Analysis: Can Coates Become Senate Pro Temp?

State Sen. Harry Coates of Seminole said in a Tuesday interview with The Tulsa World he has the support needed to become President Pro Temp of the state Senate, a position now held by fellow Republican Sen. Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City. But given the close partisan division in the state Legislature's upper chamber, Coates’ route to the top job may be a bit clouded.

Although Coates told The World he believes he can settle the race within the GOP caucus, he already has the support of Charlie Laster, the Senate Democrat (minority) leader. Republicans presently have a 26-22 edge in the Senate.

Capitol sources have told this reporter there may be three Republican Senators inclined for varied reasons support the effort to unseat Coffee. They are identified as Cliff Aldridge of Midwest City, Jim Reynolds of Oklahoma City, and Anthony Sykes of Moore.  As The World’s Barbara Hoberock reported, Aldridge is also a candidate for the Pro Temp’s position. If Aldridge, Reynolds and Sykes – or, for that matter, any three Republicans -- bolted to join Laster and the 22 Democratic senators in a bipartisan coalition, Coates could prevail. But if they  stayed with the current Pro Temp and the remainder of the caucus, even in the event of Coates’ shift away from fellow Republicans, Coffee would maintain a 25-23 edge and remain in control of the Senate.

The final complicating piece of the puzzle would be if any two Republicans bolted to join a unified Democratic caucus, the upper chamber would be tied as it was after the 2006 election. That might lead to another power sharing agreement such as that forged for two years between Coffee and former state Sen. Mike Morgan of Stillwater, a Democrat.

About the author: An award-winning journalist, Pat McGuigan is a longtime contributor to Tulsa Today and serves as our contributing editor. He is also managing editor of a weekly newspaper in Oklahoma City.