Oklahoma Democratic Party

Oklahoma Democratic Party
Democratic Party
Chairperson Wallace Collins
Senate Leader Andrew Rice
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
House Leader Scott Inman
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Founded 1907
Headquarters George Krumme Center
4100 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Ideology Moderate Democrats
Conservative Democrats
Unofficial colors Blue
Political position Fiscal: Center-left
Social: Center-left
Seats in the US Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the US House
1 / 5
OK statewide offices held
0 / 11
Seats in the OK Senate
16 / 48
Seats in the OK House
31 / 101
Website
Oklahoma Democratic Party
Politics of Oklahoma
Elections

The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. Along with the Oklahoma Republican Party, it one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics.

The Oklahoma Democratic Party describes itself as neither liberal or conservative, but "squarely in the center of the political spectrum."[1] The party mission statement goes on to say:

Unlike the far left, we know that less government is sometimes a better government, and that government cannot solve every difficulty faced by our society. But, unlike the far right, we understand there is a role for government to play in finding solutions to our country's problems.

[1]

The party has dominated local politics in Oklahoma almost since the days of early statehood in 1907. In national politics, the party became a dominant force beginning with the presidential election of 1932 and the Franklin D. Roosevelt political re-alignment. Since 1932, the majority of members of Congress from Oklahoma have been Democrats, and of the 26 men who have been elected to the office of Governor of Oklahoma, 22 have been Democrats.[2]

However, the party has fared poorly since 1994. Democrats lost all six Congressional races that year and since then have only won a single seat back. In response, the traditionally disorganized Oklahoma Democrats have taken steps to create a more organized state party, hiring a professional executive director in 1995.[3] Even so, Democrats continued to lose ground in the 2000s, losing control of both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate. In 2008, Oklahoma gave the lowest percentage of any state's vote to national Democrat Barack Obama in the presidential election.

Contents

History

The Oklahoma Democratic Party dominated state politics for much of Oklahoma history, with its strength in greatest concentrations in the southeastern part of the state, known as "Little Dixie" because of the post-Reconstruction migration of people from southern states such as Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas.[3]

Upon statehood, all but one of the Congressional seats was held by Democrats. The Democrats won eighteen of the twenty-one gubernatorial eletions since its statehood in 1907. The Democratic Party held on average 81 perecne of the seats in the state legislature between 1907 and 1973. [4] With the onset of the Great Depression, the party gained even more influence for several decades.

Since the 1980s the party has seen a decline as Christian fundamentalists have shifted to the Republican Party. The Democrat Party has not not attained more than 41 percent of the vote for president. As of 2000 about 55 percentof Oklahoma voters registred as Democrats. [5] The party continues to decline in strength in both the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch. For the first time since statehood, Republicans hold all statewide-elected offices starting in 2011.

Headquarters and leadership

The Oklahoma Democratic Party headquarters are located at the George Krumme Center, 4100 North Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City.[6] Wallace Collins is the chair. Dana Orwig, who was defeated by Collins for the chair position, was elected vice chair.[7] Jim Frasier and Betty McElderry are members of the Democratic National Committee.[8] The executive officers are elected at biennial state conventions in May of odd-numbered years. The elected DNC committee delegates serve four-year terms concurrent with presidential elections.

2011 Oklahoma Democratic Party State Convention

The Oklahoma Democratic Party held their State Convention on May 14, 2011 to address multiple issues and to seek resolutions. The purpose of the meetting was to elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurere of the Oklahoma Democratic Party for a two year term of office. The committee also elected fourst state Affirmative Action Committee (two men and two women); to consider proposed amendments to the Oklahoma Democrat Party Constitution and Bylaws; to consider resoultions.[9]

Famous Oklahoma Democrats

Current elected officials

The Oklahoma Democratic Party holds none of the statewide offices, no majority in either state legislative chamber, neither of the state's U.S. Senate seats, but holds one of the state's U.S. House seats.

Member of Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

Statewide offices

  • None

Legislative leadership

Officers and staff

Officers:

  • Chair, Wallace Collons
  • Vice Chair, Danna Orwig
  • Secretary, Dave Ratcliff
  • Treasuer, Donna Russell

Staff:

  • Interm Executive Director, Trav Roberston
  • IT Director, David Scott
  • Staff, Christine Byrd

Central Committee

  • DNC National Committee Member, Jim Frasier
  • DNC National Committee Member, Betty McElderry
  • Congressional Delegation Member, Hon. Dan Boren
  • State House Delegation Member, Jerry McPeak

District exectutives

District 1

  • Chair, Greg Bledsoe
  • Vice-Chair, Rae Weese
  • Secretary, David C. Phillips

District 2

  • Chair, Kenneth Corn
  • Vice-Chair, Cissy Cursoe
  • Secretary, Angela Wilson

District 3

  • Chair, Mack Miller
  • Vice-Chair, Debi Thompson
  • Secretary, Juanita King

District 4

  • Chair, Betty Simmons
  • Vice-Chair, Tim Mauldin
  • Secretary, Judy Calhoun

District 5

  • Chair, Debbie Hogue-Downing
  • Vice-Chair, Jeff Marsel
  • Secretary, Jonathan Still

Committee members=

=Affirmative Action members

  • Carl Downing
  • Nicole Kirkpatrick

Action member

  • George Young

Veterans Committee member

  • Issac O'Bannon

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mission and By-Laws Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  2. ^ Oklahoma Government, Oklahoma Historical Society (accessed February 11, 2010).
  3. ^ a b Gaddie, Ronald Keith. Democratic Party, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed February 11, 2010).
  4. ^ Carney, George O., "McGuire, George O. (1865-1930)," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 28, 2010).
  5. ^ .,
  6. ^ Contact Us, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  7. ^ Staff and Officers, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  8. ^ Staff and Officers, Oklahoma Democratic Party (accessed February 11, 2010).
  9. ^ Baggett, James. "Oklahoma Democrats." 2011 Convention: Rules, Resolutions, Minutes from 2009. Oklahoma Democrats, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. <http://www.okdemocrats.org 2011-convention-rules-resolutions-minutes-from-2009>.

External links

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