5 things to know about election filing
The number of Oklahomans who filed last week to run for state and federal offices was unprecedented in this young century.
Driven by open seats in state and federal offices
and frustration with Oklahoma government, the total of 794 candidates dwarfed every election year since 2000, the earliest year for which the Oklahoma Election Board has comprehensive statistics.
Bryan Dean, of the state Election Board, tweeted Friday: “2018 candidate filing period has closed. 194 candidates filed today, for a three-day total of 794 candidates. “Yes, that is a lot.” Since filing closed, eight candidates have withdrawn.
However, the total is still nearly 200 candidates above the previous high since 2000.
That was 594 in 2006, which, like this year, had the governor and most other statewide offices on the ballot.
Even before last week, there were reasons this election season bore watching, among them the open-seat races for governor and the Tulsa-area congressional seat.
Now, the huge wave of candidates filing for office could make for a watershed year.
Here are five things of note about the filing surge.
Open seats were a big factor
This is the first year in which many of the statewide officers must step aside because of term limits, including Gov. Mary Fallin and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb. Most of the statewide offices are open.
A total of 15 candidates filed for governor this year, compared to seven that filed in 2014 when Fallin ran for reelection.
By the last day of filing, when two more Republican incumbents called it quits, there were 30 open seats out of 101 in the state House.
Of the 24 state Senate seats up for election this year, 11 were open because of term limits or retirements.
The Tulsa-area congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican honoring a term limits pledge, drew 10 candidates, compared to three in the 2016 race.
Recruiting on the left and right
Just a few weeks ago, a majority of incumbents running for reelection had no challenger who had registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
The idea that so many incumbents in such an unpopular Legislature might skate to reelection energized some people. Then, approval of the $474 million tax package in late March mobilized some conservatives to recruit candidates against the lawmakers who supported higher taxes.
And the teacher walkout was the topper. A Norman teacher told The Oklahoman that the goal was to recruit a challenger for every Republican incumbent seeking another term. They got close.
Many of those recruited were teachers, though some weren’t.
Jimmy Smith, a Republican from Lexington, said he was “completely recruited” by teachers for the House District 20 race against Republican state Rep. Bobby Cleveland, of Slaughterville.
Smith, 49, has been a pastor for 28 years and said he was approached because he knows a lot of people.
He called himself “a complete political novice,” which is true of many people who filed last week.
Legislature drove much of the filing
On the ballot this year are five congressional seats, several statewide offices and district judge, associate judge and district attorney positions around the state.
But 58 percent of the candidates who filed last week are vying for seats in the Oklahoma House or Senate. Four years ago, 46 percent of the candidates were running for the legislative seats.
Republicans have huge majorities in the 101-member House and the 48-member Senate. So they will be defending the most seats.
Here are some eyeopening comparisons to 2014, the last gubernatorial election year:
• 152 Democrats filed for the state House this year, compared to 66 in 2014;
• 210 Republicans filed for the House, compared to 131 in 2014;
• 462 candidates filed for the House and Senate this year, compared to 264 in 2014.
Mick Cornett did not file his own papers
Cornett, the former Oklahoma City mayor, is considered one of the front-runners in the GOP race for governor.
He was the only one of the major candidates in both parties that did not file his own papers, instead dispatching his campaign manager on the first day.
Filing occurred amid the teacher walkout, and thousands of teachers were in the Capitol and on the grounds when candidates arrived.
Cornett came out against the strike last month.
But most of the other GOP gubernatorial candidates did too, and they lined up for filing last week with teachers all around.
In a text, Cornett said it was his “first full day with the campaign, am at the campaign office trying to stay on the phones.”
Long way to go until Nov. 6
No votes have been cast.
A lot will happen between now and the general election on Nov. 6 .
Democratic Party Chair Anna Langthorn was thrilled last week that so many in her party filed for office, but she wasn’t predicting a takeover of the Republican-dominated Legislature or upsets in other contests.
“People are fired up and are particularly willing to run even if they don’t think they can win this year,” she said. “And that’s very exciting to me because we know that we’ve got to give voters a choice all over the state even if it’s been a traditionally conservative district.”
The primaries are June 26, with the runoff primaries set for August
28. From the Oklahoma Election Board, here is a partisan breakdown of the 794 candidates who filed for office last week:
• 329 Republicans
• 230 Democrats
• 14 Libertarians
• 23 Independents
• 198 nonpartisan (in judicial races)