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OKLAHOMA 2 : Northeast - Muskogee

In the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, the thickly forested section of the 2nd provides northeast Oklahoma with its nickname, the "Green Country." It is a poor rural area with Democratic sympathies. Although Oklahoma does not include any reservations, American Indians make up a larger portion of the population than in any other state, totalling nearly 30 percent.

The lakes and waterways, the state's most extensive, attract tourists and the elderly, helping to boost the economy. Agriculture dominates the region, but low commodity prices in the mid-1990s hurt the economy, especially the markets for soybeans, wheat, milk and beef. Rogers and Wagoner counties have become two of the fastest-growing regions in the state as some Tulsa residents move out for the comfort of the suburbs. Delaware County, which contains most of Grand Lake, was the state's fastest-growing region in the 1980s and through the mid-1990s.

The 2nd's poor, rural base leans Democratic, but socially conservative Republicans can win here and have maintained control of the congressional seat with the help of the area's large contingent of Baptist and Pentecostal voters and the Christian Coalition. Nevertheless, most local government officials are Democrats, and Clinton won in both 1992 and '96 with percentages nearly matching the rest of the nation.

Major Industry
Paper products, small manufacturing, health care

Population
524,389 (1990)

Cities
Muskogee 37,891; Sapulpa 19,357; Claremore, 17,982 (1996)

People
63% rural; 15% age 65+ (ranks second of six in state; top third nationally); 63% married couples, 29% married couples with children; 12% college educated (ranks sixth of six in state; bottom third nationally); 47% white collar (ranks sixth of six in state; bottom third nationally), 35% blue collar (ranks first of six in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
77% white, 5% black, 0% Asian, 17% American Indian; 1% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$20,633 (ranks fifth of six in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
The American Indian "Trail of Tears" of 1838-39 ended in Tahlequah (part of Cherokee County), and nearly 20 percent of the Cherokee Nation died en route; Mickey Mantle was from Commerce.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company