By Constitution Staff

In the non-presidential election years, the governor's seat, a host of secondary statewide offices, and one seat for the Corporation Commission are up for election. In addition to the five U.S. House districts, one of the U.S. Senate seats is up for election in 2010. All 101 seats in the Oklahoma House, and half of the 48 seats in the Oklahoma Senate will also be in contention.

The candidate filing period will be June 7-8-9, 2010. The Primary Election will be held on July 27, the Runoff Primary Election on August 24, and the General Election on November 2.Governor

Since 1950, the pattern has been clear: whichever party wins the presidency usually loses the governorship two years later in Oklahoma. With Brad Henry term-limited in 2010, Republicans are salivating at the prospect of capturing the governor's mansion next year and two candidates are competing for the Republican nomination.

Congresswoman Mary Fallin is the early favorite for the GOP nomination. While serving as lieutenant governor, Fallin was considered a likely candidate for the governorship in both 2002 and 2006. She opted out of the 2002 contest, deferring to Congressman Steve Largent, and successfully ran for reelection. And in 2006, she decided to run for the seat of Fifth District Congressman Ernest Istook, who vacated the seat to run for governor.

State Sen. Randy Brogdon of Owasso is also running to be the Republican nominee. Brogdon has attempted to advance many conservative bills through the Legislature and has developed a loyal following among grass roots conservatives. Fallin's vote for the bailout in the fall of 2008 is expected to be a point of contention in the race. Brogdon sports a 93 percent cumulative conservative rating on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. He became known to many when he led the effort for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) initiative petition in 2005, which would have placed limits on state government spending.

On the Democrat side, Attorney General Drew Edmondson is facing Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins. Edmondson is known as a very partisan attorney general who has been accused of using his office in a very heavy-handed way against political opponents. Askins has a much "kinder and gentler" image, but is still considered a liberal Democrat. During the time she served as a member of the Oklahoma House she earned only a 21 percent Conservative Index rating.

Lieutenant Governor

With Askins running for governor, the lieutenant governor's office is again an open seat. The lone Democrat in the race so far, is Sen. Kenneth Corn of Poteau who is term-limited. Corn has only a 22% cumulative score on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

On the Republican side, two state legislators are actively campaigning. State Representative John Wright of Broken Arrow is a solid conservative with a 92% Conservative Index rating. The other Republican is state Sen. Todd Lamb of Edmond, 37, who has a 65% Conservative rating. Lamb, an attorney who was born and raised in Enid, was first elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2004. Prior to his election to the Senate, he worked for former Gov. Frank Keating and former U.S. Sen. Don Nickles.

Saying it had been difficult raising money, state Rep. Colby Schwartz (R-Yukon) abandoned his bid to run for lieutenant governor. Schwartz will seek re-election to his House seat.Attorney General

Edmondson's run for governor opens up the race for Attorney General. No Democrat has expressed an interest in the race. But, Republican Ryan Leonard is running. Leonard is the son of former state senator and current federal judge Tim Leonard, and is the son-in-law of former Governor Frank Keating. Leonard is an attorney, former state prosecutor and former senior aide to U.S. Senator Don Nickles. Former State Senator Scott Pruitt (R-Broken Arrow) is managing partner of the Oklahoma City Redhawks baseball team and is reported to be considering the race. Pruitt who served two terms in the Senate (69% Conservative rating) made an unsuccessful race for the GOP nomination for Lieutenant Governor in 2006. State GOP Committeeman James Dunn, who was the 2006 Republican nominee for Attorney General against Drew Edmondson, has not ruled out making another run for the post.

State Treasurer

It is rumored that Democrat incumbent State Treasurer, Scott Meachum, may not run. Other Democrats who may be considering the race are waiting for Meachum to announce his intentions. But, two Republicans are in the race.

Former State Senator Owen Laughlin filed with the Ethics Commission to explore a run for State Treasurer. Laughlin says he has been considering office because of the huge waste he saw during his tenure in the State Senate. He became Co-Floor Leader of the Senate during the two years that the Senate was tied. Laughlin was in the banking business for 20 years.

State House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Ken Miller announced his intention to run for State Treasurer. Until August, the Edmond Republican had been seeking the support of fellow Republicans to become Oklahoma's next Speaker of the House. The current leader of the House, Rep. Chris Benge, is term limited and a new Speaker will be selected in November of 2010.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Oklahoma State Superintendent Sandy Garret surprised many with her announcement that she will not seek a sixth term in office. Garrett, a Democrat, has held the post since 1990.

