Endorsement: Jason Reese for Labor Commissioner

There are two Republicans running for Labor Commissioner this year. As with the Attorney General's race, this was a tough choice, as I think that both men would be good in this office.

My vote will be going to Jason Reese.

Jason is an attorney who specializes in labor and employment law. He has relevant experience for the job that will enable him to hit the ground running from day one. He has seen from a different perspective how illegal immigration effects Oklahoma businesses, and can be counted on to fight against it, while at the same time encouraging legal immigration.

He will push for much-needed worker's compensation reform, to merge agencies in the Labor Commission, and to eliminate discrimination against Reserve and National Guard members.

Jason knows how the laws currently work, from both a public and private perspective. He can be trusted as a reformer.

I'll be voting for Jason Reese.

You can learn more about Jason and his campaign by visiting his website at www.ReeseForLabor.com. He is also on Twitter (@ReeseForLabor) and Facebook.

Jason joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones, Janet Barresi, John Doak, Daniel Edmonds, Robert Hubbard, Scott Pruitt and James Lankford as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary.

Endorsement: James Lankford for Congress

Oklahoma Republicans in the 5th Congressional District will have a crowded primary election on July 27th, with seven Republican candidates on the ballot.

If I lived in the 5th District, I would enthusiastically cast my vote for James Lankford.

James is a rock-solid Christian, and a solid conservative who will stand up in the halls of Congress to fight for the Constitution and our traditional values. He's a devoted family man; James and Cindy have been married for 18 years, and have two daughters.

James has spent the last 13 years in Christian ministry at Falls Creek, the largest Christian youth camp in the nation. He knows how to effectively serve people, manage workers, and be frugal with budgets.

I've had the chance to meet James, and he is one of the most impressive people I have ever met. He is a man of the highest integrity, and can be counted on not only to keep his character clean in the swamp known as Washington politics, but to keep his word and fight for what's right.

He understands that the federal government has overstepped its bounds, and fight do his part to bring it back under the constitutional restraints that our Fournder's placed on it.

As James says, we'll never change the status quo in Washington by sending the status quo to Washington. There is a lot of truth in that statement.

Oklahoma needs James Lankford in Congress.

America needs James Lankford in Congress.

I hope you'll join me in supporting James Lankford.

You can learn more about James and his campaign by visiting his website at www.JamesLankford.com. He is also on Twitter (@JamesLankford) and Facebook.

James joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones, Janet Barresi, John Doak, Daniel Edmonds, Robert Hubbard and Scott Pruitt as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary.

Endorsement: Scott Pruitt for Attorney General

Let me first start off by saying that Republicans have two fantastic choices in the primary for Attorney General - it's a shame they are running against each other. It has been a difficult decision to pick which of these two fine gentlemen to vote for; you can hardly go wrong with this race.

I have finally arrived at a decision - Scott Pruitt has won my vote.

Both Scott or his opponent will make a fantastic Attorney General; there's no doubt about that. They will fight back against ObamaCare, and other intrusive/unconstitutional federal legislation. They will enforce the law. They will fight crime and corruption.

What pushed Scott over the top for me, however, is his overwhelming passion for the Constitution.

Scott will be a leader in proactively defending the Constitution, both on the state and federal levels. Specifically, Scott has pledged to create a Federalism unit in the Attorney General's office, designed to focus on constitutional issues.

This is something that is needed in today's climate, with an administration and Congress that is constantly extending the government beyond its original, pre-set boundaries. Scott will be our sentinel and front guard against an overreaching federal government.

Scott's opponent, Ryan Leonard, is a great candidate, with many good qualities, and I was disappointed to see him leave behind that positive message and release an ad attacking Pruitt. I wish candidates would realize that people truly want to leave politics-as-usual behind, and find out about the candidate's virtues and ideas, rather than constantly hearing negativism.

Scott Pruitt will make a fantastic Attorney General, for the reasons I listed above, and more.

Oklahoma needs an Attorney General like Scott Pruitt, and I encourage you to vote for him on July 27th.

