Oklahoma's twenty-sixth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Darcy Jech.

As of the 2010 census, a total of 69,504 civilians reside within Oklahoma's twenty-sixth state senate district. Oklahoma state senators represent an average of 78,153 residents, as of the 2010 Census. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 71,889 residents.

About the office

Members of the Oklahoma State Senate serve four-year terms with term limits. Oklahoma legislators assume office November 16th.

Qualifications

Article 5, Section 17 of the Oklahoma Constitution states: "Members of the Senate shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and members of the House of Representatives twenty-one years of age at the time of their election. They shall be qualified electors in their respective counties or districts and shall reside in their respective counties or districts during their term of office."

Salaries

Term limits

The Oklahoma legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Oklahoma Term Limits Act in 1990. That initiative says that Oklahoma state legislators senators are subject to term limits of no more than twelve years in the Oklahoma State Legislature. These 12 years can be served in any combination of the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1990 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2004.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the senate, the Governor must call for a special election no later than 30 days after the vacancy happened. No special election can be called if the vacancy happens after March 1st during the year the seat is set to expire.

The only exception to the March 1st deadline is for Senators who resign with two or more years left in their term during an election year. If the resignation was announced before June 1st and the effective date is scheduled for after the general election, a special election can be called.

The person who wins the special election serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Oklahoma State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for June 30, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for August 25, 2020. The filing deadline is April 10, 2020.

2018

The general election was canceled.

No Democratic candidates ran in the primary.

2014

Elections for the Oklahoma State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 11, 2014. Kevin Black was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Darcy Jech defeated Dan Gambill in the Republican primary. Jech defeated Black in the general election.

Oklahoma State Senate, District 26 General Election, 2014

Oklahoma State Senate, District 26 Republican Primary, 2014

2010

Elections for the office of Oklahoma State Senate consisted of a primary election on July 27, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 9, 2010. Incumbent Tom Ivester (D) ran unopposed in the general election. Ivester was unchallenged in the July 27 Democratic primary.

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Oklahoma State Senate District 26 raised a total of $1,899,407. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $135,672 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Oklahoma State Senate District 26