Oklahoma Republicans gained at least two State Senate seats Tuesday, with a third Democrat seat still in play, making history by winning at least a tie with Democrats in the Oklahoma State Senate for the first time ever. For the state's first 100 years, the State Senate was controlled by Democrats. For the time ever, Democrats will not have a Senate majority in the 2007 Legislature -- and Republicans will have a clear advantage to win the majority in 2008. "Today the people of Oklahoma said they are tired of the old guard leadership in the State Senate. Voters elected a record number of Republicans to the State Senate because they want a new direction in the Senate for the new Oklahoma century," said Senate Republican leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. State Rep. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, won Senate District 12 for the GOP, an open seat held by outgoing Senate Majority Leader Ted Fisher. Republican Anthony Sykes of Moore defeated incumbent Democrat State Sen. Daisy Lawler of Comanche in Senate District 24. Another open Democrat seat, Senate District 26 in western Oklahoma, remains too close to call. Coffee said the Republican victories in key Senate races show that Oklahoma voters are ready for change. The top issues in GOP campaigns were tax reform, job creation, immigration reform, education, lawsuit reform, and traditional values. "Voters want the Oklahoma Senate to start being part of the solution in moving Oklahoma forward. Our candidates ran excellent campaigns and were very successful in running on a positive agenda of change for the State of Oklahoma," Coffee said. Posted at 11/08/2006 06:32:00 PM