Republicans show muscle in 2004 election

Friday, December 24th 2004, 4:03 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Tom Coburn helped keep Republicans in control of the U-S Senate, the G-O-P assumed power in the state House and Oklahoma voters approved the education lottery.

Those were the big political stories in Oklahoma in 2004.

It was a joyous year for Republicans in Oklahoma. President Bush won 65 percent of the vote and his coattails led Republicans into control of the 101-member House for the first time in more than 80 years.

Coburn -- a Muskogee doctor who served three terms in Congress -- surprised many by winning the GOP primary without a runoff.

He then knocked off outgoing Congressman Brad Carson of Claremore in the most expensive and one of the meanest Senate races in Oklahoma history.

He replaces Republican Don Nickles, who held the Senate seat for 24 years.

Henry was one Democrat who had a good year as voters handily endorsed his proposals to raise money for education through a lottery and a plan to allow electronic gambling at horse race tracks.