Following Garrett's announcement, Randall Gorman became the first Democrat candidate to officially announce for the position. Gorman earned a bachelors degree in social studies education in 1995 and a masters in educational administration in 2000. The former mayor of Colbert is a teacher at Achille Public Schools.

There may be other Democrats entering the race to replace Garrett. Gov. Brad Henry's announcement that Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor will serve as his top education advisor after she leaves her city post in December, has fueled speculation that she may run. Taylor's title will be the Governor's Chief of Education Strategy and Innovation. Since Taylor has no background in education, the new job would give her some credentials for the run. Before her successful run for Tulsa Mayor in 2006, Taylor served as Gov. Henry's Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Other Democrats reported to be considering the race include former State Democratic Party chairwoman Lisa Pryor, who now is an assistant superintendent at the State Department of Education, and State Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada).

Republican Janet Barresi officially launched her campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction on October 6. Barresi vows to empower teachers, enhance student learning, and increase transparency and accountability throughout Oklahoma's public school system. Barresi, of Edmond, is a retired dentist who began her career in the Harrah and Norman public schools as a speech pathologist. She has been active in education reform efforts for the past 13 years. Barresi joined more than 100 other parents and led the effort to create Independence Charter Middle School while lobbying for passage of Oklahoma's Charter School law. She later helped found Harding Charter Preparatory High School, which has become a successful center of learning for low-income children in Oklahoma City. The school was named one of the nation's best high schools by Newsweek magazine.

Labor Commissioner

Jason Reese, a moderate Republican who has roundly criticized state Rep. Randy Terrill's attempts to restrict the flood of illegal immigration, has filed papers to run for the post of Labor Commissioner. The post is currently held by Democrat Lloyd Fields.

Corporation Commissioner

Oklahoma has three Corporation Commissioners serving six-year staggered terms. Denise Bode was elected in 2004 to the seat expiring in 2010. After she resigned last year, Dana Murphey won a special election to fill the remainder of the term. Murphey is now running for reelection for a full six year term. No other candidates have expressed an interest in the seat thus far.

U.S. Senate

In the U.S. Senate race, Tom Coburn is running for a second six-year term, and is heavily favored. He ranks as one of the most conservative voting members of the Senate, making it highly unlikely he will face any significant Republican or Democrat challenge. According to the most recent campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission, Coburn has over $1 million of cash on hand for his reelection campaign.

U.S. House of Representatives

First District

Congressman John Sullivan, who took a one month leave of absence from Congress to battle alcohol abdication, may survive without a significant challenge, a least within his own party. Some had thought his reelection was in jeopardy when his alcohol problem was revealed. But, no candidate has jumped in the race so far. On the Democrat side, it is not known if Georgianna Oliver, who was the Democrat nominee in 2008, will challenge Sullivan again. In October, a complaint against Oliver was dismissed by the Federal Election Commission. It had been charged that Oliver illegally contributed over $400,000 from her business to her 2008 campaign. However, Oliver convinced the commission that the money came from her personal funds. She is the founder of EverGreen Solutions which has offices Washington, D.C., and opened an office in Tulsa after her move to Oklahoma. Previously, she served as an aide to former Oklahoma Congressman Bill Brewster. Sullivan has been in Congress since winning a special election in 2002.

Second District

Congressman Dan Boren was elected to the second district in 2004 and is the only Democrat in the Oklahoma congressional delegation. While the most recent campaign funding reports show that Boren has a campaign war chest of $1.3 million (more than any other congressional candidate in Oklahoma), a host of Republicans are vying for the chance to take on Boren in the General Election.

The first to jump into the race for the Republican nomination was Dan Arnett, 25, of Henryetta, Oklahoma. After earning a Bachelor's in History and Political Science from Oklahoma Christian University, Arnett was accepted to Drexel University in Philadelphia where he is in his final year of studies. He says he is running to bring back accountability, backbone, and a respect for our Constitution.

Daniel Edmonds, is a life-long native of Morris, Oklahoma and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in soil science at Oklahoma State University while farming and ranching. He also works as a Research Fellow with Oklahoma State University. He previously served as an Agricultural Policy intern for Congressman Frank D. Lucas.

Howard Houchen, calls himself a Reagan Conservative and constitutionalist. He is a small businessman and graduate of University of Oklahoma with a degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in National Security Studies from American Military University. He lives in Hugo where he manages the operations of a family business, All American Garage Doors, Inc.

Charles Thompson of Hulbert served the United States Army in both an active duty and reserve capacity for just over 25 years. He received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oklahoma State University, and returned to the Army as a Veterinary Corps Officer and eventually retired as a Major. From 2000 to 2005 he owned a mixed animal practice in Fort Gibson, and has since worked for a large veterinary pharmaceutical company. Earlier this year he was elected to serve on the Hulbert School Board.

