday night’s general election, beating Democrat Jerry Donathon by 13,352 votes. Two weeks before the election, Hamilton refused to wear a mask to The McAlester News-Capital candidate forum. The event was canceled and Hamilton maintained that government intervention regarding COVID-19 should be limited.
SD 9: Republican Dewayne Pemberton defeats Democrat Jack Reavis
Senate District 9, which surrounds Muskogee, has been held by Sen. Dewayne Pemberton (R-Muskogee) since 2016. Pemberton defeated Democrat Jack Reavis on Tuesday with 58.11 percent of the vote, or a 4,379 vote advantage.
SD 15: Republican Rob Strandridge re-elected, more than 40,000 voters turnout
Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman) won 60.9 percent of the vote last night, defeating Democrat Alex Scott. A former member of the Norman City Council, Scott had pledged an attempt to overhaul Oklahoma’s tax system and raise state revenues. A pharmacist, Standridge has represented Norman’s SD 15, which saw a turnout of over 40,000 total votes, since 2012.
SD 17: Libertarian Greg Sadler defeated by Republican Shane David Jett
Senate District 17 will see a new face this fall after Republican Shane David Jett defeated Libertarian Gregg Sadler with 76.5 percent of the vote. Jett beat incumbent Sen. Ron Sharp (R-Shawnee) during the Republican primary, which saw third-party illegal mailers. Jett previously served in the Oklahoma House from 2004 through 2010.
SD 21: Elusive Republican incumbent Tom Dugger wins re-election
Sen. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater) defeated Democrat Rick Dunham with 64 percent of the vote Tuesday night. Dugger declined to do an interview with NonDoc this fall about his campaign, saying he typically doesn’t speak with the press. Dugger has held SD 21 since 2016.
SD 35: Tulsa’s ‘purple’ district edged blue with Democrat Jo Anna Dossett defeating Republican Cheryl Baber
Democrat Jo Anna Dossett defeated Republican Cheryl Baber with a narrow margin of 50.9 percent of the vote last night in an open race for Senate District 35 in Tulsa. During interviews with NonDoc, both candidates said anything could happen in this increasingly “purple” district owing to changing demographics. Senate District 35, which covers much of south-central Tulsa, had been held by Republican Sen. Gary Stanislawski since 2008.
Dossett will join her brother, Sen. J.J. Dossett (D-Owasso) in the State Senate.
SD 37: Incumbent Allison Ikley-Freeman falls to Republican Cody Rogers, who is currently being sued by his primary opponent
Republican Cody Rogers defeated incumbent Sen. Allison Ikely-Freeman with 67.1 percent of the vote. Rogers is currently being sued for libel and civil conspiracy by his Republican primary opponent Chris Emerson. Emerson claims Rogers and Tomahawk Strategies LLC ran false television and print ads against him. Ikely-Freeman had served since 2017, after winning Senate District 37 in a special election.
SD 39: Incumbent Dave Rader maintains seat
Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa) defeated Democrat Shawna Mott-Wright with 54.8 percent of the vote Tuesday night. The two candidates garnered just over 37,000 votes in Tulsa’s Senate District 39. Rader has served SD 39 since 2016.
SD 43: Republican Jessica Garvin defeats Democrat Terri Reimer
For the right to represent the Duncan area in the Oklahoma State Senate, Republican Jessica Garvin defeated Democrat Terri Reimer. Garvin earned 82.17 percent of the vote, winning Senate District 43 by 23,761 votes. Garvin challenged incumbent Sen. Paul Scott for the SD 43 seat along with two other women this election cycle. In August, she beat Scott by just 238 votes in the Republican primary runoff.
SD 45: Republican Paul Rosino coasts on Election Day
In south Oklahoma City’s awkwardly shaped SD 45, Sen. Paul Rosino (R-OKC) dominated Election Day returns and prevailed against Democrat Jennifer Wilkinson with 67.3 percent of the vote. A U.S. Navy veteran, Rosino first assumed office after winning a 2017 special election.
SD 47: With more than 46,000 total votes cast, Republican Gregg Treat defeats Democrat Andrea Stone
Sen. Greg Treat (R-OKC) has represented Senate District 47 since 2011, and he won another term Tuesday night by securing 57.46 percent of the vote. Treat is the president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. Treat and Stone saw a polarized public as they competed this election cycle.
All Nov. 3 Oklahoma election results can be found here.
(Update: This story was updated at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, to include additional information.)
