In an election that pitted Oklahoma’s low cost of living against demands for an ever-escalating mandatory minimum wage, Oklahomans opted for affordability and rejected State Question 832.

“Tonight, voters chose to protect Oklahoma’s economic momentum and one of our greatest competitive advantages: affordability,” said Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber of Oklahoma, which opposed SQ 832. “The reality is wages in Oklahoma are already being driven up by a strong labor market not government mandates. Oklahoma businesses are competing for talent, investing in their people, and helping move our state forward.

“Oklahomans sent a clear message: we can grow our economy, create opportunities, and keep life affordable without one-size-fits-all mandates that make it harder for businesses to hire and grow,” Warmington concluded.

State Question 832 would have more than doubled Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2029 and then continued increasing it every year based on the rising cost-of-living in the nation’s largest urban centers, as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

That would have effectively tied Oklahoma’s wage mandate to the cost of living in places like New York City or San Francisco, where expenses far exceed Oklahoma norms, particularly in rural communities.

About 55 percent of voters opposed passage of SQ 832 while less than 45 percent supported it.

That is the most notable defeat for a state minimum-wage measure in recent memory.

Since 2016, there have been 12 statewide minimum-wage increases submitted to voters across the United States. Only one of those measures failed, and it was defeated by less than two percentage points. (Another narrowly tailored state measure, which applied only to tipped employees, also failed.)

However, SQ 832 was markedly different from many other state ballot measures. Most other minimum-wage proposals did not include a provision that continued to increase the wage every year.

Data show that SQ 832 would have escalated the wage mandate significantly faster than actual inflation in Oklahoma. While SQ 832 would have initially mandated that entry-level jobs pay $15 an hour in 2029, an analysis by The State Chamber of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Farm Bureau found SQ 832 would put Oklahoma’s minimum wage on a fast track to $35.61 per hour and continue rising thereafter.

As the wage mandate rose at a rate exceeding Oklahoma inflation, it was expected to drive up the costs of countless goods and services statewide, quickly eating away at Oklahoma’s current low cost of living.

In addition, SQ 832 would have eliminated minimum-wage exemptions that have been in place for decades for farms and ranches, part-time employment, and teenage employment. And the wage mandate would have applied to nearly all businesses, regardless of size.

Those were major factors for many Oklahomans, particularly in rural areas. A majority of voters in 74 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties opposed SQ 832. In some rural counties, more than 80 percent of voters opposed SQ 832.

The only three counties where the measure drew majority support were Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Cleveland counties, which include the core of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The Oklahoma City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America was among the most notable proponents of SQ 832.

The opponents represented a wide range of organizations and officials, including The State Chamber of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, Enid Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, and more.

SQ 832 was also opposed by the top five Republican candidates for governor, more than 100 members of the Oklahoma Legislature, and numerous other officials, including city and county government leaders.

Following the proposal’s defeat, The Yes on 832 campaign released a statement on social media indicating the group would continue to promote the proposal, declaring, “Tonight did not go as we hoped. But the fight doesn’t end here.”