Oklahoma held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 124 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Republicans widened two-thirds majorities they already held, leaving the Senate at 36-12 and the House at 72-29, as open seats Democrats had held went Republican on the new post-census maps.
- Every Senate seat that changed hands was an open Democratic seat:
- Wayne Shaw (R) won Senate District 3 by about 2,100 votes, and Larry Boggs (R) won Senate District 7 by about 2,000.
- Ron Sharp (R) in Senate District 17 and Nathan Dahm (R) in Senate District 33 won GOP runoffs and faced no Democrat in November.
- No House incumbent lost, though Rep. Aaron Stiles (R) held House District 45 by 16 votes after a recount, and Paula Roberts (D) asked a judge for a new election. Republicans took open Democratic seats including House District 32, won by Jason Smalley (R), and House District 22, won by Charles A. McCall (R) by about 240 votes. Democrats' lone gain came when David Perryman (D) took a term-limited Republican's seat in House District 56 by about 130 votes.
- Voters approved all 6 state questions, most notably State Question 759, which ended affirmative action. The others dealt with property tax assessment caps (SQ 758), the governor's role in parole (SQ 762), water bonds (SQ 764), the Department of Human Services commission (SQ 765), and intangible property taxes (SQ 766).
Legislature
- House (101 seats): 31 D, 69 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 29 D, 72 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (48 seats): 15 D, 31 R, 2 other or vacant before the election, 12 D, 36 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| State Question 758 | Would prevent annual increases in property taxes. | Passed (67.72% yes) |
| State Question 759 | Would ban affirmative action programs in the state. | Passed (59.19% yes) |
| State Question 762 | Would remove the state governor from the state parole process. | Passed (59.17% yes) |
| State Question 764 | Creation of the Water Infrastructure Credit Enhancement Reserve Fund. | Passed (56.7% yes) |
| State Question 765 | Create department to provide for public welfare for state residents. | Passed (59.92% yes) |
| State Question 766 | Abolish property taxes on intangible personal property. | Passed (64.97% yes) |