Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2002
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 7, 2002, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma
. Democrat
Brad Henry
won the election with 43 percent of the vote, beating Republican
Steve Largent
and conservative independent Gary Richardson
.
Henry's narrow win has been attributed to Richardson and Largent's split of the conservative vote and his support of cockfighting, a ballot issue which brought supporters out to vote
had dominated state politics for most of Oklahoma
's history, the Oklahoma Republican Party
had made historic gains, including five of the state's six Congressional seats.
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
. Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
won the election with 43 percent of the vote, beating Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Steve Largent
Steve Largent
Steven Michael "Steve" Largent is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002...
and conservative independent Gary Richardson
Gary Richardson
Gary Richardson was born February 5, 1941, in Caddo, Oklahoma and is an American lawyer practicing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Presently, he is a partner in the Richardson Law Firm, P.C....
.
Henry's narrow win has been attributed to Richardson and Largent's split of the conservative vote and his support of cockfighting, a ballot issue which brought supporters out to vote
Background
Though DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
had dominated state politics for most of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
's history, the Oklahoma Republican Party
Oklahoma Republican Party
The Oklahoma Republican Party is a political party affiliated with the United States Republican Party . Along with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics.-Voter base:...
had made historic gains, including five of the state's six Congressional seats.