Category Archives: Election News

RJ Harris Makes Bid For Governor’s Seat Official

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RJ HarrisEarlier this year, we reported that RJ Harris was considering running for Governor on the Democratic ticket. This past weekend, he made that official by filing with the State Ethics Commission. As of this time, no other Democrats have expressed interest in running for Governor.

Many people have already expressed concerned about his party allegiance as he has never run for office as a Democrat before. His campaign history has him as a Republican, Independent and Libertarian. In response to these concerns, Harris responded in the comments of the NewsOK report that anyone who values liberty should support him.

I know there will be some strong opinions for and against my candidacy but I am sure we all agree an election with only one name on the ballot is no election at all. In response to those commenting on my changing parties. When I saw first hand how so many in the Republican Party are still swayed by racism and religious bigotry; and when I saw how the OK GOP leadership would lie and cheat to prevent the properly elected Ron Paul delegates from attending the national convention in Florida, I realized that there was simply no place left for me there nor for anyone who’s primary political goals are the advancement of freedom over tyranny. If you are someone who wants your government to stay out of your private life and also wants your government to be accountable for the money it takes from you then I encourage you to join me in the Oklahoma Democratic Party where we will be working together to restore the Democratic Parties of Jefferson and Kennedy…which is to say a party COMMITTED to the advancement of personal, religious and economic liberty. While this may be out of step with what Democratic leaders are doing nationally, here in Oklahoma, we will fight for Liberty.

While this stance may not calm the fears of all Democratic voters, it has at least been okayed by Wallace Collins, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

As for the two known candidates for Governor, Mary Fallin and RJ Harris, Harris is the only one of the two with strong support for ballot access. He has made ballot access reform one of his key issues:

Overly aggressive limitations placed upon ballot access strike at the very legitimacy of the electoral process by calling into question whether a truly representative government has been seated. We are a state and a nation of very diverse political philosophies so why should our choices of public servants be limited to only those from the top two major parties? Freedom of choice and true representative government means that we have an honest and complete choice of parties and candidates from which to choose and not a watered down list provided by those already in power. As Governor, I will fight to restore very liberal ballot access for all political parties and candidates and I trust the people of Oklahoma, not the political interests, to make the best selections of the candidates they wish to serve them regardless of party affiliation.

We will continue to keep you updated on all news regarding candidates for and against ballot access reform.

RJ Harris Announces Intent To Run For Governor As Democratic Candidate

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RJ HarrisEarlier today, RJ Harris announced his intent to run for governor as the Democratic candidate. News reports had been circulating stating that the Democratic Party has not put forth a candidate for Governor as of yet. In response to an article in the Washington Post about Libertarian Democrats, RJ Harris wrote on Facebook:

I will rise to this challenge and I hope you will rise with me. It is official; I am forming a campaign to run for the Oklahoma Democrat Party’s nomination for Governor. Oklahoma Constitutional Conservatives; it is time to put our principles for freedom ahead of party politics, it’s time to fight for LIBERTY. Continue reading →

Lack Of Challengers To Incumbents Bad For Oklahoma And Ballot Access

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Governor Mary FallinRecently, an Associated Press article circulated among various state news outlets which reports there to be extremely few Democrats looking to challenge Oklahoma’s Republican incumbents. This story reports that as of the end of the last reporting period only one statewide office has any challengers, that of State Superintendent. It is no surprise to see that position being challenged, but it is a shame to see no movement on any other office.

We have already reported that incumbent Republican Governor Mary Fallin will be seeking reelection, although she has not made it official. It has also come to our attention that State Attorney General Scott Pruitt will also seek reelection. Despite these very clear moves to seek office once again, there are no challengers to be had.

While it is still early, there are usually indication about now to who might be running for elected office for many of the highest seats in the state. The fact that no one from the other established party has made motions to seek the Governor or Lt. Governor seat is very surprising. One would suspect that such motions will be announced in the coming months. Continue reading →

Senator Inhofe And Representative Cole Have Raised Over $1Million Each For Reelection

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Federal Election Commission LogoLast week, I wrote that Governor Mary Fallin, despite not officially announcing her reelection bid, has been gearing up for the coming 2014 election. She is not alone. News 9 in Oklahoma City is reporting that Senator James Inhofe and Representative Tom Cole, of US House District 4, have both raised over $1million each towards their respective 2014 reelection bids.  According to data from the 2012 election, Tom Cole spent a little over $1million to win his reelection.

How does that compare to their counterparts in the other 4 Oklahoma House seats? We took a look at the Federal Election Commission campaign reporting tool to find out.  According to most recent data, James Bridenstein, of District 1, has raised $17,000; Markwayne Mullin, of District 2, has raised $117,724; Frank Lucas, of District 3, has raised $285,590; and James Lankford has raised $314,752. These are all a far cry from what Tom Cole and Senator Inhofe have raised, but that can change as election season approaches. Continue reading →

Governor Mary Fallin Has Made Moves Toward A Reelection Bid; Who Will Oppose Her?

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Governor Mary FallinWhile Governor Mary Fallin has not officially announced her reelection campaign, she is plenty busy putting plans in motion. According to NewsOK, she is busy fundraising for her unannounced campaign and raising awareness of her record as governor for the last 3 years.

I haven’t set a specific date to kick off a re-election announcement, but I have been having some fundraisers across the state and we do have a campaign website up along with sending updated emails out to our current supporters.

That website is up and running and is full of information about her record and her plans. So even though she is not currently openly running, she is still working hard on that reelection campaign.

But what about her challengers? Are there any takers on who will oppose her in the coming 2014 election? Not according to anyone in the Democratic or Republican parties. Continue reading →