United States Senate elections in Oklahoma, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Jim Inhofe Incumbent |
68% | 558,166 | |
| Democratic | Matt Silverstein | 28.5% | 234,307 | |
| Independent | Ray Woods | 1.2% | 9,913 | |
| Independent | Aaron DeLozier | 0.9% | 7,793 | |
| Independent | Joan Farr | 1.3% | 10,554 | |
| Total Votes | 820,733 | |||
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board | ||||
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November 4, 2014 |
June 24, 2014 |
Jim Inhofe  |
Jim Inhofe |
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Cook Political Report: Solid Republican[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2] |
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Voters in Oklahoma elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the regular election on November 4, 2014. Oklahoma also held a special election on November 4, 2014, to fill the vacancy left by the retiring Sen. Tom Coburn (R).
Incumbent Jim Inhofe (R) defeated Democratic candidate Matt Silverstein and independent candidates Ray Woods, Aaron DeLozier and Joan Farr in the general election. He also defeated four challengers, the most he had ever faced, in the Republican primary on June 24, 2014.[3] Silverstein, an investment planner, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The race was correctly predicted to be a "Safe Republican" contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.[4]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Oklahoma, the Republican Party conducts a closed primary, in which only registered party members may participate. The Democratic Party holds a semi-closed primary, in which unaffiliated voters may participate.[5]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by May 30, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 10, 2014 (25 days prior to the election).[6]
- See also: Oklahoma elections, 2014
Incumbent: The election filled the Senate seat held by Jim Inhofe (R). Inhofe was first elected in 1994.
Candidates
General election candidates
June 24, 2014, primary results
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Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Inhofe Incumbent |
68% | 558,166 | |
| Democratic | Matt Silverstein | 28.5% | 234,307 | |
| Independent | Ray Woods | 1.2% | 9,913 | |
| Independent | Aaron DeLozier | 0.9% | 7,793 | |
| Independent | Joan Farr | 1.3% | 10,554 | |
| Total Votes | 820,733 | |||
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board | ||||
Primary election
Incumbent Jim Inhofe defeated D. Jean McBride-Samuels, Erick Wyatt, Evelyn Rogers and Rob Moye in the Republican primary on June 24, 2014.[3]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jim Inhofe Incumbent |
87.7% | 231,131 | ||
| Erick Wyatt | 4.5% | 11,950 | ||
| Evelyn Rogers | 4.4% | 11,701 | ||
| Rob Moye | 1.8% | 4,841 | ||
| D. Jean McBride-Samuels | 1.5% | 3,960 | ||
| Total Votes | 263,583 | |||
| Source: Results via Associated Press |
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Republican challengers
Challenger D. Jean McBride-Samuels ran against Inhofe because "He's been there too long. He should be fighting for change if (he's) going to be in Washington for almost three decades; you need to keep fighting."[9] Inhofe was 79 during the 2014 midterms. Erick Wyatt also argued that Oklahoma needed "new blood" in the Senate and ran because he did not think Inhofe was conservative enough.[9] Evelyn Rogers, who ran for the seat for a third time, said, “I want to get in there and help other people. I don’t know any other way to do than to keep running until I’m elected.”[10] Inhofe also faced Rob Moye, a retired air traffic controller, who wanted to see someone in the Senate with “better negotiating skills” than Inhofe.[10]
Key votes
Below are important votes that Inhofe cast during the 113th Congress.