You can learn more about Scott and his campaign by visiting his website at www.ScottPruitt.com. He is also on Twitter (@ScottPruittOK) and Facebook.

Scott joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones, Janet Barresi, John Doak, Daniel Edmonds and Robert Hubbard as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

P.S. As I said at the beginning of my post, this was the hardest choice in the races this year. I respect both gentlemen running, would love to see either one of them elected, and wish they could both be elected. However, I had to come to a decision, and Scott Pruitt ended up winning my vote. Whatever the result of the race is, Oklahoma will have a fantastic Attorney General, as the Republican nominee is heavily favored to win in the general election.

Endorsement: Robert Hubbard for Governor

With Democrat Governor Brad Henry being term limited this year, two Democrats and four Republicans are running to succeed him.

Because of events that have occurred in the past few months, I have hesitated on whom to vote for in this Republican primary.

I had intended for over a year to vote for Randy Brogdon.

Randy has a proven track record as the most conservative member of the State Senate, and perhaps in the entire legislature. He authored legislation that would have restrained government spending, and perhaps eliminated the budget problems Oklahoma is currently undergoing. He stood up for the Constitution. Randy would, as Governor, stand up against intrusions by the federal government (such as ObamaCare).

Randy is one of the people that I held to a high standard, and who consistently met that high standard. I trusted Randy to make the right decisions in the Senate, and although not perfect (nobody is) he usually did. We could use more Randy Brogdons in politics.

Up until the past few weeks, I was a strong supporter of Randy Brogdon. However, recent events have shaken my confidence in Randy Brogdon's ability to campaign in a manner that is strategic, positive, principled, and does not compromise my beliefs and values.

I have been disappointed with how Randy's campaign has been run since almost the very beginning. They have made so many strategic mistakes I couldn't count them all. Shoddy work has been rampant. Communication has been poor. Deception and misleading statements have been too frequent. The campaign has attacked too many individuals, running for office and not.

Unfortunately, the buck stops with the candidate. These and other mistakes, have caused me to question how Randy's gubernatorial office would be run, what kind of people he would surround himself with, and how they would perform their duties. In a way, my problems with the Brogdon campaign have had nothing to do with Randy, and yet everything to do with Randy.

Instead, I will be voting for Robert Hubbard.

Robert Hubbard is a business owner from western Oklahoma who gets the picture. Like Randy, he understands that government has a proper role, and that government all too often has overstepped that role. He understands that personal responsibility is important, and that government is hampering that. Like Randy, he understands that cuts need to be made, and he has the willpower to do what needs to be done.

At the last several meetings I attended where all (or most) of the gubernatorial candidates were present, Robert was the only candidate to actually use facts and figures and solutions, instead of generic political rhetoric.

Unlike Mary Fallin, Hubbard attends the gubernatorial forums across the state. He is not afraid to answer questions, or face the voters. Unlike Randy Brogdon, Hubbard has refrained from negative campaigning, or attacking people who are not supporting/endorsing him. With fewer resources, and less political experience, Robert has avoided those mistakes that Brogdon has made. Robert and Randy hardly differ on the actual issues - if Randy's campaign had been run right, this post would have been very different.

Do I honestly expect Robert Hubbard to win the primary, or make a runoff? No. However, Randy Brogdon made too many moves I disagreed with for me to vote for him. Given what has occurred, and what my convictions are regarding this race, I could not bring myself to vote for Brogdon in the primary. It pains me to do this, and I deeply regret being forced to leave my first candidate of choice, but I felt it was a necessary move. That said, I don't think any less of those who will vote for Brogdon. My vote for Robert Hubbard could be called a "protest" vote, or a vote based on principle. I am making a statement with my vote that I want and expect better. Robert meets those standards.

If Randy had kept a principled, positive campaign, my vote would be going to him. He didn't, and so my vote will be going to Hubbard. I encourage conservatives to vote for Robert Hubbard, but if you can get past what I could not, Randy Brogdon is also a good choice. While she would be a good governor, Mary Fallin is just not as conservative as these two gentlemen, who I think could make great governors. As with those Brogdon voters, I don't think ill of Fallin supporters.

