Oklahoma Poll: Holland Only Democrat Leading Opponent As GOP State Sweep Appears Likely

A new Oklahoma Poll conducted for the Tulsa World by SoonerPoll.com shows Republicans may sweep statewide offices next Tuesday, the lone exception being Democrat Insurance Commission Kim Holland, who leads her opponent. If that's the case, the sun may be setting on the dominance Democrats have enjoyed at the Capitol since statehood.

Holland, the incumbent one-term Democrat, has a lead over Republican challenger John Doak, 43 percent to 41 percent, within the poll's margin of error.

With the retirements of Attorney General Drew Edmondson and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett, the decision by Treasurer Scott Meacham not to seek another term and the choice by Lt. Governor Jari Askins to run for governor, the only other elected incumbent on Tuesday's statewide ballot is Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields, a surprise winner in 2006.

The poll indicates attacks by
Burrage, Corn and Paddack may be backfiring

Fields, a Democrat, trails Mark Costello, an Oklahoma City businessman, 46 percent to 33 percent. Costello, who has put more than $480,000 of his own money into the race, has a huge funding advantage over Fields, but money does not appear to necessarily be the deciding factor in the races.

State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage, a Democrat, is trying to win election to a full term after his appointment to the office two years ago. He, too, has put about $480,000 into the campaign and has a substantial financial advantage over his GOP challenger, Gary Jones, but the Oklahoma Poll has Jones leading 43 percent to 37 percent. This is a race in which the challenger may be more familiar to voters than the incumbent. Burrage has never been on a ballot anywhere in the state, but Jones narrowly lost elections for this office in 2002 and 2006 and was once a Comanche County commissioner and unsuccessful legislative candidate.

The lieutenant governor nominees, Senators Todd Lamb and Kenneth Corn, are in a contentious race and Lamb, the Republican, appears to be pulling away, leading 48 percent to 31 percent.

In other races, the GOP attorney general nominee, Scott Pruitt, leads the Democrat, Jim Priest, 53 percent to 33 percent; the Republican treasurer nominee, Ken Miller, leads the Democratic nominee, Stephen Covert, 45 percent to 35 percent; and in the race for state superintendent, Janet Barresi leads Susan Paddack, a Democrat, 44 percent to 35 percent, with an independent candidate, Richard Cooper, at 6 percent.

SoonerPoll.com conducted the scientific telephone survey Oct. 18-23 of 753 likely Oklahoma voters. The poll includes 384 Democrats, 345 Republicans and 24 independents selected randomly from voters who have established a frequent voting pattern. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.57 percentage points. The poll is sponsored by the Tulsa World.

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