2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

See also: 2006 United States gubernatorial elections

2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
November 7, 2006
 
Nominee Brad Henry Ernest Istook
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 616,135 310,327
Percentage 66.50% 33.50%
Henry:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Istook:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Tie:      50%      No votes
Governor before election

Brad Henry
Democratic

Elected Governor

Brad Henry
Democratic

The 2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic governor Brad Henry won re-election to a second term in a landslide, defeating Republican U.S. representative Ernest Istook. Henry took 66.5% of the vote to Istook's 33.5% and swept all but three counties in the state.[1]

As of 2025, this remains the last time that a Democrat was elected Governor of Oklahoma, or along with the concurrent elections, won any statewide office. Republicans later swept all statewide offices on the 2010 ballot, and have held majorities in both state legislative chambers since the 2008 election.

Background

Though Democrats had dominated state politics for most of Oklahoma's history, the Oklahoma Republican Party had recently gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and held five of the state's six Congressional seats.[2] Henry's opponent, Republican Ernest Istook, was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Oklahoma's 5th congressional district.

As in many Southern states, Oklahoma has favored conservative Democrats to the more liberal members of the party. In his first term, Henry had supported some tax cuts and took centrist positions on many political hot button issues.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brad Henry (incumbent) 226,957 85.82
Democratic Andrew W. Marr, Jr. 37,510 14.18
Total votes 264,467 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Istook's strongest opponent in the primary was Bob Sullivan, who positioned himself as the only "non-career politician" in the race.[4] He ran ads featuring Gailard Sartain that attacked his opponents' "career politician" background. The Sartain ads were seen as over the top and may have hurt his chances. Sullivan said education was a top priority and had led an effort to place an initiative petition on the November 2006 ballot that would have required 65 percent of money earmarked for education be spent in the classroom.[5]

Results

Republican primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ernest Istook 99,650 54.71
Republican Bob Sullivan 56,347 30.94
Republican James Allen Williamson 17,769 9.76
Republican Jim Evanoff 8,370 4.60
Total votes 182,136 100.00

General election

The incumbent Democratic governor Brad Henry won the election with more than 66 percent of the vote, beating Republican U.S. representative Ernest Istook.

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[7] Solid D November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] Safe D November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report[9] Safe D November 2, 2006
Real Clear Politics[10] Safe D November 6, 2006

Polling

Source Date Brad
Henry (D) 		Ernest
Istook (R)
Survey USA[11] November 4, 2006 65% 29%
Rasmussen[12] September 29, 2006 59% 34%
Survey USA[13] September 26, 2006 64% 33%
Rasmussen[14] September 6, 2006 54% 33%
Survey USA[15] August 28, 2006 60% 34%
Sooner Poll[16] July 17, 2006 57% 29%
Rasmussen[17] May 7, 2006 50% 39%

Results

2006 Oklahoma gubernatorial election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Brad Henry (incumbent) 616,135 66.50% +23.23%
Republican Ernest Istook 310,327 33.50% –9.11%
Total votes 926,462 100.00%
Majority 305,808 33.01%
Democratic hold Swing +32.35%

