Slim majority of Oklahoma voters favor President Biden's COVID-19 stimulus bill

A slim majority of Oklahoma voters favors the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden last month, while less than 40% approve of the new president’s performance, according to a new poll that shows state Republicans’ continued strong support for Donald Trump.

The stimulus bill, which included direct payments of $1,400 for most Americans, extended unemployment benefits and funding for states and cities, garnered 52% approval in a poll of registered voters by Amber Integrated of Oklahoma City.

Support among Republicans was just 30%, while more than 88% of Democrats and 47% of independents approve of the bill.

All seven members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, all Republicans, voted against the measure, which was approved with only Democratic votes in the House and Senate. Oklahoma members complained that a relatively small amount of the money would be directed to immediate relief and that the rest would be spent in the next few years on Democratic priorities.

Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said the fact that the stimulus bill was favored by a majority in the survey showed the members of the delegation were out of touch with the voters.

And she said some of the criticism about the package, specifically the extension of unemployment benefits, was unfounded.

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Pollster Jackson Lisle, a partner in Amber Integrated, said, “We live in a time defined by political polarization, so it is never surprising to see support for a public policy initiative break down on party lines.”

The poll was conducted March 26-28 and included a pool of 500 registered voters. The results were weighted based on age, gender, party affiliation and level of education. It has a margin of error of 4.38% at a 95% confidence interval. The poll surveyed both cell phones and landlines and used a combination of live callers and an online panel.

Oklahomans divided by party lines

Biden, who got 32% of the vote in Oklahoma in November, had an approval rating of about 37% in the new poll. Only 16% of the Republicans polled approved of Biden’s performance as president, while 74% of Democrats and 30% of independents approved.

Meanwhile, the poll shows 71% of Oklahoma Republican voters surveyed want Trump to run for another term as president in 2024. That is virtually unchanged from the Amber Integrated poll in December. Overall, only 46% of the Oklahoma voters surveyed want the former president to run again, with 10% of Democrats and 39% of independents saying he should seek another term.

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Only 22% of the Republicans surveyed said they hold Trump somewhat or very responsible for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Overall, 47% of the registered Oklahoma voters surveyed said Trump bore some responsibility; 82% of Democrats and 54% of independents said he does.

As Congress and some states look at changes to voting laws, 38% in the survey said the Oklahoma Legislature should require that absentee ballots be sent to all registered voters. Support was lowest among Republicans, at 21%, while 66% of Democrats and 34% of independents would favor all voters getting ballots in the mail. 

Gov. Kevin Stitt, Sen. James Lankford's strength

Looking toward the 2022 elections in Oklahoma, Lisle said Gov. Kevin Stitt and Sen. James Lankford are in good shape for reelection.

“Both receive high marks of approval from Republican voters, who also want them to seek reelection,” Lisle said. “It seems like a primary challenge to either of these candidates would be an uphill battle.”

Stitt’s approval in March among all registered voters surveyed was 54.4%. That is up from 52.7% in December but down from 65% in March 2020.

Among Republicans, Stitt’s approval was 70% in March, compared to 75% in December and 87% a year ago.

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Asked whether Stitt should run for a second term, 47% said yes, up from about 40% in December. Among Republicans, 61% said he should run again, while 58% of independents and 21% of Democrats want him to seek another term.

Former state Sen. Ervin Yen, an Oklahoma City physician, has announced that he would challenge Stitt in the GOP primary for governor.

Stitt campaign consultant Cam Savage said Stitt’s rating and the fact that 62% of those polled said the state is heading in the right direction show voters “are giving a clear vote of confidence that Gov. Kevin Stitt is fulfilling his campaign commitment to lead a turnaround in Oklahoma. This trend is a complete 180 from how voters felt about the state just three years ago.”

No known Democrat has emerged to challenge Stitt, but Andrews, chair of the state Democratic Party, said that will change. She said at least two Democrats with name recognition are contemplating a race and would be viable challengers.

“We will have a real name running for governor,” she said. “I’m a little stressed on senator, but I’m not done recruiting.”

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Lankford, first elected to the Senate in 2014 to fill the last two years of Sen. Tom Coburn’s term, is expected to receive a Republican primary challenge from Tulsa pastor Jackson Lahmeyer.

Lankford’s overall approval rate in March was 47.46%, down from 52.8% in December. Among Republicans, it was 62.6%, down from 75% in December. Lankford announced in early January that he would be among those challenging Electoral College results on Jan. 6, and he was on the Senate floor challenging Arizona’s results when the rioters reached the chamber.

When senators returned after the riot, Lankford dropped his opposition to the electoral votes.

Overall, only 42% of those surveyed said Lankford should seek another term; 57% of Republicans said he should run again, 22% said he should not and the rest were unsure.