While nationwide election results weakened the Democrat majority in the U.S. House and control of the Senate appears to balance on the results of two Georgia runoffs, Oklahoma voters did their part to keep both houses in the red.

Senior U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, 85, was re-elected to his sixth term and U.S. Congressman Frank Lucas, 60, his 14th term representing the third district.

Meanwhile, the state’s lone Democrat member of the congressional delegation, Kendra Horn in the fifth congressional district, was defeated by former state senator Stephanie Bice.

Inhofe began his political career more than 50 years ago when he served in the Oklahoma House and then the Senate from 1967-73.

After losing to David Boren in the 1974 governor’s race and to James R. Jones in the 1976 congressional race, Inhofe was elected to succeed Jones in 1986 and then re-elected to two more terms.

In 1994, he was elected to succeed Boren when he retired from the U.S. Senate to serve as president of the University of Oklahoma.

He was elected to four subsequent six-year terms and will finish out his latest term at age 91.

After a hotly-contested race against Democrat challenger Abby Broyles, an attorney and former TV news anchor, Inhofe carried 62.91 % of the statewide vote (977,813) to 32.76 percent for Broyles (509,186).

In Kingfisher County, 82.61 % (5,325) of the votes went to Inhofe and 13.87 % (894) to Broyles.

VOTING BY PRECINCT

101 - Inhofe 936, Broyles 161; 102 - Inhofe 231, Broyles 32; 103 - Inhofe 312, Broyles 29; 105 - Inhofe 593, Broyles 131; 106 - Inhofe 96, Broyles 13; 201 - Inhofe 919, Broyles 177; 203 - Inhofe 126, Broyles 18; 204 - Inhofe 269, Broyles 37; 301 - Inhofe 942, Broyles 184; 303 Inhofe 126, Broyles 10; 304 - Inhofe 172, Broyles 10; 305 - Inhofe 166, Broyles 24; 306 - Inhofe 17, Broyles 0.

Lucas’ political career began with serving in the state House of Representatives before his first election to the U.S. House in 1994, just ahead of the Red Wave that saw Republicans gain control of that body for the first time in 40 years.

Popular in large part for his unwavering support of the oil and ag industries, Lucas easily won re-election to 13 subsequent two-year terms.

And 2020 was no exception when he carried 78.49 % (242,392) of the district-wide vote to defeat Democrat challenger Zoe Midyett, with 21.51 % (66,430).

In Kingfisher County, his share was a hefty 89.1 % (5,721) to Midyett’s 10.9 % (701).

VOTING BY PRECINCT

101 - Lucas 1,003, Midyett 133; 102 - Lucas 246, Midyett 19; 103 - Lucas 336, Midyett 17; 105 - Lucas 645, Midyett 112; 106 - Lucas 100, Midyett 12; 201 - Lucas 1,004, Midyett 142; 203 - Lucas 139, Midyett 13; 204 - Lucas 288, Midyett 25; 301 Lucas 999, Midyett 149; 302 - Lucas 449, Midyett 55; 303 - Lucas 130, Midyett 7; 304 - Lucas 674, Midyett 8; 305 - Lucas 191, Midyett 9; 306 - Lucas 17, Midyett 0.

Opponents in the fifth district congressional race could teach the presidential candidates a thing or two about a peaceful transition of power.

After a vigorously contested andheavily advertised race, Republican Stephanie Bice and incumbent Democrat Kendra Horn didn’t even wait for media outlets to call a winner before giving a gracious victory speech (Bice) and equally cordial concession speech (Horn).

Bice served two terms in the State Senate before filing as one of nine Republican candidates vying to take on Horn and flip the fifth district back into the red column.

She and Terry Neese emerged as the top two vote-getters in the primary and then Bice defeated Neese in the runoff primary.

Bice carried 52.06 % (158,044) of the district-wide vote to 47.94 % (145,541) for Horn.