The Nifty Fifty House Party - Part XLI: Oklahoma

After going through Bleeding Kansas, home to a Republican majority so strong -- and divisive -- that it is actually home to a three-party system, the Bullet Train to November heads southward to a state whose history can be traced to the Trail of Tears, the rewards of black gold, and landowners who gave this state its nickname...

OKLAHOMA

Named after the Choctaw translation of 'red people': 'okla humma', and boasting of over 25 Native American languages, Oklahoma is situated at the lower end of the Great Plains, which makes the state prone to severe weather as it is situated in an area that produces frequent collisions of cold and warm air masses known as Tornado Alley; an average of 54 tornadoes occur annually in Oklahoma. The state was traversed by Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1541, eventually becoming part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. While Native Americans had crossed through and even inhabited the area in the past, it was not until the 1830s that tribes began to move here via the Trail of Tears. Coming from southern states such as Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, thousands of Native Americans moved to an area designated as Indian Territory in 1830. By 1890, over 30 tribes were allocated federal land in this territory, which had opened to white settlers through a series of land runs where land was allocated to settlers on the hour, first come, first served. Some of these settlers broke the rules by entering the border sooner, which eventually as the basis for the state's nickname, the Sooner State. Oklahoma became the 46th state admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, and became home to an economy fueled by oil.

Today, Oklahoma is defined economically by such sectors as energy, food processing, telecommunications and transportation equipment, and serves as a key producer of natural gas (second in the nation) and aircraft. Oklahoma is one of the nation's most pro-business states, with the nation's seventh-lowest tax burden and the nation's fifth-fastest growing gross domestic product from 2000 to 2006. The nation's number two natural gas producer and number five crude oil producer, Oklahoma got 96 percent of its electricity from non-renewable sources (64% coal, 32% natural gas), the highest total of any state, in 2002. Despite this fact, in 2005, Oklahoma ranked fifth in capacity of installed wind energy. Oklahomans of note include country musicians Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill and Toby Keith, televangelist Oral Roberts, Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, BMX rider Mat Hoffman, and actor and humorist Will Rogers.

Oklahoma is seen as a strongly conservative state, and last gave its electoral votes to a Democrat in 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson of neighboring Texas defeated Barry Goldwater en route to a national landslide. While it is part of the Bible Belt and tied with Arkansas for the largest percentage of evangelical Protestants (53 percent) in the country, Democrats hold most of the state's voter registration totals, with 11.6 percent more registered Democrats than Republicans, as well as the Governor's Mansion (occupied by Democrat Brad Henry). Despite this fact, George W. Bush carried every county in Oklahoma en route to winning nearly 66 percent of the vote in 2004. This year, conservative Republican Jim Inhofe is favored to win reelection to his Senate seat, while John McCain is expected to carry the state's seven electoral votes. The House delegation is also highly predictable.

District 1 (S-Factor 12.0 GOP): John Sullivan came to Congress from this Tulsa-centric district in 2002 after fellow Republican Steve Largent resigned to focus on his gubernatorial run (he lost to current Governor Brad Henry). Technology consultant Georgianna Oliver is the Democrat running in this race, and while the D-Trip recently listed her campaign as an "emerging race", 80 percent of the $527K raised came from the candidate herself, compared to Sullivan getting 44 percent of his totals from individuals. And in the realm of campaigning, individual donations will hold bigger sway than personal funds will. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 2 (S-Factor 4.5 GOP): This is the most Democratic district in Oklahoma, situated in the eastern portion of the state (Muskogee, Claremore, McAlester and Durant). Tom Coburn and Brad Carson both held this seat and both ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, with Coburn snagging the seat. The incumbent is now Democrat Dan Boren, son of former Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Senator David Boren. Raymond Wickson is the GOP nominee. Prediction: Solid DEM.

District 3 (S-Factor 17.5 GOP): Frank Lucas represents western Oklahoma including the Oklahoma Panhandle, as well as Altus, Stillwater, Enid, western suburbs of Tulsa and suburban counties north and west of Oklahoma City. The Republican should have no trouble defeating Democrat Frankie Robbins. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 4 (S-Factor 12.5 GOP): NRCC Chairman Tom Cole is the incumbent in this southern Oklahoma district that includes southern suburbs of Oklahoma City (including Norman, Moore and Midwest City) as well as southern parts of the state including Lawton, Ardmore and Ada. Energy consultant Blake Cummings is the donkey-in-waiting. Prediction: Solid GOP.

District 5 (S-Factor 11.5 GOP): Oklahoma City and several of its surrounding areas, including Edmond and Shawnee, dominate this district held by Mary Fallin, a former Lieutenant Governor (1995-2007) who succeeded 2006 GOP gubernatorial nominee Ernest Istook (who lost badly to incumbent Governor Henry). Democrats will try with attorney Steve Perry. Prediction: Solid GOP.

Next stop: Massachusetts.