John William Elmer Thomas was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the Lawton area. In 1922, he ran successfully on the Democratic Party ticket for the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1926; he won this race and held the seat until 1950, when he lost the party nomination to A.S. (Mike) Monroney. Thomas returned to a private law practice in Washington, D.C., and in 1957 moved his practice back to Lawton, where he died in 1965.
Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1951 to 1969, and previously as the United States representative for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district from 1939 until 1951. A member of the Democratic Party, Monroney was the last Democrat to hold Oklahoma’s Class 3 Senate seat.
Brian John Bingman is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who has served in elected and appointed offices since the 1990s. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the Sapulpa city commission in 1992, before being elected mayor by his fellow commissioners in 1994. He would serve in both of these offices until 2004, when he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives to represent the 30th district. After one term in the house, Bingman ran for the 12th district of the Oklahoma Senate in 2006 and would hold the seat until term limited in 2016. In 2011, he was elected by Republican senators to serve as the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, a position he would hold until retirement in 2016.
The 1968 United States Senate election in Oklahoma was held November 3, 1968. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mike Monroney was running for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican Henry Bellmon. This election was the first time since 1942 that a Republican won a United States Senate election in Oklahoma and the first time since 1920 that a Republican won a United States Senate election in Oklahoma for this seat.
The 1944 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 7, 1944. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a fourth term. Thomas once again faced a stiff challenge in the Democratic primary, this time from Congressman Wesley E. Disney and Lieutenant Governor James E. Berry. As was the case in 1938, Thomas won renomination only with a narrow plurality. In the general election, he faced former State Senator William J. Otjen, the 1942 Republican nominee for Governor. Though Thomas's performance was much reduced compared to six years prior, he still defeated Otjen by a wide margin.
The 1948 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 1948. Incumbent Republican Senator Edward H. Moore declined to run for re-election. A crowded Democratic primary, including the former Governor, multiple members of Congress, and several statewide elected officials, developed; former Governor Robert S. Kerr won a slim plurality in the initial primary and then defeated former Congressman Gomer Smith by a wide margin in the runoff. On the Republican side, Congressman Ross Rizley had an easy path to the nomination. Kerr defeated Rizley in a landslide, largely similar to President Harry S. Truman's landslide victory in Oklahoma over Republican presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey.
The 1932 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1932. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a second term. Thomas faced a crowded path to renomination, and only won the Democratic primary following a runoff election with attorney Gomer Smith. On the Republican side, oil magnate Wirt Franklin similarly won the Republican nomination in a runoff election. Thomas overwhelmingly defeated Franklin to win re-election, aided by Democratic presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt's landslide win in Oklahoma over Republican President Herbert Hoover.
The 1920 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 1920. Incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas Gore ran for re-election to a third term. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Congressman Scott Ferris. In the general election, Ferris faced fellow Congressman John W. Harreld, the Republican nominee. Likely helped by Republican presidential nominee Warren G. Harding's victory in Oklahoma over Democratic nominee James M. Cox, Harreld defeated Ferris by a similar margin to Harding's.
The 1942 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 3, 1942. Incumbent Democratic Senator Joshua B. Lee ran for re-election to a second consecutive term. After winning the Democratic primary against several strong opponents, Lee advanced to the general election, where he was originally set to face former Republican Senator William B. Pine. However, shortly after winning the Republican primary, Pine died; the state Republican Party tapped businessman Edward H. Moore as its replacement nominee. In a favorable Republican environment, Moore defeated Lee by a wide margin to win his first and only term in the U.S. Senate.
The 1938 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Democratic Senator Elmer Thomas ran for re-election to a third term. He faced a spirited challenge in the Democratic primary from Congressman Gomer Smith and Governor E. W. Marland, but won the nomination with a slim plurality. In the general election, Thomas faced former State Senator Harry O. Glasser, the Republican nominee. Despite the nationwide trend favoring Republicans, Thomas overwhelmingly won re-election.
The 1956 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Democratic Senator Mike Monroney ran for re-election to a second term. He avoided a contentious Democratic primary when Lieutenant Governor Cowboy Pink Williams declined to challenge him and easily won renomination. In the general election, he faced Republican state party chairman Douglas McKeever. Even though President Dwight D. Eisenhower was winning the state handily, Monroney won re-election by a wide margin.
