By Patrick B. McGuigan

Published: 03-Nov-2010

State Sen. Andrew Rice won overwhelming reelection on Tuesday, gaining 7,546 votes (68.28%) to 3,506 (31.72%) for his Republican opponent, Joshua Jantz.

Rice told CapitolBeatOK, “I’m happy I won but other than that. … That’s about all there is to be happy about. We’ll have 16 Democrats (in his caucus). We lost five open seats and Jay Paul Gumm lost his reelection.”

Gumm’s defeat in District 6 is the most significant of the 2010 state Senate election results. Republican Josh Brecheen, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, gained 11,714 votes (56.76%) in the heart of “Little Dixie,” the state traditional home of “yellow dog Democrat” voters. Sen. Gumm had 8,925 votes (43.24%).

Sen. Gumm was a leader among Democrats in the Senate. His defeat began to seem possible in mid-October, when veteran state political analyst Mike McCarville reported deep enthusiasm for the Republican Brecheen’s ardent conservatism.

Rice said the implications of the broad Republican sweep trouble him. He told CapitolBeatOK, “So it’ll be single party rule now in Oklahoma, from the governor on down. That’s not good .We wt have those checks and balances now.”

Rice observed his Democratic colleague “was extremely conservative. He was almost like a Republican. I think it was based purely on feelings about the national situation and President Obama.”

Rice believes, “It was a reactionary vote. But ironically, they’ve ushered in single party rule, which is what we have in Washington.”

Rice predicted significant budget cuts are in the state’s future. The urban Democrat said he was concerned about Highway patrol reductions, and the loss of rural schools.

Sen. Rice is the leader-designate for Democrats in the state Senate. Democrats in the state House of Representatives also lost six seats (net) to Republicans in Tuesday’s election.