Pinnell Touts Unity

Republican Party chairman, Matt Pinnell, said the competitive primary race between Brogdon and Fallin was good for the party and energized a new crop of conservative Oklahoma voters.

"I think it's made Mary a better general election candidate, having to go head to head against Randy," Pinnell said. "As long as we're unified going forward and get those 40 percent who voted for Randy in the primary to vote for Mary and our statewide slate, then that's what I'm focused on."

That remains to be seen, many in the Tea Party movement still hold a grudge against Fallin and doesn't see many differences between she and Jari Askins.

Registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans in Oklahoma, about 49 percent to 40 percent, but trends defy those numbers: The state hasn't voted Democratic in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Any way you look at it, this race is shaping up to be a lot closer than the early poll numbers are showing.