However, come July 28th, we conservatives and Republicans must unify behind whomever becomes the nominee. Too much is at stake to risk Jari Askins or Drew Edmondson as governor for 4-8 years.

I'll be voting for Robert Hubbard.

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. - John Quincy Adams

You can learn more about Robert and his campaign by visiting his website at www.HubbardOKGov2010.com. He's also on Twitter (@HubbardOKGov10) and Facebook.

Robert joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones, Janet Barresi, John Doak and Daniel Edmonds as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: Daniel Edmonds for Congress

As many Republicans are running for Congress this year in the 2nd Congressional District than have run in the past three election cycles combined. Six Republicans filed for this race, in addition to Democrat Congressman Dan Boren and his lone Democrat challenger, Jim Wilson.

The best Republican for this seat is Daniel Edmonds.

Daniel is a farmer/rancher by trade, and was nearing completion on his Doctorate in Soil Sciences at OSU when he decided to run for Congress. He is a solidly grounded conservative, with a good grasp on the Constitution.

I have observed this particular race very closely since the beginning of the campaign. This race has four good candidates, but only three have a shot at winning the primary, or making a runoff. When it comes to policy, there is little difference between the candidates, so the deciding factors are background and the candidate's appeal to conservative Democrats. I believe that Daniel is the most viable of the three when it comes to the general election.

I asked each of the candidates some tough questions about their background and past, and received good, thorough answers from each. Daniel is a Christian, and although no one is perfect, he has sought to live a life pleasing to God - as a result, Daniel has no baggage for any opponent to exploit. There are a few issues with the other candidates which for the most part are easily explained (and in some cases, once explained are no longer issues), but the Republican nominee will not be able to afford spending money to defend his past.

In addition, Daniel has avoided making gaffes on the campaign trail and taking ridiculous (and/or unconstitutional) positions. One candidate in particular lost his chance at my primary vote with statements he made on issues.

Daniel has been the most frugal campaigner. He has not been very successful on fundraising, but he has stretched his dollars farther than any of his opponents. Likewise, he has avoided the wasteful spending of some of his opponents. Also, when it comes to campaign strategy and work ethic, Daniel stands out among the Republican candidates as the best.

Make no mistake - the other candidates are good people, and would make good congressmen. However, I do not think they are the best choice in this particular race.

I am giving my endorsement and vote to Daniel Edmonds.

You can learn more about Daniel and his campaign by visiting his website at www.DanielEdmonds.org. He is also on Twitter (@DanielEEdmonds) and Facebook.

Daniel joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones, Janet Barresi and John Doak as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: John Doak for Insurance Commissioner

 

Four candidates are running for Insurance Commissioner this year - three Republicans, and the incumbent Democrat.

The candidate who is the best choice for this seat is John Doak.

John has extensive experience in the insurance field, at multiple levels. He will enter the job with the ability to hit the ground running.

He is a conservative, and will work to make insurance more affordable not through more government mandates and regulations, but through free-market competition and choices. John will fight against ObamaCare - the Democrat incumbent in this race happens to have been a 2008 presidential delegate for Barack Obama. In addition, he has spoken out against the 78-milion dollar insurance "fee" increase that was part of this session's budget agreement made by the Governor and Republican legislative leadership.

John Crawford, one of his GOP opponents, held this seat in the mid 90's, but left office in disgrace, and under an FBI investigation. His other opponent (Mark Croucher) would also make a good Insurance Commissioner, but Doak has a more active campaign, and I believe has a better chance at winning in November.

My vote will be cast for John Doak.

You can learn more about John and his campaign by visiting his website at www.VoteForDoak.com. He is also on Facebook.

John joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright, Gary Jones and Janet Barresi as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: Janet Barresi for State Superintendent

Longtime Democrat State Superintendent Sandy Garrett declined to run for re-election this year, sparking a flurry of candidate to run for the post. Three Democrats, two Republicans, and one Independent filed in June.

