Introduction
A comprehensive understanding of political history is necessary to become an informed voter in the age of misinformation. One way to improve this knowledge is to examine the history of states and their representatives carefully. Ultimately, the purpose of the present paper is to provide a thorough overview of Oklahoma’s political background and its third congressional district through a critical analysis of one U.S. Representative and one Senator.
Oklahoma Third Congressional District Analysis
Oklahoma’s third congressional district is the largest in the state, primarily covering Western and Central Oklahoma, with the suburbs of Oklahoma City. Unlike Oklahoma’s overall political history, which has seen fluctuations between Republicans and Democrats, the third congressional district has been primarily red for the last 25 years (Armstrong, 2022; Cohen et al., 2021). One of the primary reasons for this trend is Frank Lucas, who won the election in 1994, initially in the sixth district, which was eventually incorporated into the third district in 2003 (Cohen et al., 2021). Frank Lucas is a Republican who has effectively been the region’s representative since 1993. The votes in the district for Lucas have consistently been above 64%, reaching 82% in 2004 (Cohen et al., 2021). Therefore, the third congressional district has a long tradition of supporting the Republican Party.
This trend is consistent throughout nearly all of the district’s territory, with slight exceptions in the central region. Namely, in 2022, the suburbs of Oklahoma City were the only county where the Democrat candidate, Jeremiah Ross, was more popular than Frank Lucas (Oklahoma’s third congressional district, 2022). The western part of the region has multiple rural communities that depend on agriculture and perceive Lucas as their direct representative (Cohen et al., 2021). This geographic and labor distribution can explain the Republican incumbents and the party’s popularity over the last 25 years.
U.S. Representative – Frank Lucas
Biography
Frank Lucas was born in 1960 in Cheyenne and received an education in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University in 1982. He is a devoted Baptist, married, and has three children (Frank Lucas’ biography, 2023). These background and demographic characteristics are highly prevalent among residents of western Oklahoma, suggesting that Frank Lucas is an appropriate representative of the voters (Armstrong, 2022; Cohen et al., 2021).
Cohen et al. (2021) call him an “unflashy farmer and rancher” who has been pivotal to the development of the Agricultural Committee and state agriculture in general (p. 1444). He has consistently helped local farmers through legislative action, even when it requires cooperation with Democrats (Cohen et al., 2021). Most of his efforts focused on agriculture and subsidies for farmers, which helped him gain popularity with voters, who are predominantly white (~74%) and older than 35 years (Cohen et al., 2021). Ultimately, Lucas’ biography clearly shows why he has been reelected every term since 1993.
Supported Legislation
In the last four years, Frank Lucas co-sponsored the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and the America COMPETES Act of 2022. The former ensures that America limits Iran’s petroleum exports to prevent terrorism and destabilizing activities, striving for global peace (H.R. 3774, 2023). The biblical reference that supports this legislative item is “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Ps. 11:5).
The second act promotes a pro-life approach regarding failed abortions, meaning that abortion survivors have the rights of a legal person (H.R. 26, 2023). This legislative item is consistent with the Bible, which claims that people become living souls when “God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Gen. 2:7). Finally, the America Competes Act facilitates the development of domestic production and technological research, as opposed to imports (H.R. 4521, 2021). The legislative item can allegedly improve the economic situation for local workers and is, therefore, consistent with the Bible, “Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Prov. 22:16).
None of the three legislative items has become law as of November 2023; however, they have all passed the House and can potentially come into power in the future. Frank Lucas is a co-sponsor of all three acts, which reflect his personal positions on these topics, as he has confirmed that he is pro-national security, pro-life, and pro-domestic employment (Frank Lucas’ issue positions, 2023).
Interest Groups and Evaluation
According to interest group ratings, Frank Lucas is a conservative politician. Namely, he received 0%, 22%, 79%, and 96% from Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Conservative Union (ACU), and the Family Research Council (FRC), respectively (Frank Lucas’ ratings, 2023). The ratings are consistent with Lucas’ legislative efforts and political/social positions that lean conservative.
For ADA and ACLU scores, Lucas has not received scores higher than 25% since the beginning of the evaluation in 1996 (Frank Lucas’ ratings, 2023). On the other hand, Lucas has consistently earned 90% or higher in FRC due to his pro-life stance, policies for working families, and his mission to protect the traditional family structure (Frank Lucas’ ratings, 2023). Therefore, based on the standings and sponsored legislation, it is safe to assume that Frank Lucas should be classified as conservative.
Oklahoma Political Background Analysis
Unlike the third district, Oklahoma’s overall political landscape has changed dramatically over the last 25 years. The state transformed from predominantly democratic to mostly conservative (Armstrong, 2022). For instance, in 1998, 1,158,754 people were registered Democrats, while 691,942 were registered Republicans (Armstrong, 2022). In 2021, the situation was reversed, with 1,138,947 adhering to Republican ideology and 748,222 considering themselves Democrats (Armstrong, 2022). As a result, in just 23 years, the statewide distribution between the two parties reversed, suggesting drastic changes in the political landscape.
