Inhofe holds off challenger
U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe has been re elected, extending his tenure as the state's l ongestserving member of the Senate and one of t he most senior Republicans in Washington, D.C.
The Associated Press called the election for Inhofe shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. He ultimately won with nearly 63% of the vote.
The race offered Oklahomans a stark difference in candidates: the solidly conservative old-guard Republican versus an unapologetic progressive Democrat who peppered I nhofe with critiques about his takes on climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and President Donald Trump's recent Supreme Court pick.
One of the most consistent slogans throughout Broyles' campaign was a call to "Retire Inhofe," a nod to his lengthy career in politics, and perhaps, his age. Inhofe will be 92 years old when this latest six-year term expires.
As Oklahoma' s senior U.S. senator, I nhofe serves as chair of the Armed Services Committee and is one of the most vocal supporters of military spending in either party.
In a recent interview with The Oklahoman, Inhofe wouldn't commit to serving a full sixyear term in office. His chairman ship of the Senate Armed Services Committee is term-limited in four years, but only if Republicans retain their majority.
After years in local politics, Inhofe arrived in Washington, D. C ., over three decades ago as a freshman congressman from Tulsa. In 1994, he won his first election to the U.S. Senate when David Boren retired to lead the University of Oklahoma.
No Democrat has received more than 40% of the vote against Inhofe in his Senate races. Broyles drew almost 33% and didn't win a single county.
Broyles hoped to capitalize on a blue wave as Democrats across t he country found control of the Senate within reach for the first time in five years.
She raised more money than In ho fe in the final months of the campaign, but she never had support from the national Democratic Party. Broyles had no political experience, and was a longshot from the beginning because of Oklahoma's overwhelming Republican majority.
In a dig at Senate Democrats' fundrais-ing apparatus last week, Broyles tweeted about their decision to ignore her race.
"Well, screw 'em," she wrote, asking her supporters to chip in more funds.
Over the course of the campaign, however, Inhofe raised more than $5 million and spent twice as much as Broyles raised.