Oklahoma, U.S. Senate
Race Forecast: Republican Favored
Vote for winner in 2002: 57 percent
Inhofe ’ s conservative rhetoric, including pushback against those promoting global warming as an urgent issue, has been popular in this conservative state since he won a Senate seat in a 1994 special election. Democrats insist his hard-right views are wearing thin and successfully encouraged Democratic state Sen. Andrew Rice to take on the incumbent.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Sen. James M. Inhofe, R
- First Elected: 1994 (2nd full term)
- Last Elected: 2002 (57.3%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Challengers: Andrew Rice, D; Stephen Wallace, I
- Race Forecast: Republican Favored
State Information
- U.S. Senate Delegation: 2 Republicans
- U.S. House Delegation: 1 Democrat, 4 Republicans
- Oklahoma's Other Senator
- Sen. Tom Coburn-R
- First Elected: 2004 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2004 (52.77%)
- State Offices
- Governor: Gov. Brad Henry, D
- First Elected: 2002 (2nd term)
- State House Control: Republican
- State Senate Control: TIED
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population (2005):3,547,884
- Under 18:25.9%
- Over 65:13.2%
- Non-Hispanic White:74.1%
- Black:7.5%
- Hispanic:5.2%
- Asian:1.3%
- American Indian:7.7%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander:0.1%
- Median Household Income: 33,400
- Median Household Income Rank: 45
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | James Inhofe (R) | 763,102 | 56.7% |
| Andrew Rice (D) | 527,569 | 39.2% | ||
| Stephen Wallace (I) | 55,683 | 4.1% | ||
| 2002 | general | James Inhofe (R) | 583,579 | 57.3% |
| David Walters (D) | 369,789 | 36.3% | ||
| James Germalic (I) | 65,056 | 6.4% | ||
| 1996 | general | James M. Inhofe (R) | 670,610 | 56.7% |
| Jim Boren (D) | 474,162 | 40.1% | ||
| Bill Maguire (I) | 15,092 | 1.3% | ||
| Agnes Marie Regier (LIBERT) | 14,595 | 1.2% | ||
| Chris Nedbalek (I) | 8,691 | 0.7% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 34% | George W. Bush: 66% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 38% | George W. Bush: 60% | |
| 1996 | Bill Clinton: 40% | Robert Dole: 48% | |
| 1992 | Bill Clinton: 34% | George H. W. Bush: 43% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUMPHREYS, KIRK (R) | March 31, 2005 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,101.00 | $250,000.00 |
| COBURN, THOMAS A (R) | September 30, 2008 | $219,842.00 | $181,737.00 | $2,335.00 | $118,874.00 | $69,090.00 | $0 |
| INHOFE, JAMES M (R) | November 24, 2008 | $5,400,486.00 | $5,404,048.00 | $330,220.00 | $3,581,010.00 | $458,895.00 | $0 |
| CARSON, BRAD R (D) | September 30, 2008 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $46,365.00 | $0 |
| WALLACE, STEPHEN PAUL (I) | October 15, 2008 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| ANTHONY, BOB (R) | December 31, 2007 | $0 | $678.00 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $128,000.00 |
| RICE, ANDREW MONROE (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,866,382.00 | $2,846,487.00 | $91,771.00 | $2,609,723.00 | $19,897.00 | $0 |
| ROGERS, EVELYN L (R) | August 4, 2008 | $2,427.00 | $2,409.00 | $0 | $88.00 | $0 | $0 |
