Race of the Day- Oklahoma U.S. Senate A

47 Days Until Election Day

Status: Republican Incumbent
2012 Presidential Result: Red State (South)

Outlook: Safe Republican


The Sooner State is one of two this year with multiple Senate elections. This first one is the regularly scheduled one for a full six year term. However, neither this race, nor the special election for the other seat in the state are going to be very competitive.

Oklahoma has only grown more Republican in the 20 years since Jim Inhofe was first elected to the Senate. As he approaches his 80th birthday, not long after Election Day, the conservative Republican is almost certainly headed back to Washington, where he might be most known as the most vocal critic of "climate change" theology in the Senate. Inhofe is fairly conservative across the board and is also a long-time pilot. He made some headlines in 2010, when he landed his own airplane on a closed runway in Texas and got into a bit of a spat with the FAA. Sadly, an airplane accident cost the life of Inhofe's adult son, a physician who was flying a new plane, last year.

Inhofe easily beat GOP opposition in this year's primary, while most of the state's party members might have been more engaged in a contested race for the other seat. Democrats were also not really mobilized around this race, despite bad feelings many have towards the incumbent. The uncontested nomination in that party went to insurance agency owner Matt Silverstein. The Democrat's campaign website features him with his telegenic young family, but he simply has no chance in a state as red as Oklahoma this year. His website states that his grandmother was a Native American, a group that is a big part of Oklahoma's identity. I assume that Silverstein also has many Jewish relatives, who may not be as common down there.

While the Democrat has no chance of winning this race, he might hope to increase his name recognition for future political endeavors or maybe just so he can sell more insurance.

Inhofe campaign link:

http://www.jiminhofe.com/


Senate races predicted thus far: 10 D (6 Safe, 3 Leans, 1 Tossup), 15 R (6 Safe, 2 Likely, 4 Leans, 3 Tossup) 
Overall predicted thus far: 44 D, 45 R (net Republican gain of 6)