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Home / “Symmetrical Showdown” in the Oklahoma Senate“Symmetrical Showdown” in the Oklahoma Senate
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 September 2008 11:08 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 10 September 2008 11:08
From the Ballot Box:
That doesn’t mean, however, that this is an entirely even fight. Republicans in Oklahoma feel confident because they have two great opportunities to win a 25th seat.
Perhaps the best is the open-seat race for the 21st District in Stillwater. The Republican candidate is Jim Halligan, who is a former president of Oklahoma State University.
Democrats are pinning their hopes on Bob Murphy a former district judge. Murphy raised eyebrows when he reapplied for his old judgeship a month after giving it up for the Senate campaign. He didn’t get his old job back, so he’s sticking in the race.
The other Republican target is in the Tulsa-based 37th District, where incumbent Nancy Riley is running for a third term, but her first as a Democrat. Riley’s party switch in 2006 is what prevented Republicans from winning the majority that year. The district has a Republican registration edge, which is fueling the G.O.P.’s optimism.