Oklahoma bill would allow voters to vote out unopposed incumbents

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) - A state lawmaker filed a bill that aims to give Oklahomans a voice regardless of whether an incumbent legislator has an opponent.

Rep. Andy Fugate, a Democrat from Del City, said House Bill 3059 would make it possible for voters to decide whether to retain an incumbent who is not facing a challenger during their reelection bid.

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“They say the best term limit is at the ballot box,” Fugate said. “Unfortunately, many legislators don’t ever show up on the ballot. In the last election, 46 members won their seats by default. Nobody voted for them. They didn’t draw an opponent so their constituents had no choice but to accept them - whether they wanted them or not.”

Fugate said he used judicial retention practices to come up with the legislation.

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“Under this proposal, any incumbent legislator who does not have an opponent will still appear on the ballot," Fugate said. "They will stand for retention, which means voters will choose if they want to keep their elected representative. Retention is what we already do today for judges.”

Fugate said he hopes to garner bipartisan support for the bill as it heads to the committee.

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