GOP increases its hold on state House votes
Republican candidate won seat that Democrats had held for 44 years

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Comments 0
Published: October 14, 2009

A Republican businessman cruised to an easy victory Tuesday in an overwhelmingly Democratic state House of Representatives district.

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HOUSE DISTRICT 55

• Todd Russ, Republican: 3,029 (55.9%)

• Larry Peck, Democrat: 2,388 (44.1%)

Results are unofficial until the state Election Board certifies them next week.

Todd Russ garnered 55.9 percent of the votes to win the House District 55 seat, which has been held by a Democrat since 1965. He was opposed by Democrat Larry Peck, who recently retired as an agriculture education instructor and FFA adviser at Sentinel High School.

Russ’ victory increases the Republican majority in the House to the highest in Oklahoma’s history.

About 31.5 percent of registered voters turned out. House District 55 covers Washita County and parts of Caddo, Canadian and Kiowa counties.

Russ, a member of the Cordell City Council, is a former banker who management consults for banks and small businesses.

Russ said he may be sworn in later this week or early next week.

He will first resign his city council post.

He attributed his victory to "a lot of hard work from a grassroots effort from good and local people that really believe in what I believe in.”

Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 margin in the western Oklahoma district. It has 10,812 registered Democrats and 5,065 registered Republicans, according to the state Election Board. It also has 1,332 independents.

Republicans have made steady gains in the House, claiming the majority after 2004. Their margin has increased from 57-44 after Republicans won the majority in the 2004 elections to 61-40 after the 2008 elections. The victory by Russ gives Republicans their highest number in the House, 62.

Several House members, including House Speaker Chris Benge of Tulsa and Speaker Pro Tempore Kris Steele of Shawnee, campaigned for Russ.

Russ, 48, succeeds Ryan McMullen, who resigned in July to take a federal post. This is the second time that Peck and Russ sought the same office. Russ lost the Senate District 26 general election race in 2006 to Tom Ivester, a Democrat from Elk City; Peck lost to Ivester in the primary election.