OKGOP vice-chair race shaping up

As the Oklahoma Republican Party's 2011 State Convention draws near, candidates are beginning to announce for party positions. State Chairman Matt Pinnell is expected to run for a full term (he is currently fulfilling past State Chairman Gary Jones' term), so the real race appears to be shaping up for Vice-Chair. Today, the first candidate made public her decision to run.

Grassroots organizer, Jenni White, to run for GOP Vice Chair

From the precinct, to local schools, to the halls of the state Capital, Jenni White has proven her abilities to get things done for Oklahoma.  On March 3, 2011 White announced her candidacy for the number two position in the state Republican Party.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to help our Chairman Matt Pinnell and every Oklahoma Republican build an even better party over the next two years” said White.  A lifelong Oklahoman, White has primarily worked in the area of education reform.  White commented, “Education takes over half of the state budget but our results have yet to catch up.  I was pleased to support Superintendent Barresi and I appreciate the way in which the legislature has worked to advance public education reforms.  Now I’m ready to use the organizational skills I have developed to build our party.”

White co-founded ROPE (Restoring Oklahoma Public Education) in 2009 and has been active at every level of Republican politics.  White and her family live in north Oklahoma City and attend Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond.

The OKGOP State Convention will be held on May 6-7 in Oklahoma City; expect some more candidates to announce in the coming weeks. The current vice-chair is Angie LaPlante, who was first elected in 2009. No word as of yet on whether or not she will run for reelection.

State GOP Convention Saturday

The 2009 Oklahoma Republican Convention takes places on Saturday, and I will likely be unable to post until the conclusion. However, I have a few things to say.

One, I fully and enthusiastically endorse GARY JONES for state chair, and Angie LaPlante for Vice Chair. These are both solid, conservatives individuals that I have had the privilege of knowing, and I can think of no better team for the Republican Party. Under Gary's leadership, the state party has flourished, and made tremendous gains in every area.

Also, I oppose the Caucus, for reasons laid out in my post previously.

For now,

The Muskogee Politico

Democrat Forum Wants Williams as OKGOP Chair

On the Oklahoma Democrat forum DemoOkie, several of the main posters (and active Democrats) have been talking about the OKGOP Chair race.

2/07:

"I endorse [Cheryl] Williams for GOP Chair"

2/22 (emphasis mine):

"[Gary] Jones is challenging Vice Chairwoman Cheryl Williams, who represents the more libertarian wing of the party.

Williams would seem to have her work cut out for her. Under Jones, who has served two non-consecutive terms, the state party has prospered. In 2008, when most of the country turned Democratic, Oklahoma gave two-thirds of its presidential vote to the Republican nominee, John McCain, and strengthened the GOP's hold on the Legislature and the state's congressional delegation."

"Here's hoping Williams wins. The wackier the better at the Grand Old Party."

2/25 (emphasis mine):

"I am glad this organiztion [sic; referring to OCPAC] is growing and I believe pretty soon they will take out my friend Gary Jones as ORP Chair. Gary is a very competent and able person doing the job as the Repubs chair."

I always find it interesting to see what the other party thinks of our internal affairs. It can give a good perspective on the issues. For example, if they hate the party chair, we're probably doing pretty good. If they want the chair to stay the same, it's probably a sign that change is needed.

Report: Cheryl Williams Finds Running Mate

According to reports* received by this blog, OKGOP Chair candidate (and current vice-chair) Cheryl Williams has tapped Richard Engle for her running mate. