By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – Candidates for state, judicial, federal, district attorney offices will file April 1-3 at the Capitol.
All statewide elective offices are up for grabs as well as 101 state House seats and 25 Senate seats. Also, Oklahoma voters will decide who will fill one U.S. Senate seat and all five U.S. House seats.
The filing period in gubernatorial years draws more candidates than presidential elections because more candidates are on the ballot, said Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax.
The Senate seats on the ballot include that of Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shwnee, who is term limited in District 17. Jett’s successor will be decided in a special election.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is serving his last year of his second term and can’t seek reelection to that post.
Thirteen candidates have already filed paperwork with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission indicating they will run for governor.
Other statewide offices on the ballot include: lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, state superintendent, state auditor, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner and 1 of 3 corporation commissioners.
U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s seat is expected to be open when he is confirmed to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
All five U.S. House seats are also on the ballot. U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., has announced plans to run for Mullin’s seat, which means he cannot run again for his House seat in Congressional District 1.
Republicans hold 81 of 101 state House seats, 40 of 48 Senate seats and all statewide offices.
Some voters in downtown and central Oklahoma City could also have two races for the same seat. An overlapping special election will occur to determine who will fulfill the remainder of former Democrat state Rep. Forrest Bennett’s term while a second election will determine who will serve the next full term for House District 92. Bennett resigned last year to lead the AFL-CIO, a labor union group serving over 100,000 workers.
Filing for both races will also occur from April 1-3.
Senate Democrats have been trying to recruit candidates for more than a year, said Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City.
“We’ll have a lot of Senate Democratic candidates and I’m pleased,” she said.
Kirt and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said legislative pay is not an incentive for people to seek office.
In November, a panel voted to increase legislative pay to $54,900 from $47,500 and hike stipends for over a dozen legislative leaders.
“The best candidates, in my opinion, are the ones that it’s a sacrifice for them to come up here,” Paxton said. “It’s not because they are trying to promote themselves. They think they have something to offer the state of Oklahoma to make it a better place.”
The filing results will be posted on the State Election Board website, which usually has the information online within 15 to 20 minutes after the filing has been accepted, Ziraix said.
Ziraix said common mistakes candidates make is failing to complete the entire declaration of candidacy or to bring their voter registration verification form.
Filing fees vary depending on the position sought, and Ziriax said sometimes those paying by cashier’s check make it out to the wrong entity.
The check is supposed to be made out to the Secretary of the State Election Board, but not to him personally, Ziriax said.
“What I encourage every prospective candidate to do is carefully read the entire filing packet for the office they intend to file for and make sure they fully understand the qualifications and fully understand the requirements to file,” Ziriax said.
Candidate filing packets, fees and qualifications can be found on the Oklahoma State Election Board website.
Protests to candidates must be filed by 5 p.m. April 7, Ziriax said.
“The State Election Board will hear evidence presented and then we’ll make a decision about whether the petition is sufficient or not to strike the candidate from the ballot,” he said.
Candidates for county offices must file with their local election board, Ziriax said.