Third District

Frank Lucas was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in a special election in 1994, and is currently serving his ninth term as a Member of Congress. Lucas is considered secure in the strongly Republican district. His opposition to the federal bailout in 2008 -- he was the only member of the U.S. House from Oklahoma to oppose it -- may have protected him from a conservative challenge.

Fourth District

Congressman Tom Cole was elected to Congress in 2002 and is running for a fifth term. But, he may face a spirited primary with two conservative Republicans who have announced their intentions to challenge him for the Republican nomination. Both are miliary veterans, which is important in the fourth district which includes two large military bases -- Tinker Air Force Base and Fort Sill Army Post. Cole has accumulated over a half-million dollar campaign fund.

R.J. Harris, is an Iraq war veteran, Harris lives in Norman and is a law student at the University of Oklahoma. Harris says was motivated to make the race primarily because of Cole's vote for the bailout in the fall of 2008.

Hector Diaz, a retired military veteran, wants to get the government back to its constitutional roots and get it out of the way! Diaz was born in Philadelphia, PA to refugees from Castro's Cuba in 1961. He joined the Air Force and ended up in Midwest City, Oklahoma computer programming for the Air Force AWACS system and in 1996 went to Saudi Arabia in support of US operations in Iraq and Kuwait. He moved to Moore, Oklahoma in 1998 and after support operations in Kosovo retired from the Air Force in 2000. Since that time he has continues to work as a Software Engineer in Del City, Oklahoma.

Fifth District

Following Fallin's announcement for governor, former state Rep. Kevin Calvey quickly became an announced candidate. Calvey served from 1998-2006 in the Oklahoma Legislature where he earned a 78% Conservative Index rating. He was a candidate in the crowded Republican primary in 2006, when Fallin won the seat. Calvey deployed with the Army National Guard to Baghdad, Iraq during the 2007 troop surge and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Calvey has been endorsed by the Oklahoma Rifle Association, the state's NRA affiliate, Iraq Veterans for Congress, a pro-military group, and by the president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a leading advocate for border security and enforcement of immigration laws.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, who lost the runoff for the seat to Fallin in 2006, ended speculation that he would enter the race. Cornett said he is seeking reelection as mayor, and also announced that he is joining Ackerman McQueen Advertising Agency as an executive vice president in charge of special projects.

Johnny B. Roy, an Edmond surgeon who also made the race in 2006, is running again. The last time, Roy finished last in the six person primary.

State Rep. Mike Thompson of Oklahoma City, served as an aide to Congressman Ernest Istook when he held the seat before Fallin, and is now in the commercial real estate business. He has a 76% Conservative score. He has the backing of many establishment Republicans and will be a significant player in the race.

Rick Flanigan is running as a Constitutional Conservative. Flanigan graduated from Del City High School in 1987 and joined the Navy in 1988 and served as a damage controlman. He left the Navy in 1990 and returned to Oklahoma. Since 1996, he and his wife have owned and operated a retail battery store in Bethany, Oklahoma.

Edmond Republican James Lankford, 41, has been the Director the Falls Creek Oklahoma Youth Camp since 1996. Falls Creek is the largest Christian youth camp in America with over 50,000 students and adults attending each summer. Lankford has also been an adjunct professor at Oklahoma Baptist University and has coordinated church mission teams around the world.

A recent surprise entry into the race was Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud. Cloud was an early protégé of former Congressman (4th district) J. C. Watts, Jr., and was first elected Corporation Commissioner in 2002, winning reelection in 2008. When Cloud was asked what he brought to the race that sets him apart from the existing candidates, he told the Oklahoma Constitution that his experience in the energy industry would be important in combating the proposals of the Obama administration.

The most recent campaign funding reports give Calvey a substantial lead over Thompson in the most important fundraising measure, cash on hand, with Calvey at $374,000 and Thompson at $302,000. Calvey and Thompson are essentially tied in funds raised at $419,000. Calvey has benefitted from the support of many conservatives, including the Club for Growth, the nation's premier fiscal conservative advocacy group which helped propel Dr. Tom Coburn in the US Senate primary over establishment Republican Kirk Humphreys six years ago. While Thompson has the support of many establishment Republicans, he will likely face competition for that support with Cloud's entry in the race. As a sitting Corporation Commissioner, Cloud is also likely to draw financial support from the oil and gas industry that he regulates.

With the official filing period in June 2010 less than a year away, more candidates for various offices will be testing the water or officially announcing their intentions.