Oklahoma voters will decide 12 state Senate races in November

For the first time in more than a decade, Oklahoma voters will have the opportunity to dramatically change the makeup of the state Senate.

Term limits, resignations and pushback from the GOP’s right wing have all come together this election cycle to force changes on the Senate, which is now controlled by a Republican supermajority. Currently, the GOP controls 40 seats in the Senate. Democrats hold eight.

While the Republican supermajority is expected to hold , more than a dozen new lawmakers will be sworn into office ahead of next year’s legislative session.

More: Oklahoma's Republican Party is shifting to the right. Where does that leave moderates?

Twelve races will be decided in November’s general election, including:

District 3 : Incumbent Republican Sen. Blake Cowboy Stephens was was defeated by fellow Republican Julie McIntosh in the primary election. McIntosh still faces independent candidate Margaret Cook in the general election.

District 7 : Incumbent Republican Sen. Warren Hamilton will face off against Democratic challenger Jerry Donathan in the race to represent the far southeastern part of Oklahoma.

District 15 : Lisa Standridge, the Republican candidate and wife of the district’s outgoing senator, Rob Standridge, faces Elizabeth Foreman, a Democrat.

District 21 : This race features Republican Randy Grellner and Democrat Robin Fuxa. The winner replaces Sen. Tom Dugger, who said he was retiring.

District 25 : Democrat Karen Gaddis is battling Republican Brian Guthrie to replace retiring Republican Sen. Joe Newhouse.

District 33: The winner of this Tulsa-area race will fill the seat currently held by outgoing Sen. Nathan Dahm, who also chairs the Oklahoma Republican Party. In the contest, Christi Gillespie, a Republican, is running against Bob Willis, a Democrat.

More: How to register to vote in Oklahoma

District 35 : Incumbent Democrat Jo Anna Dossett, who has held the seat since 2020, is facing Republican Dean Martin.

District 37: Aaron Reinhardt, a Republican, is running against Andrew Nutter, an independent candidate. Reinhardt defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Cody Rogers in the primary election.

District 39: This is a contest between incumbent Republican Sen. Dave Rader and Melissa Bryce, a Democrat. Rader has held the seat since 2016.

District 43 : Kendal Sacchieri, a Republican, is competing for a seat against Sam Graefe, a Democrat. The winner will replace outgoing Sen. Jessica Garvin, a Republican, who was defeated in the primary election.

District 46: In a rare three-way race, Democrat Mark Mann is facing Republican Charles Barton and independent David Pilchman. The winner will replace outgoing Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd.

District 47: In this Oklahoma City metro battle for the seat of outgoing Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, Democrat Erin Brewer is running against Republican Kelly Hines. Treat is retiring due to term limits.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma voters will decide 12 state Senate races in November