Fifty-five of Oklahoma's 101 House seats will feature contested races on the Nov. 3 ballot, up from 32 in 2024.

The surge means more choices for voters statewide, and in Oklahoma City it includes an open seat in House District 99 created by former Rep. Ajay Pittman's resignation after a forgery guilty plea. Oklahoma Voice first reported the contested-seat count on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said the election will produce the largest incoming class of lawmakers since 2018. Twelve seats will have no returning representative because of term limits or legislators choosing not to run again. Two of those seats are vacant after resignations.

Erin Brewer, chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said the party recruited candidates to give voters a choice and boost participation. Oklahoma ranks among the lowest states in voter turnout, and many races in recent cycles were decided during closed partisan primaries in June or August runoffs.

"Oklahoma is one of the lowest voter turnout states in the nation, but part of that is because we simply haven't been having as many competitive races as we should have in general elections," Brewer told Oklahoma Voice.

Of the 55 contested seats, 43 involve incumbents facing challengers. Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, one of those incumbents, said he was not surprised by the increase and credited the Democratic Party's push to field candidates in more districts.

HD 99: An open seat in northeast OKC

One race with direct Oklahoma City stakes is House District 99, covering parts of northeast Oklahoma City. Pittman had held the seat since winning it in 2018.

She resigned in January 2026 after pleading guilty to three felony counts: conspiracy to commit a felony, second-degree forgery and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. The charges stemmed from the alleged forgery of a $2,500 check, NonDoc reported. Pittman received a seven-year deferred sentence. She previously admitted improperly withdrawing nearly $18,000 for personal use and inaccurately reporting approximately $50,000 in contributions. Under her Ethics Commission settlement, she agreed not to run for office in Oklahoma for 15 years.

Democrat Herschel Brown won the Aug. 25 primary runoff with about 67% of the vote, according to The Oklahoman. He faces Republican Melvin Latham in November.

Political scientists predict closer races

University of Oklahoma political science professor Allyson Shortle said she does not expect many seats to flip but predicted the races will be more competitive than usual. Oklahoma State University political science professor Seth McKee said voters angriest with the Trump administration are more likely to vote against Republicans, a pattern that could benefit Democratic candidates.

That does not mean a partisan shift is coming. Shortle and McKee both said Republicans are expected to keep control of the chamber.

Voter registration deadline is Friday

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 3 election is Friday, Oct. 9. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 19. Early voting runs Oct. 28 through Oct. 31, and polls on Election Day are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.