By Constitution Staff

The U.S. Congress is composed of two chambers. Senators serve six-year terms with only a third of the seats up each election year. Each state has two seats in that upper chamber. All five Oklahoma seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up each election year since they serve two-year terms.

U.S. Senate

Senator Tom Coburn's unexpected decision to leave Congress two years early created the unusual situation of Oklahoma voters choosing two U.S. Senators, as the seat held by Senator Jim Inhofe was already up for election in 2014. Because Coburn's seat was not up until 2016, the special election for his post was for a "short term" of just two years, while Inhofe's post is for a full six-year term.

Senator Jim Inhofe, won the GOP nomination in the June Primary Election with 88% of the vote over four challengers. Inhofe, 79, has been a conservative leader since his days in the Oklahoma Legislature, as Mayor of Tulsa, his time in U.S. House of Representatives, and while in the U.S. Senate. Inhofe was first elected to the Senate in a special election in1994, and reelected with ease since then. Investment planner Matt Silverstein, 33, of Bixby was the only Democrat in the race. Inhofe also faced Independent candidates Ray Woods, 78, of Fairview; Joan Farr, 48, of Broken Arrow; and Aaron De Lozier, 30, who was listed as Wichita Falls, TX.

Inhofe won solidly in November with 68% of the vote. Silverstein came in at just over 28%, and the independent candidates garnered about 1% each.

The open seat for the "Unexpired Term"created by Coburn's early exit attracted some strong candidates for the Republican nomination.. With seven candidates running for the GOP nod, a runoff had been expected. But, fifth district Congressman James Lankford, 46, of Edmond won the nomination with 57% of the vote in the June Primary Election. After many years in church youth camp work, political novice Lankford surprised many observers with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. He again surprised pundits with his win of the Republican nomination in the senate race.

State Senator Connie Johnson, 61, of Forest Park (Oklahoma City area) finished first in the June 24 Democrat Primary with 44% of the vote and faced second place finisher Jim Rogers in the August 26 Runoff Primary. Johnson beat Rogers with 58% of the vote in the Runoff and contended with Lankford in the General Election.

With a 12% Conservative Index score, Johnson was among the most liberal members of the state Senate. She is opposed to the death penalty and has a solid pro-Abortion voting record. She was one of the leaders of the failed effort to get an initiative petition on the ballot to legalize the use of marijuana in Oklahoma.

There was also an Independent candidate on the November ballot. Mark Beard, 54, of Oklahoma City.

As expected, Lankford easily won the seat with almost 68% of the vote. Johnson came in at 29%, and Beard picked up just over 3%.

U.S. House

Candidates for four of Oklahoma's five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were on the ballot in the November election. First District (Tulsa area) incumbent Republican Jim Bridenstine, 38, was unopposed for reelection.

Markwayne Mullin, 36, of the Second District (Eastern Oklahoma, from the Kansas border to the Red River) won nomination for a second term in the June Primary, winning 80% of the vote. In the Democrat Primary, Earl Everett, 81, of Fort Gibson won the nomination. Everett was a Korean War veteran who ran for the seat in 2012, losing in the Primary election. Mullin and Everett joined Independent Jon Douthitt, 74, of Claremore on November General Election ballot.

Mullin won the November election with 70 percent of the vote, Everett received just under 25%, and Douthitt just over 5%. But, Everett was involved in a car crash on the Friday before the election and died two days later. Even though the Democrat Party had written off the race and had devoted few resources to the Everett campaign, Democrats asked for a new election. Current state law says the governor is allowed to call a special election in such cases, with the state party central committee choosing a replacement candidate. The Democrats named retiring state Sen. Jerry Ellis as a replacement candidate. However, the law was changed by the Legislature last year, and after January 1, 2015, special elections can only be called in such situations if a dead candidate actually wins the election. Election board officials said a special election could cost the state $250,000 to $350,000. The governor and State Election Board officials asked Attorney General Scott Pruitt's office for advice in the matter and Mullin was ultimately certified as the winner. The Democrat Party considered challenging the decision, but the cost of mounting a lawsuit and the likelihood that Mullin would prevail in a new election, proved to be too much of an obstacle for the party.

Long-time Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, 54, who was first elected in a special election in 1994, won renomination with 83% of the vote in the Primary. Lucas was opposed in the November election by Democrat Frankie Robbins, 68, of Medford. Robbins lost to Lucas in 2008 and 2010. He also ran in 2012, but lost in the Primary election. The third district covers most of the western and northern parts of the state. Lucas won reelection with just under 79% of the vote.

Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole, 64, won renomination with 84% of the vote in the Primary. In the November election he faced Bert Smith, 66, of Moore who won the Democrat nomination. Smith ran for the 5th Congressional District three times (2004, 2006, 2008), then moved to Moore and ran for the 4th District in 2012, losing in the Democrat primary. Independent Dennis B. Johnson, 74, of Norman was also on the general election ballot. Cole was reelected with nearly 71% of the vote, with Smith taking nearly 25%, and Johnson just over 4%.

With the decision of Fifth District Congressman James Lankford to run for the open U.S. Senate post, the seat he won in 2010 was open and attracted many candidates including six Republicans, three Democrats, and three Independents. Neither of the two parties selected their nominee in the June 24 Primary Election and so the battle for the respective nominations carried on to the August 26 Runoff Primary.

Former state Senator Steve Russell finished first in the June Primary and went on to defeat Corporation Commissioner Patrice Douglas in the August Runoff with 59% of the vote. Russell, 50, of Oklahoma City earned a 74% cumulative Conservative Index score during his tenure in the Legislature. Russell has been a staunch defender of the Second Amendment and the protection of the unborn. Serving as a military officer during the Iraq War, he was in charge of the unit that found dictator Saddam Hussein, and that publicity helped propel Russell to election to the state Senate.

With the open seat, Democrats were hoping to take back the central Oklahoma district that has been Republican since John Jarman switched from Democrat back in 1975. Three Democrats filed for the office and none received more than 50 percent of the vote in the Primary. Tom Guild finished in first place, followed by state Senator Al McAffrey. But, Sen. McAffrey went on to overtake Guild in the Runoff and won the party nomination with 54% of the vote. McAffrey, 65, of Oklahoma City was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2006, and reelected in 2008 and 2010. He won a special election to the state Senate in 2012. McAffrey had a cumulative average score of 14% on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

There were also three Independents on the November ballot. Robert Murphy, 66, a perennial candidate from Norman (you don't have to live in the district) also ran for the seat in 2012 and has run for various other offices in the past. He has previously run as a Libertarian and as an Independent. Minister Buddy Ray, 70, of Edmond and Tom Boggs, 51, of Thailand were the other Independents. The 5th District includes most of Oklahoma County, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties.

Russell won the seat with 61% of the vote, with McAffrey receiving just over 36%, and the independent candidate getting about 1% each.