“C’mon, Okies! Take care of business.”
What most don’t realize is that Oklahoma was a democrat-controlled state since its inception over 100+ years ago. Republicans have only taken control in the last few years, and it was a hard-fought battle. So, you have a mostly conservative population (but with a populist bent), with a still democrat/progressive-trending state government. And the two major population centers, Oklahoma City and Tulsa have more liberal local governments than the rest of the state, especially Tulsa.
But, keep in mind that “progressive” here in Oklahoma is relative to the rest of the state. It is nothing like what passes as progressive in the NE, the two left-coasts, etc. Most of our “progressives” would be considered conservatives in most of the rest of the country.
I tend to view the “typical Okie” as mostly a conservative, with a pinch of the old-style populist democrat and a dash of the libertarian added in.
We did send Jim Bridenstein to Congress. But there are lots of Rats.
That sums things up pretty well IMO. The SE quarter of the state isn’t known as Little Dixie for no reason. I know strictly conservative people who are still registered dems, and voting precincts that keep the republican voter roster under the table in primaries.
The depression and the dust bowl hit us so hard. It made FDR democrats out of a lot of people. A communist asshole named Woody Guthrie cashed in big time at their expense, and a lot of people ran off to California to star in a Steinbeck novel and to assimilate there.
Overall conservative and populistic works in the 21st century IMO.