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Julie Daniels
2016 - Present
2028
8
Julie Daniels (Republican Party) is a member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing District 29. She assumed office on November 23, 2016. Her current term ends on November 22, 2028.
Daniels was selected as Senate majority leader effective February 3, 2025.[1] Daniels was the second woman to serve as Senate Floor Leader.[2]
Daniels was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She received an undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1979.[3]
Daniels was mayor of Bartlesville, Oklahoma — roughly 50 miles north of Tulsa — and was a member of the city council for eight years.[4][5] She also served on the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission and the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission, and was president of Boys & Girls Club of Bartlesville for 13 years.[5] Daniels served on the board of the American Legislative Exchange Council beginning as early as 2024 and served as the organization's treasurer in 2025.
Daniels first won election to the Oklahoma Legislature in 2016. She advanced from the Republican primary for Senate District 29 with 58.9% of the vote, and defeated Democrat Robert Jobe 65.5%-34.5% in the general election. She won re-election in 2024, when she won the primary 55%-45% and the general election was cancelled.
While in the legislature, Daniels authored several bills related to abortion, including HB 4237 which bans abortions after fertilization with exceptions for medical emergencies or cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed the bill into law on May 25, 2022. On May 31, 2023, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the law in a 6-3 ruling, finding that language added by the bill conflicted with the "inherent right of a pregnant woman to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to preserve her life."[6][7] About her work on abortion, Daniels said, "I've learned that I am a pro-life woman who can accept that we should defer in cases of saving the life of the mother, or in the case of rape or incest as long as it's reported to law enforcement."[4]
On other priorities, Daniels said, "I think we'll continue to address the personal income tax issue and tax reform so that as our economy grows and things in Oklahoma improve, we could gradually step down the income tax rate. I would strongly advocate for that."[4] She went on to say, "we have far too much of a regulatory burden in our state compared to others. ... We license too many occupations. We should be encouraging people, not putting up barriers. We also need to do more in terms of pension reform and workers' compensation reform."[4]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Daniels was assigned to the following committees:
- Administrative Rules Committee, Vice Chair
- Education Committee
- Finance Committee
- Health and Human Services Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee, Chair
2021-2022
Daniels was assigned to the following committees:
- Energy Committee
- Health and Human Services Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee, Chair
- Senate Rules Committee
2019-2020
Daniels was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations Committee
- Energy Committee
- Health and Human Services Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee, Chair
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Oklahoma committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Business, Commerce, and Tourism |
| • General Government |
| • Judiciary |
Sponsored legislation
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
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 29
Incumbent Julie Daniels won election outright against Wendi Stearman in the Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 29 on June 18, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Julie Daniels | 55.0 | 4,144 |
 | Wendi Stearman | 45.0 | 3,395 | |
| Total votes: 7,539 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Daniels received the following endorsements.
Pledges
Daniels signed the following pledges.
2020
See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2020
Republican primary election
The primary election was canceled. Julie Daniels (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
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 Joel Ford (R) did not seek re-election.
Julie Daniels defeated Robert Jobe in the Oklahoma State Senate District 29 general election.[8]
| Oklahoma State Senate, District 29 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Julie Daniels |
65.53% | 21,704 | |
| Democratic | Robert Jobe | 34.47% | 11,419 | |
| Total Votes | 33,123 | |||
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board | ||||
Robert Jobe ran unopposed in the Oklahoma State Senate District 29 Democratic primary.[9][10]
| Oklahoma State Senate, District 29 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Robert Jobe (unopposed) | |
Julie Daniels defeated Jean S. Oliver in the Oklahoma State Senate District 29 Republican primary.[9][10]
| Oklahoma State Senate, District 29 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Julie Daniels |
58.88% | 4,288 | |
| Republican | Jean S. Oliver | 41.12% | 2,995 | |
| Total Votes | 7,283 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Julie Daniels did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
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.
2020
Julie Daniels did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Daniels' campaign website highlighted the following issues:[11]
Criminal justice reform
- Excerpt: "We need offenders to be successful and productive citizens once they have paid their debt to society. Policies that continue to punish do not encourage good behavior. I support alternatives to incarceration for some offenses."
Education
- Excerpt: "I share the view that education choice is the civil rights issue of our time. We must expand education choice for parents, including, but not limited to 'Education Savings Accounts.' ESAs should at least be available to parents of limited means seeking a better education for their child. The best approach is to make them available to all parents."
Highway 60 improvements
- Excerpt: "I support ongoing improvements to this important transportation corridor and will monitor progress on these multi-year projects."
Tax and fiscal policy
- Excerpt: "I want Oklahoma to attract and retain aspirational, enterprising people. We need more taxpayers - not more taxes. Tax dollars are taken from individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses. The lower the taxes, the more we have to spend, invest, create jobs, grow businesses and prosper. The more we prosper the greater the revenue that flows to government."
- Excerpt: "I will work to reduce spending and maximize the effectiveness of each dollar spent... Taxpayers expect their tax dollars to be spent wisely. More spending is not always better government."
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.
Scorecards
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 Oklahoma scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 5 to May 30. Special sessions took place on January 29, 2024 and on July 15, 2024.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 6 to May 26.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 7 to May 27.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 1 to May 27.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 3 to May 22.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Oklahoma State Legislature was in session from February 4 through May 31.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the 56th Oklahoma State Legislature, second session, was in session from February 5 through May 3.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 56th Oklahoma State Legislature, first session, was in session from February 6 through May 26. The legislature began a special session on September 25. The session ended on November 17. The legislature began another special session on December 18, which adjourned on December 22.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 55th Oklahoma State Legislature, second session, was in session from February 1 through May 27.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Oklahoma State Senate District 29 |
Officeholder Oklahoma State Senate District 29 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Oklahoma Voice, "Key Oklahoma Senate leaders named," November 12, 2024
- ↑ The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, "Bartlesville’s Julie Daniels to shape state legislative priorities as Senate Floor Leader," November 20, 2024
- ↑ Oklahoma Senate, "Julie Daniels," accessed March 17, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Oklahoman, "Meet the state senator in the spotlight on the future of Oklahoma's abortion law," October 30, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 American Legislative Exchange Council, "Oklahoma Senate Majority Leader Julie Daniels," accessed March 17, 2025
- ↑ PBS News, "Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down 2 abortion bans; procedure still illegal in most cases," May 31, 2023
- ↑ State Court Report, "Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice v. Drummond," March 31, 2023
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Federal, State, Legislative and Judicial Races General Election — November 8, 2016," accessed November 28, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "2016 Candidate List Book (Official List of Candidates)," accessed April 18, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Official Results - Primary Election," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ Julie Daniels, "On the Issues," accessed June 23, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Oklahoma State Senate District 29 2016-Present |
Succeeded by - |
