Through scandal and unforeseeable events, four state House members and three senators have left office or announced intentions to leave office before their terms are up.

Unfortunately, when the Legislature opens for its closing year in February, that flux will continue. Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Tulsa, announced recently that he’s almost certainly will miss the entire 2018 legislative session because of a military deployment.

As a result of the losses, a lot of people have been left unrepresented during critical periods, and this attrition has his Tulsa-area voters particularly hard.

House District 75, which includes part of Tulsa and Broken Arrow, was unrepresented this year after the February resignation of Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa, in the wake of an investigation into sexual harassment claims.

His replacement is scheduled to be elected in July.

Broken Arrow’s House District 76 was vacant for the critical last month of the legislative session after the untimely death of Rep. David Brumbaugh. His replacement will be determined in November.

After this year’s legislative session, Sen. Dan Newberry announced his an irrevocable resignation as of Jan. 31 to accept a senior management job. That’s a bit odd, but it allows for his replacement to be nominated and elected before the Legislature’s February opening, which is good.

Elsewhere, one legislator quit after he was arrested on felony prostitution charges involving a 17-year-old boy, another stepped aside after questions were raised about his campaign finances, and two others stepped aside to take new jobs.

The latest problem for Tulsa-area voters came when Newhouse, a first-term Republican from Broken Arrow’s District 25 and a U.S. Navy reserve officer, announced he is being called to active duty. District 25 includes south Tulsa, Bixby, Broken Arrow and Jenks.

In 2014, Oklahoma voters approved a constitutional change to allow state elected officials to keep their offices if they are called to active duty.

We’re sure no one is more frustrated by the situation than Newhouse, and we understand his desire to meet two obligations: To his constituents and to his military obligation.

And we know he would agree with us that representative democracy doesn’t work if circumstances prevent the representative from full participation in the legislative process.

We look forward to the Legislature returning to full strength eventually, and hope the bad luck that has been picking off members comes to an end.