The clear choice for this seat is Janet Barresi.

Janet has experience in both public and charter schools, and has a vision for reforming public education in Oklahoma. She understands that throwing money at education will not fix the problem. She will fight to reduce bureaucratic waste in order to get more funds to the classroom, and will work to give more control to local school boards. Also important to me, she has pledged to protect the rights of homeschoolers here in Oklahoma.

Janet has a undergraduate degree in Education, a master's in Speech and Language Disorders, and got her DDS degree and became a dentist in 1984. She has a good resume not only as a dentist, but as an education reformer.

I'll be voting for Janet Barresi.

You can learn more about Janet and her campaign by visiting her website at www.JanetBarresi.com. He is also on Twitter (@JanetBarresi) and Facebook.

Janet joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin, John Wright and Gary Jones as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: Gary Jones for State Auditor

For my fifth endorsement out of eleven statewide or federal-level races, we move to the office of State Auditor. Two Republicans, plus the incumbent Democrat, are running for this seat.

My endorsement goes to Gary Jones.

He ran for this office in 2002 and 2006, and while he narrowly lost both times, his opponent (Jeff McMahan) is now sitting in jail.

Gary is a tremendous corruption hound, and it is largely through his efforts that the Gene Stipe scandal was uncovered, and why Jeff McMahan is now in jail for bribery and corruption charges.

Gary also served the Oklahoma Republican Party with distinction, as chairman from 2003 to 2010. During his tenure, the GOP took the State House and State Senate, and made great gains in rural, traditionally-Democratic Oklahoma.

However, Gary will by no means turn a blind eye to corrupt Republicans while in office. Gary will actively go after anyone who is corrupt, regardless of party. Our state government desperately needs an Auditor who will vigorously shake this state up, and root out wrong-doing.

Gary is a Certified Public Accountant, and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He is eminently qualified for this position, and could prove to be Oklahoma's best State Auditor in history if elected.

I can think of no one better for this job than Gary Jones.

You can learn more about Gary and his campaign by visiting his website at www.JonesAuditor.com. He is also on Twitter (@JonesAuditor) and Facebook.

Gary joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy, Owen Laughlin and John Wright as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: John Wright for Lt. Governor

Continuing with my 2010 Republican Primary endorsements, we now turn to the race for Lieutenant Governor. Five Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent are running for this office.

My endorsement goes to State Representative John Wright.

When I think of the term 'statesman', John Wright comes to mind. John finished up his last legislative session this year; after serving for twelve years in the State House, he is now term limited. John is a rock-solid conservative, and there are few elected officials I trust more. He is an eloquent debater - when he stands up to debate, his fellow state representatives all pause to listen. He draws immense respect from both sides of the aisle.

He is tremendously dedicated. In his time in the House, he never missed a day, and missed only 39 votes up until the last week of session this year, when he underwent emergency eye surgery, and most of two days' votes. However, he did return to finish the session out.

John was elected by his peers to serve as the chairman of the Republican Caucus for two terms. For the past five years, he chaired the Administrative Rules & Agency Oversight Committee in the House, where he performed his duties with thoroughness and dedication. In 2009, he was chosen to chair the Oklahoma Republican Party State Convention.

John's opponents are by no means bad people. In fact, as with most of the other statewide races this year, they would make fine Lieutenant Governors.

However, John is hands-down the most experienced and conservative choice. I'll be voting for John Wright on July 27th.

You can learn more about John and his campaign by visiting his website at www.MovingOklahomaForward.com. He is also on Twitter (@JohnWright2010) and Facebook.

John joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy and Owen Laughlin as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements! 

Endorsement: Owen Laughlin for State Treasurer

My next endorsement is in the race for State Treasurer. Two Republicans filed for this seat, and the winner of the primary election will be facing a no-name Democrat.

Without the slightest hesitation, former state senator Owen Laughlin receives my enthusiastic endorsement.

Owen is the candidate with the character, integrity, values, vision, and experience we need in the office of State Treasurer.

