Primary competition remains steady in Oklahoma’s legislative races for third straight election cycle


There are 125 seats up for election this year in Oklahoma’s legislature—24 in the Senate and 101 in the House. There are 51 total contested primaries in 2024 (six Democratic and 45 Republican). This is in line with the numbers from the past two cycles (49 in 2022 and 52 in 2020).

Incumbents facing primary challengers follow a similar trend. In 2024, 29 incumbents face primary challengers, a rate of 28.2%. That figure was 26 (24.8%) in 2022 and 33 (28.9%) in 2020.

Oklahoma legislators are limited to serving 12 total years in either or both chambers. Three members of the Senate are term-limited in 2024, and four members of the House are term-limited.

The decade-high for both contested primaries and incumbents facing primary challengers was in 2018. That year, there were 117 contested primaries (49 Democratic and 68 Republican), and 37 incumbents faced primary challengers, a rate of 45.1%.

Oklahoma has been a Republican trifecta since 2011. Democrats held a trifecta from 2003-2004, and the state had divided government for the years in between.

Oklahoma’s state legislative primaries are scheduled for June 18.