Results by county

County[1] Brad Henry
Democratic 		Ernest Istook
Republican 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Adair 3,253 67.52% 1,565 32.48% 1,688 35.04% 4,818
Alfalfa 1,389 67.04% 683 32.96% 706 34.07% 2,072
Atoka 2,372 74.64% 806 25.36% 1,566 49.28% 3,178
Beaver 857 46.40% 990 53.60% -133 -7.20% 1,847
Beckham 3,423 71.06% 1,394 28.94% 2,029 42.12% 4,817
Blaine 2,192 69.52% 961 30.48% 1,231 39.04% 3,153
Bryan 6,310 79.06% 1,671 20.94% 4,639 58.13% 7,981
Caddo 4,990 74.12% 1,742 25.88% 3,248 48.25% 6,732
Canadian 16,188 58.33% 11,565 41.67% 4,623 16.66% 27,753
Carter 7,348 70.79% 3,032 29.21% 4,316 41.58% 10,380
Cherokee 7,903 76.01% 2,495 23.99% 5,408 52.01% 10,398
Choctaw 3,139 81.68% 704 18.32% 2,435 63.36% 3,843
Cimarron 353 33.36% 705 66.64% -352 -33.27% 1,058
Cleveland 40,641 65.18% 21,707 34.82% 18,934 30.37% 62,348
Coal 1,627 81.07% 380 18.93% 1,247 62.13% 2,007
Comanche 14,941 74.60% 5,086 25.40% 9,855 49.21% 20,027
Cotton 1,660 82.38% 355 17.62% 1,305 64.76% 2,015
Craig 3,319 76.63% 1,012 23.37% 2,307 53.27% 4,331
Creek 12,936 66.49% 6,519 33.51% 6,417 32.98% 19,455
Custer 4,681 68.55% 2,148 31.45% 2,533 37.09% 6,829
Delaware 6,807 68.72% 3,098 31.28% 3,709 37.45% 9,905
Dewey 1,291 69.67% 562 30.33% 729 39.34% 1,853
Ellis 972 63.08% 569 36.92% 403 26.15% 1,541
Garfield 10,760 66.79% 5,351 33.21% 5,409 33.57% 16,111
Garvin 5,745 71.38% 2,304 28.62% 3,441 42.75% 8,049
Grady 9,151 66.61% 4,587 33.39% 4,564 33.22% 13,738
Grant 1,302 68.85% 589 31.15% 713 37.70% 1,891
Greer 1,085 70.23% 460 29.77% 625 40.45% 1,545
Harmon 559 74.43% 192 25.57% 367 48.87% 751
Harper 746 64.53% 410 35.47% 336 29.07% 1,156
Haskell 2,426 75.44% 790 24.56% 1,636 50.87% 3,216
Hughes 2,526 75.88% 803 24.12% 1,723 51.76% 3,329
Jackson 3,673 65.30% 1,952 34.70% 1,721 30.60% 5,625
Jefferson 1,402 80.34% 343 19.66% 1,059 60.69% 1,745
Johnston 2,253 81.39% 515 18.61% 1,738 62.79% 2,768
Kay 9,054 68.85% 4,096 31.15% 4,958 37.70% 13,150
Kingfisher 2,921 60.10% 1,939 39.90% 982 20.21% 4,860
Kiowa 2,148 77.32% 630 22.68% 1,518 54.64% 2,778
Latimer 2,019 76.22% 630 23.78% 1,389 52.43% 2,649
Le Flore 7,963 71.98% 3,100 28.02% 4,863 43.96% 11,063
Lincoln 7,023 67.58% 3,369 32.42% 3,654 35.16% 10,392
Logan 6,408 59.96% 4,280 40.04% 2,128 19.91% 10,688
Love 1,797 80.08% 447 19.92% 1,350 60.16% 2,244
Major 1,603 57.37% 1,191 42.63% 412 14.75% 2,794
Marshall 2,650 75.03% 882 24.97% 1,768 50.06% 3,532
Mayes 8,300 73.84% 2,940 26.16% 5,360 47.69% 11,240
McClain 6,622 65.25% 3,527 34.75% 3,095 30.50% 10,149
McCurtain 4,485 69.96% 1,926 30.04% 2,559 39.92% 6,411
McIntosh 4,626 76.72% 1,404 23.28% 3,222 53.43% 6,030
Murray 3,015 76.70% 916 23.30% 2,099 53.40% 3,931
Muskogee 12,885 75.79% 4,117 24.21% 8,768 51.57% 17,002
Noble 2,460 67.03% 1,210 32.97% 1,250 34.06% 3,670
Nowata 2,026 70.69% 840 29.31% 1,186 41.38% 2,866
Okfuskee 2,147 74.73% 726 25.27% 1,421 49.46% 2,873
Oklahoma 110,726 63.02% 64,987 36.98% 45,739 26.03% 175,713
Okmulgee 7,321 75.48% 2,378 24.52% 4,943 50.96% 9,699
Osage 8,833 71.58% 3,507 28.42% 5,326 43.16% 12,340
Ottawa 5,211 72.98% 1,929 27.02% 3,282 45.97% 7,140
Pawnee 3,049 68.95% 1,373 31.05% 1,676 37.90% 4,422
Payne 12,006 68.47% 5,529 31.53% 6,477 36.94% 17,535
Pittsburg 8,076 74.20% 2,808 25.80% 5,268 48.40% 10,884
Pontotoc 7,313 73.83% 2,592 26.17% 4,721 47.66% 9,905
Pottawatomie 12,257 70.73% 5,073 29.27% 7,184 41.45% 17,330
Pushmataha 2,330 80.54% 563 19.46% 1,767 61.08% 2,893
Roger Mills 983 67.24% 479 32.76% 504 34.47% 1,462
Rogers 15,674 65.44% 8,278 34.56% 7,396 30.88% 23,952
Seminole 4,384 70.50% 1,834 29.50% 2,550 41.01% 6,218
Sequoyah 5,882 71.52% 2,342 28.48% 3,540 43.04% 8,224
Stephens 9,168 69.22% 4,076 30.78% 5,092 38.45% 13,244
Texas 1,642 42.06% 2,262 57.94% -620 -15.88% 3,904
Tillman 2,185 82.64% 459 17.36% 1,726 65.28% 2,644
Tulsa 90,459 61.32% 57,060 38.68% 33,399 22.64% 147,519
Wagoner 10,977 62.94% 6,464 37.06% 4,513 25.88% 17,441
Washington 8,995 58.94% 6,265 41.06% 2,730 17.89% 15,260
Washita 2,766 71.40% 1,108 28.60% 1,658 42.80% 3,874
Woods 2,009 69.16% 896 30.84% 1,113 38.31% 2,905
Woodward 3,517 65.53% 1,850 34.47% 1,667 31.06% 5,367
Totals 616,135 66.50% 310,327 33.50% 305,808 33.01% 926,462

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Governor - General Election - November 7, 2006" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  2. ^ Gaddie, Ronald Keith, "Oklahoma Republican Party Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived May 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 28, 2010).
  3. ^ "Democratic Primary Election - July 25, 2006" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. pp. 15–16. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  4. ^ Robert J. Sullivan, Jr.
  5. ^ Allen, Cindy, "Governor, his challengers debate about leadership role," Enid News & Eagle, June 8, 2006 (accessed May 28, 2010).
  6. ^ "Republican Primary Election - July 25, 2006" (PDF). Oklahoma State Election Board. pp. 38–40. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  7. ^ "2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  8. ^ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "2006 Gubernatorial Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  10. ^ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Survey USA
  12. ^ Rasmussen
  13. ^ Survey USA
  14. ^ Rasmussen
  15. ^ Survey USA
  16. ^ Sooner Poll
  17. ^ Rasmussen

Official campaign websites (Archived)

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