The Oklahoma Democratic Party (ODP) is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the Democratic Party. It and the Oklahoma Republican Party, are the state's two major parties.
The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma almost since the days of early statehood in 1907 to 1994. In national politics, the party became a dominant force beginning with the presidential election of 1932 and the Franklin D. Roosevelt political re-alignment. From 1932 to 1994, the majority of members of Congress from Oklahoma have been Democrats, and of the 28 men and women who have been elected to the office of Governor of Oklahoma, 22 have been Democrats.Oklahoma Government, Oklahoma Historical Society (accessed February 11, 2010).
However, the party has fared poorly since 1994; Democrats lost five out of six congressional races that year. Since then, they have won only a handful of seats, which they no longer hold. In response, the traditionally disorganized Oklahoma Democrats moved to create a more organized state party, hiring a professional executive director in 1995. Even so, ODP continued to decline in the 2000s, losing control of both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Oklahoma gave one of the lowest percentage of any state's vote to Barack Obama, second only to Wyoming. Since 2004, Republicans have won every county in Presidential Elections in Oklahoma.
As of January 21, 2025, there are 658,136 registered Democratic voters in Oklahoma. This marks an increase in absolute terms from 652,611 in 2024, but a relative decrease from 28.4% to 26.6% of registered voters.State Election Board Releases Annual Voter Registration Statistics, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed 21 June 2021)
History Statehood and the 20th Century The Oklahoma Democratic Party once dominated state politics for much of Oklahoma history from with its strength in greatest concentrations in Oklahoma's 5th congressional district and the southeastern part of the state.
Upon statehood, all but one of the Congressional seats was held by Democrats. The Democrats won eighteen of the twenty-one gubernatorial elections since its statehood in 1907. The Democratic Party held on average 81 percent of the seats in the state legislature between 1907 and 1973.Carney, George O., "McGuire, George O. (1865-1930) ," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 28, 2010). With the onset of the Great Depression, the party gained even more influence for several decades
Democratic opposition to deficit spending in the late 1930s marked a growing conservative movement in the party, which led to a 1941 constitutional amendment requiring legislators to pass a balanced budget.Everett, Dianna. Budget-Balancing Amendment , Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
After the federal Voting Rights Act and congressional reapportionment in Oklahoma in the 1960s, black state lawmakers returned to the Oklahoma Legislature, this time many aligning with the Democratic Party and hailing from Tulsa or Oklahoma City.Franklin, Jimmie Lewis. African Americans , Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013)
Since the 1980s the party has seen a decline as Christian fundamentalists have shifted to the Republican Party. The Democratic Party has not attained more than 41 percent of the vote for president.
21st Century As of 2000 about 55 percent of Oklahoma voters registered as Democrats. The party continued to decline in strength in both the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch during the 2000 and 2010s. In 2011, Republicans held all statewide-elected offices, a first for the party. However, this downward trend was halted in the late 2010s, with Oklahoma Democrats stabilizing at approximately 20 seats in the State House and 8 seats in the State Senate. Furthermore, Kendra Horn managed to defeat Republican Steve Russell in 2018, becoming the first Democratic Representative from Oklahoma since 2010.
In the 2020 Oklahoma elections, Democrat Mauree Turner became the first Muslim Oklahoma state legislator and the first publicly non-binary U.S. state legislator in the United States.
In the 2022 Gubernatorial Election, ODP ran Joy Hofmeister the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Hofmeister, a former Republican, defeated Constance Johnson a State Senator associated with the Democratic Socialists of America, in the Democratic primary. In the general election against incumbent Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, education and pandemic-related issues dominated the closer than expected race, however, Stitt won re-election with 55.4% of the vote against Hofmeister's 41.8%.
In the 2024 Tulsa Mayoral election, Monroe Nichols made history as Tulsa's first African-American mayor and its first Democratic mayor since 2006
Electoral history Election yearNo. ofHouse seats+/–GovernorshipNo. ofSenate seats+/–1907 16Charles N. Haskell 61908 23 41910 13Lee Cruce 31912 7 31914 1Robert L. Williams 41916 6 11918 4James B.A. Robertson 61920 43 71922 59Jack C. Walton 51924 10Martin Trapp 61926 2Henry S. Johnston 31928 25 11930 37William H. Murray 21932 6 71934 3E.W. Marland 41936 4 11938 10Leon C. Phillips 11940 6 11942 17Robert S. Kerr 21944 2 21946 0Roy J. Turner 01948 10 11950 8Johnston Murray 11952 7 21954 6Raymond D. Gary 11956 1 21958 10J. Howard Edmondson 01960 3 11962 11 Henry Bellmon 21964 2 11966 1 Dewey F. Bartlett 21968 1 11970 0 David Hall 11972 1 11974 0 David L. Boren 01976 3 01978 4 George Nigh 11980 2 11982 0 21984 6 01986 1 Henry Bellmon 31988 1 31990 2 David Walters 21992 0 11994 7 Frank Keating 41996 1 21998 0 02000 6 22002 1 Brad Henry 12004 1 02006 11 22008 4 22010 9 Mary Fallin 62012 2 42014 0 42016 3 02018 1 Kevin Stitt 12020 5 02022 1 12024
Note:
Current structure and composition
ODP hosts a statewide convention in June of odd-numbered years, where delegates representing the county parties elect executive officers. The State Convention is the highest governing body and possesses the exclusive right to amend the Party Constitution. Additionally, the State Convention elects Oklahoma's delegates to the Democratic National Committee, which is responsible for promoting Democratic campaign activities, overseeing the process of writing the national Democratic Platform, and supervising the Democratic National Convention. Delegates serve four-year terms concurrent with presidential elections.
