Dave Rader

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Dave Rader
Republican Party
Oklahoma State Senate District 39
Tenure
2016 - Present
Term ends
2028
Years in position
9
Compensation
Base salary
$47,500/year
Per diem
$196/day for legislators who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol.
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Contact
Official website
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Personal website
Personal Facebook
Personal LinkedIn

Dave Rader (Republican Party) is a member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing District 39. He assumed office on November 23, 2016. His current term ends on November 22, 2028.

Rader (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Oklahoma State Senate to represent District 39. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Rader earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of Tulsa in 1980. His professional experience includes working in sales and as a professional football coach.[1]

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Rader was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Rader was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Rader was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Oklahoma committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations
• Energy
• Health and Human Services
• Transportation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2024

See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Oklahoma State Senate District 39

Incumbent Dave Rader defeated Melissa Bryce in the general election for Oklahoma State Senate District 39 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dave Rader
Dave Rader (R)
 
56.3
 
20,326
Image of Melissa Bryce
Melissa Bryce (D)
 
43.7
 
15,774

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 36,100
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Melissa Bryce advanced from the Democratic primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 39.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Dave Rader advanced from the Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 39.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rader in this election.

2020

See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oklahoma State Senate District 39

Incumbent Dave Rader defeated Shawna Mott-Wright in the general election for Oklahoma State Senate District 39 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dave Rader
Dave Rader (R)
 
54.8
 
20,493
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Shawna Mott-Wright (D)
 
45.2
 
16,889

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 37,382
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Shawna Mott-Wright advanced from the Democratic primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 39.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Dave Rader advanced from the Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 39.

2016

See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Oklahoma State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 15, 2016. Incumbent Brian Crain (R) did not seek re-election.

Dave Rader defeated John Waldron in the Oklahoma State Senate District 39 general election.[2]

Oklahoma State Senate, District 39 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Dave Rader 53.09% 19,002
     Democratic John Waldron 46.91% 16,793
Total Votes 35,795
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board


John Waldron ran unopposed in the Oklahoma State Senate District 39 Democratic primary.[3][4]

Oklahoma State Senate, District 39 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png John Waldron  (unopposed)


Dave Rader and Amanda J. Teegarden defeated Alan Staab and Rick Poplin in the Oklahoma State Senate District 39 Republican primary.[3][4]

Oklahoma State Senate, District 39 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Dave Rader 40.35% 3,763
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Amanda J. Teegarden 24.85% 2,317
     Republican Alan Staab 23.68% 2,208
     Republican Rick Poplin 11.12% 1,037
Total Votes 9,325


Dave Rader defeated Amanda J. Teegarden in the Oklahoma State Senate District 39 Republican primary runoff.[5]

Oklahoma State Senate, District 39 Republican Primary Runoff, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Dave Rader 54.83% 2,278
     Republican Amanda J. Teegarden 45.17% 1,877
Total Votes 4,155

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dave Rader did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Dave Rader did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Campaign website

Rader’s campaign website stated the following:

“

About Dave
Dave Rader’s roots run deeply in Tulsa and specifically, in District 39. Dave was raised, baptized, and attended school in the district starting at Franklin Elementary on Yale Ave (now Tulsa Street School), and on to Will Rogers High School and the University of Tulsa, both being just across the street from District 39. Dave and his wife, Janet, mark a number of wonderful family milestones in the district. They were married in District 39 some 37 years ago, their third child was born in District 39, their first residence was in District 39, and for all but two years it’s been the only district in which they’ve ever lived in Oklahoma.

LONG-TIME GOP MEMBER
Dave’s history with the Republican party is nearly just as long. He registered as a Republican while he was in high school at Rogers, and has always been devoted to the party’s mission and causes. Dave likes to call it ‘Tulsa conservative’, a political and personal philosophy that he says has been strongly influenced by his living in District 39.