Economy
Government shutdown
- See also: United States budget debate, 2013
During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[11] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Inhofe was the only senator who did not vote on the bill.[12]
No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013
Inhofe voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[13]
Immigration
Mexico-U.S. border
Inhofe did not vote on Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[14]
Media
Jim Inhofe
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Endorsements
Jim Inhofe
- FreedomWorks endorsed Jim Inhofe on March 17, 2014.[15]
Polls
| General election | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Jim Inhofe | Matt Silverstein | Other | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||
| Rasmussen (dead link) July 15-16, 2014 | 58% | 27% | 4% | 10% | +/-4 | 750 | |||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected] | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign contributions
| Candidate ballot access |
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| Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
Jim Inhofe
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Inhofe’s reports.[16]
| Jim Inhofe (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[17] | April 15, 2013 | $659,217.92 | $179,808.25 | $(90,695.90) | $748,330.27 | ||||
| July Quarterly[18] | July 15, 2013 | $748,330.27 | $729,883.36 | $(263,330.94) | $1,214,882.69 | ||||
| October Quarterly[19] | October 15, 2013 | $1,214,882.69 | $792,260.03 | $(447,341.60) | $1,559,801.12 | ||||
| Year-End Quarterly[20] | April 15, 2014 | $1,559,801.12 | $400,408.62 | $(379,957.14) | $1,580,252.60 | ||||
| April Quarterly[21] | April 15, 2014 | $1,580,252.60 | $286,676.30 | $(256,653.58) | $1,610,275.32 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[22] | June 12, 2014 | $1,610,275.32 | $263,994.84 | $(305,948.86) | $1,568,321.30 | ||||
| July Quarterly[23] | September 30, 2014 | $1,568,321.30 | $158,672.41 | $(134,557.62) | $1,592,436.09 | ||||
| October Quarterly[24] | October 15, 2014 | $1,592,436.09 | $368,584.51 | $(825,376.36) | $1,135,644.24 | ||||
| Pre-General[25] | October 23, 2014 | $1,135,644.24 | $104,801.00 | $(528,178.55) | $712,266.69 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $3,285,089.32 | $(3,232,040.55) | ||||||||
Matt Silverstein
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Silverstein's reports.[26]
| Matt Silverstein (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly[27] | July 15, 2013 | $0 | $83,336 | $(9,119) | $74,216 | ||||
| October Quarterly[28] | October 15, 2013 | $74,216 | $101,830 | $(50,168) | $98,662 | ||||
| Year-End Quarterly[29] | December 31, 2013 | $98,662 | $58,520 | $(65,518) | $101,193 | ||||
| April Quarterly[30] | April 15, 2014 | $101,193.80 | $82,805.08 | $(78,295.91) | $105,702.97 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[31] | June 12, 2014 | $105,702.97 | $33,349.00 | $(88,914.10) | $50,137.87 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $359,840.08 | $(292,015.01) | ||||||||
Election history
2010
On November 2, 2010, Tom Coburn won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Jim Rogers (D), Stephen P. Wallace (I) and Ronald F. Dwyer (I) in the general election.[32]
| U.S. Senate, Oklahoma General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tom Coburn incumbent |
70.6% | 718,482 | |
| Democratic | Jim Rogers | 26.1% | 265,814 | |
| Independent | Stephen P. Wallace | 2.5% | 25,048 | |
| Independent | Ronald F. Dwyer | 0.8% | 7,807 | |
| Total Votes | 1,017,151 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, James M. Inhofe won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Andrew Rice (D) and Stephen P. Wallace (I) in the general election.[33]
| U.S. Senate, Oklahoma General Election, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Jim Inhofe incumbent |
56.7% | 763,375 | |
| Democrat | Andrew Rice | 39.2% | 527,736 | |
| Independent | Stephen P. Wallace | 4.1% | 55,708 | |
| Total Votes | 1,346,819 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma, 2014
- United States Senate elections, 2014
- United States Senate special election in Oklahoma, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 Senate RACE RATINGS FOR August 15, 2014," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate Races," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Associated Press, "Oklahoma - Summary Vote Results," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "2014 Election Race Ratings," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board Website, "Voter Registration in Oklahoma," accessed April 27, 2023
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board Website, "Voter Registration in Oklahoma," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Associated Press, "Oklahoma - Summary Vote Results," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Ok.gov, "Candidates for Federal, State and Legislative Offices," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The State, "Oklahoma GOP Sen. Inhofe, 79, seeking 4th term," accessed June 19, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tulsa World, "Jim Inhofe a big favorite in Oklahoma's 'other' U.S. Senate race," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 325 - To Ensure the Complete and Timely Payment of the Obligations of the United States Government Until May 19, 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "S Amdt 1197 - Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "FreedomWorks backs Ted Yoho, Tim Scott, Mark Sanford," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Inhofe Summary Report," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year-End Quarterly," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Pre-Primary," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Pre-General," accessed November 3, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Matt Silverstein Summary Report," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year-End Quarterly," accessed February 20, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Pre-Primary," accessed June 18, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
