Speculation Mounts Regarding 2014 Senate Primary
In Oklahoma, Open Seats Could Come Sooner
By Emily Cahn, Roll Call Staff
Any room for advancement in Oklahoma federal politics is predicated on the plans of Sen. Tom Coburn, the two-term Republican waging a fourth battle with cancer.
Coburn has already said he won’t run for re-election when his term expires in 2016. But with the possibility that he opts to leave earlier, operatives in Oklahoma said the timing of his exit would change the calculus for ambitious politicians.
Republican Gov. Mary Fallin does not have the power to appoint someone to fill a vacancy in the Senate. Instead, if Coburn resigned in, say, 2014, a special election would be held concurrent with the state’s midterm election dates to fill the seat.
Operatives said a shorter election time frame would benefit two potential candidates in the race: GOP Reps. Tom Cole and James Lankford, who are already well-financed.