At the same time, the number of independent people, or those who do not consider themselves either Democrats or Republicans, has grown significantly from 139,626 in 1998 to 369,349 in 2021 (Armstrong, 2022). Looking at specific counties, there are no regions in Oklahoma with a substantial democratic presence, and even Oklahoma City is predominantly Republican (Armstrong, 2022). There are some areas, such as Atoka, Caddo, and Cherokee, where Democrats have a slight advantage, but the numbers are typically negligible (Armstrong, 2022). Based on this analysis, Oklahoma went from a primarily liberal state to a conservative one over the last 25 years.
U.S. Senator – James Lankford
Biography
James Lankford is the chosen Senator from Oklahoma for this assignment, and he has been in the office since 2015. He was born in 1968 in Dallas and suffered from his parents’ divorce and overall poverty, eventually adopting Christianity, which helped him “endure tough times” (Cohen et al., 2021, p. 1436). He completed a master’s degree at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and started working at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma in 1995 (Cohen et al., 2021).
As his career in religion progressed, Lankford became interested in politics, gradually advancing his position through policies on freedom of religion, governmental efficiency, and transparency (Cohen et al., 2021). At the same time, he distanced himself from more radical conservative tendencies, repeatedly expressing his discontent with Trump’s policies (Cohen et al., 2021). Regarding his demographic characteristics, he is Southern Baptist, married, and has two children (James Lankford’s Biography, 2023).
Supported Legislation
In the last four years, Lankford co-sponsored relatively few bills, primarily following general Senate trends and focusing on foreign policy. Namely, he supported the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, a resolution standing with Israel against terrorism, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. The former two were unanimously supported by both Democrats and Republicans, suggesting bipartisan agreement on foreign policy. Ultimately, because they align with the Senate’s general trend, they do not reveal much about Lankford specifically. However, they are associated with the value of compassion, as illustrated in the Bible: “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Phil 2:4).
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was more divisive between Democrats and Republicans, confirming Lankford’s pro-life position. However, the Senate has not invoked cloture due to disagreements over abortion (S 3275 – Pain-Capable, 2020). The appropriate biblical reference is “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Ps. 127. 3:5).
Furthermore, Lankford introduced the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which establishes daylight saving time as the permanent measure from November 5, 2023 (S 623 – Sunshine, 2023). The biblical reference from Genesis that supports this notion is “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Gen. 1:3). To date, none of the aforementioned bills has become law.
Interest Groups and Evaluation
Regarding ratings from interest groups, ADA, ACLU, ACU, and FRC evaluated Lankford for 0%, 75%, 90%, and 100%, respectively (James Lankford’s ratings, 2023). Considering Lankford’s political affiliation, the ACLU score is surprising; however, the 2021-2022 period was the first time he received high ratings. From 2011 to 2020, the ACLU estimated Lankford at 0-23% (James Lankford’s ratings, 2023). Based on the ratings and examined legislation, Lankford is a conservative but with slightly more democratic inclinations than Frank Lucas, as seen by higher ACLU scores in recent years and opposition to Trump’s policies.
Conclusion
The present assignment has taught me how to analyze candidates and become a more informed voter. While I live in Oklahoma’s third congressional district, neither Lucas nor Lankford reflects my values and beliefs. I agree with them on some points, particularly regarding foreign policy, and think we should help other countries defend against aggression. However, I do have a more liberal position on other areas of legislation. Ultimately, having completed the paper, I now understand how to research and choose the most appropriate candidates that reflect my position in life.
References
Armstrong, C. G. (2022). Oklahoma almanac 2021-2022 (58th ed.). Oklahoma Department of Libraries.
Cohen, R. E., Cook, C. E., & Barone, M. (2021). The almanac of American politics 2022. Columbia Books & Information Services.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online.
Frank Lucas’ biography. (2023). Vote Smart.
Frank Lucas’ issue positions (political courage test). (2023). Vote Smart.
Frank Lucas’ ratings and endorsements. (2023). Vote Smart.
H.R. 26 – Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.(2023). Congress.gov.
H.R. 3774 – SHIP Act. (2023). Congress.gov.
H.R. 4521 – America COMPETES Act of 2022 – National Key Vote. (2022). Vote Smart.
James Lankford’s Biography. (2023). Vote Smart.
James Lankford’s ratings and endorsements. (2023). Vote Smart.
Oklahoma third congressional district election results. (2022). The New York Times.
S 3275 – Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – National Key Vote. (2020). Vote Smart.
S 623 – Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 – National Key Vote. (2023). Vote Smart.