The Chair is the highest ranking member of the ODP. The current ODP Chair is Erin Brewer.State Central Committee, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010). Former Governor David Walters and Kalyn Free are delegates for the Democratic National Committee.
State Central Committee Between conventions, the State Central Committee functions as the senior most decision making body in ODP and wields the same powers as the State Convention, "except for those matters exclusively vested in the State Convention [i.e. Amendment power] by this Constitution and supporting Bylaws." (Article VII, Section 7)
The State Central Committee is composed of the State Party Officers, the chair, vice-chair, and secretary of each Congressional District Convention, four affirmative action offices to represent historically marginalized groups, two members of the County Chairs Association, the president of each recognized federation of a State Democratic club. The following persons are members of the State Central Committee:
State Executive Party Officers Source: and Chair, Erin Brewer Vice Chair, Representative Ron Stewart Secretary, Alberto Alonso-Sandoval Treasurer, Kati Cain
Congressional District 1
Chair, Jim Provenzano Vice Chair, Dr. Kate Williams Secretary, Emily Gamel
Congressional District 2
Chair, Stacy Gorley Vice Chair, Clayton Smith Secretary, Charlotte Young
Congressional District 3
Chair, Sarah Carnes Vice Chair, Avery McIntyre Secretary, Jim Potts
Congressional District 4
Chair, Carroll Asseo Vice Chair, Travis Darling Secretary, Madeline Dillner
Congressional District 5
Chair, Mary Jo Kinzie Vice Chair, Ward Curtain Secretary, Susan Reid
Affirmative Action Committee
Matthew Lucas Cing Nuam Cristian Zapata Hermorene Douglas-Ezeobele
OK State Senate Democrats
Senator Mary Boren
OK State House Democrats
Representative Jared Deck
Oklahoma Federation of Democratic Women
Chair, Bettye Rector
Oklahoma Stonewall Democratic Federation
Chair, Amber Jensen
Young Democrats of Oklahoma
Chair, Justin Worley
Oklahoma Democratic Party Veterans Federation
Chair, Rita Maxwell
Oklahoma African American Democratic Federation
Chair, Burlinda Radney
Oklahoma Latino Democratic Federation
Chair, Alex Yeverino
Oklahoma Democratic Disability Federation
Chair, Barbara Cox
Oklahoma Democratic Native American Federation
Chair, Matt Hecox
Oklahoma HAAPI Democrats
Chair, Amy Hossain
Oklahoma Democratic County Chairs Association
Amy Warne - Oklahoma County Parker McClary - Haskell County
Staff ODP staff are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the party and mostly operate at ODP office located in Oklahoma City. ODP staffwork is assisted by interns and volunteers.
Ideology and issues
The Oklahoma Democratic Party (ODP) does not explicitly identify itself with any ideology. The Preamble of the Party Constitution reads:We, the Democrats of the State of Oklahoma, united under the banner of the oldest political party in the world, hereby rededicate ourselves to the principles which have historically sustained our Party. While recognizing the limits of government, we regard democratic government as a force for good and a source of hope. We seek individual freedom in the framework of a just society. We pledge ourselves to uphold the United States Constitution and to work openly and honestly in our efforts to conduct public affairs in a manner worthy of a society of free and responsible citizens.The 2024 State Party Platform restates this big-tent approach saying ODP, "is preprepared to work collaboratively with our fellow Oklahomans, regardless of political party, to invest in and enrich our communities throughout the state. Together, we will meet the challenges and opportunities before us with wisdom, determination, and compassion." [Emphasis in original]
Historically, ODP was composed of conservative, centrist and liberal factions. Less than a third of registered Democratic voters in Oklahoma supported President Barack Obama in 2012, due to the larger amount of conservative and centrist members of the ODP vis other state parties.2012 Election Analysis: Obama and Oklahoma Democrats, Soonerpoll.com (accessed May 11, 2013) In recent years the party has adopted more liberal positions on social and economic issues. At the 2023 State Convention, the platform endorsed a more progressive tax code to pay for public services and endorsed positions on abortion and transgender healthcare in line with the national party.
Church & State Issues
Crime
Drugs
Firearms
Republicans have loosened gun restrictions in Oklahoma, resulting in Oklahoma possessing one of the most permissive firearm regimes in the world. Examples of laws enacted include reciprocal recognition of concealed carry licenses from other states, a law which was rendered moot by the passage of a constitutional amendment recognizing the right of adults over the age of 21 to openly carry loaded firearms without a permit, license, or background check.
Oklahoma has one of the highest gun violence rates in the country, with 19.9 gun deaths per 100k residents, higher than the national average of 13.7 per 100k residents. Furthermore, Oklahoma has one oft the highest gun suicide rates in the country.