Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn's announcement that he will retire at the end of this Congress may well have some implications for 2014.According to Oklahoma law, a vacant U.S. Senate seat is filled by a special election. Thus, when Coburn leaves the Senate, GOP Gov. Mary Fallin would call a special election that most assume would be some time in early 2015. However, Coburn could submit his resignation at any time with an effective resignation date of, say, December 31, 2014. This would allow Fallin to call the special election that would coincide with the November general election. According to Republican sources, this is exactly what is likely to happen.Oklahoma is one of the most Republican states in the country, so Democrats have very little hope of taking this seat. Holding a special election on general election would remove whatever uncertainty accompanies such elections (see: Brown, Scott and Coakley, Martha), making the situation even more daunting for Democrats. In fact, the Republican primary could well prove to be the truly competitive contest. Stay tuned.
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