He served for twelve years in the Oklahoma State Senate, representing rural northwestern Oklahoma, his home since 1973, when he married his wife, Charlette. They have four children, and two grand-children. He was one of the most conservative Republican members of the state senate during his tenure.

Owen was in the banking business for over twenty years, and successfully guided his banks through numerous boom-and-bust cycles in the 1980s. He has actual hands-on experience for the job of state treasurer. In addition to banking, he had a small oil and gas operation, and served as Assistant District Attorney. In his final two years in the state senate, he served as the Republican Co-Floor Leader of the evenly divided (24-24) state senate - with the chamber split, one Republican and one Democrat each served as Co-Floor Leader.

Laughlin also is a strong Christian, and has lived his life in accordance to biblical principles. He and his family have the highest moral character.

This particular race is the clearest, easiest choice for me - Owen Laughlin is the man for the job.

You can learn more about Owen and his campaign by visiting his website at www.VoteOwenLaughlin.com. He is also on Twitter (@OwenLaughlin) and Facebook.

Owen joins Tom Coburn and Dana Murphy as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: Dana Murphy for Corporation Commissioner

Continuing with my endorsements, we now move to the Corporation Commission race. Only two candidates filed for this seat; both are Republicans, so this will be decided in the July 27th GOP primary.

I am endorsing Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy for reelection.

As I said when I endorsed her in 2008, Dana Murphy is extremely qualified, and has the experience to do a great job in this office. No one on the Corporation Commission is as dedicated as Dana Murphy. She has thrown herself into action with an almost fanatical zeal.

She has spoken at over 400 different events across the state, helping to educate the public about the impact that the Corporation Commission has on everyday life. She has also stepped up to the plate as a leader, and donated a portion of her salary back to the State of Oklahoma in order to do her part to help with agency budget cuts.

You won't find a better person for this job than Dana Murphy.

You can learn more about Dana and her campaign by visiting her website at www.DanaMurphy.com. She is also on Twitter (@DanaMurphy2010) and Facebook.

Dana joins Tom Coburn as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements!

Endorsement: Tom Coburn for Senate

My first endorsement of this cycle is for reelecting U.S. Senator Tom Coburn.

I have known "Dr. Tom" for my entire life, and there are few elected officials that I trust as much as Dr. Coburn.

Coburn is a true citizen legislator. He still sees medical patients when he is home in Muskogee every week, even though (due to Senate ethics rules) he can't charge for his services, and lost money last year because of that. As in his time in the U.S. House, Dr. Tom has pledged to term-limit himself - he will only serve two terms in the Senate. Coburn was one of the few House members elected in the 1990's to keep his term limits pledge.

In his term in the Senate, Coburn has worked to make government more transparent and accountable, and to eliminate duplicative government agencies and programs. He was one of the most prominent opponents of President Obama's health care bill, putting forward a conservative alternative that would not have increased government's role in health care, and would have improved health care for all Americans.

Coburn is most well known for his vehement opposition to earmarks, and pork-barrel spending. He has earned the nickname of "Dr. No", and has angered many on both sides of the aisle through his principled stand against uncontrolled spending that is indebting future generations.

He has also thrown the brake on the run-away train known as "Unanimous Consent". More than 90% of Senate legislation is passed without a vote, unless a Senator places a "hold" on the bill. Dr. Coburn has placed an unprecedented amount of holds on legislation that increases spending. This has halted billions of dollars in wasteful spending, and forced the Senate to debate the merits of legislation.

When it comes to the 2nd Amendment, the U.S. Senate has few members who have been as stalwart a defender as Dr. Coburn has been. On pro-life issues, no one has been more faithful.

No candidate or elected official is perfect, and Dr. Coburn is no exception. However, a man of Dr. Coburn's character and conservatism is a rare commodity in the U.S. Senate, or any other elected body.

I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Tom Coburn for reelection.

You can learn more about Dr. Coburn by visiting his campaign website at www.CoburnForSenate.com. He is also on Twitter, both with his campaign (@CoburnForSenate) and his official Senate office (@TomCoburn). His Facebook page is here.