The 1924 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 4, 1924. Incumbent Democratic Senator Robert Latham Owen declined to run for re-election. In a crowded Democratic primary, impeached former Governor Jack C. Walton won the party's nomination with a narrow plurality. In the general election, he faced businessman William B. Pine, the Republican nominee. Though Democratic presidential nominee John W. Davis narrowly won the state over President Calvin Coolidge, Walton's unpopularity and controversy caused Democrats to lose the seat; Pine defeated Walton in a landslide.
The 1926 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 1926. Incumbent Republican Senator John W. Harreld ran for re-election to a second term. After facing many challengers in a crowded Republican primary, he advanced to the general election. In the Democratic primary, Congressman Elmer Thomas beat out a similarly crowded field, which included former Governor Jack C. Walton, to win his party's nomination with a plurality. In the general election, Thomas defeated Herrald in a landslide, winning his first of four terms in the U.S. Senate.
The 1930 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 4, 1930. Incumbent Republican Senator William B. Pine ran for re-election to a second term. In the Democratic primary, former U.S. Senator Thomas Gore emerged victorious in a crowded Democratic primary that included three former governors and one of the first female candidates for statewide office. Gore won a slim plurality in the initial election, and defeated C. J. Wrightsman, an oilman from Tulsa, in the runoff by a wide margin. In the general election, aided by the national Democratic landslide, Gore narrowly defeated Pine, returning to the Senate for one final term.
The 1936 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 3, 1936. Incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas Gore ran for re-election to his second consecutive term, and fifth term overall. He ended up easily losing renomination, however; he placed a distant fourth in the Democratic primary. A runoff election between Congressman Joshua B. Lee and Governor Ernest W. Marland resulted in a landslide win for Lee. In the general election, Lee faced Republican nominee Herbert K. Hyde, whom he overwhelmingly defeated.
The 1954 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic Senator Robert S. Kerr ran for re-election to a second term. He faced strong competition in the Democratic primary from former Governor Roy J. Turner, and though he won a sizable victory over Turner in the primary, he fell shy of an outright majority. Turner, however, withdrew from the race before a runoff election could be held. On the Republican side, U.S. Attorney Fred Mock won the nomination following a runoff against newspaper publisher Raymond Fields. In the general election, Kerr ended up easily defeating Mock, but with a significantly reduced victory from 1948.
The 1960 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 8, 1960. Incumbent Democratic Senator Robert S. Kerr ran for re-election to a third term. He won the Democratic primary in a landslide and then faced former U.S. Attorney B. Hayden Crawford, the Republican nominee, in the general election. Even as Vice President Richard Nixon was winning Oklahoma in a landslide over John F. Kennedy, Kerr was able to defeat Crawford by a wide margin, winning his third term. However, Kerr died just shy of two years into his third term, on January 1, 1963. He was replaced by Governor J. Howard Edmondson in the Senate and a special election was held in 1964.
The 1962 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Democratic Senator Mike Monroney was re-elected to a third term. After winning a sizable victory in the Democratic primary, Monroney faced Republican former U.S. Attorney B. Hayden Crawford in the general election. Monroney won his last term in the Senate before his defeat in 1968. This election marks the last time that a Democrat has won Oklahoma's Class 3 Senate seat.
The 1964 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma took place on November 3, 1964. Democratic Senator Robert S. Kerr, who won re-election to his third term in 1960, died in office on January 1, 1963. Governor J. Howard Edmondson resigned from office so that his Lieutenant Governor, George Nigh, could appoint him to the U.S. Senate. Edmondson ran for election in the ensuing special election, and faced strong competition from former Governor Raymond D. Gary and State Senator Fred R. Harris. Edmondson placed first in the primary, but failed to win a majority, with Harris narrowly beating out Gary for second place. In the runoff, Harris defeated Edmondson in a landslide. In the general election, Harris faced former Oklahoma Sooners football coach Bud Wilkinson, the Republican nominee. Even though President Lyndon B. Johnson won Oklahoma by a wide margin over Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, the Senate race was much closer. Ultimately, Harris only narrowly defeated Wilkinson by just 2% of the vote.
The 2022 Oklahoma Senate general election were held on November 8, 2022. The primary elections for the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties' nominations took place on June 28, 2022. Runoff primary elections, if no candidate received 50% in the June 28 vote, took place on August 23. All candidates had to file between the days of April 13–15, 2022. Oklahoma voters elected state senators in 24 of the state's 48 Senate districts. State senators served four-year terms in the Oklahoma Senate.
Government 