It is the core of those conservative values that are motivating Dave to represent District 39 in the Oklahoma State Senate. First and foremost, he believes the most important issue in our culture today is the right our forefathers chose to list first in our Declaration of Independence, “… Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Dave has always been pro-life and will staunchly defend that God-given right as your State Senator.

Dave is a firm believer in the Bill of Rights and is committed to upholding its precious freedoms. Freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the 10th Amendment limiting the reach of the federal government into matters reserved for states and individuals are foundations of Dave’s political prism.

HIGHLY-QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT YOUR INTERESTS
There are many challenges in Oklahoma today, and it will take bold, decisive, and effective leadership to successfully meet them. Dave’s vast and varied experiences have him uniquely qualified to do that. As the head football coach at the University of Tulsa, Dave met and developed constructive relationships with numerous civic and corporate community leaders. He has also held positions in the private sector, gaining valuable expertise in the worlds of information technology, road construction, and energy. Dave also has extensive experience working with non-profit groups such as the John 3:16 Mission, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Heritage Family Services, Will Rogers High School Community Foundation, and First Baptist Church of Tulsa. The sum of those professional and personal opportunities have him well-prepared to proudly and ably represent District 39 in the State Senate.

CORE AREAS: JOBS, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION
Dave’s vision for a prosperous future for Oklahoma revolves around three primary areas: jobs, education, and transportation.

Oklahoma has abundant low-cost energy, water, and good, hard-working people. Those are great building blocks to future prosperity. But Dave believes that Oklahoma’s bright future must be driven by an ever-increasing job market, and that the state government can and should be instrumental in that effort. Retaining and creating jobs, and helping find work for those who want it are high on Dave’s priority list.

Quality education is equally important. All citizens should have equal access to education. That involves our school systems and vocational training, as both effectively strengthen the workforce and make Oklahoma an attractive location for corporations, businesses, and entrepreneurs. Jobs and education go hand in hand.

The third piece of Dave’s platform is transportation. Every family, every business, and every tourist in our state should be provided safe and reliable roads. Maintaining a superior transportation infrastructure—good roads, bridges, and highways—is vital to commerce and illustrates a thriving and successful economy.

BUILDING A GREAT FUTURE- TOGETHER
The city of Tulsa and its people have been a blessing to Dave and his family, which includes his wife Janet; their son Daniel, his wife Deidra and their twin boys, Jett and Jax; their son Jordan, his wife Emily and their son, J.D.; and their daughter Kendal. Now he believes it’s time to return the favor by proudly representing District 39 in the State Senate. His decision to run was made after long and careful deliberation about the great state of Oklahoma and its future. It is a future that Dave wants to be full of fantastic promise for you and your children, and he pledges to work toward that every day, and to represent the district the same way he has lived his life—with integrity, devotion, and unwavering commitment to guiding principles.[6]

”
—Dave Rader’s campaign website (2024)[7]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Dave Rader campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024Oklahoma State Senate District 39Won general$267,093 $174,563
2020Oklahoma State Senate District 39Won general$307,501 N/A**
2016Oklahoma State Senate, District 39Won $229,121 N/A**
Grand total$803,716 $174,563
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Oklahoma

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2025.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2024.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2019.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2018.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2017.

See also

2024 Elections

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External links

Candidate

Oklahoma State Senate District 39
  • Website
  • Facebook
    		•

    Officeholder

    Oklahoma State Senate District 39
  • Website
    		•

    Personal

  • Website
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ DaveforSenate.com, "About," accessed April 10, 2020
    2. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Federal, State, Legislative and Judicial Races General Election — November 8, 2016," accessed November 28, 2016
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "2016 Candidate List Book (Official List of Candidates)," accessed April 18, 2016
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Official Results - Primary Election," accessed August 2, 2016
    5. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, “Official results for runoff primary races — August 23, 2016,” accessed May 2, 2017
    6. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    7. ↑ Dave Rader’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed October 19, 2016

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Oklahoma State Senate District 39
    2016-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -


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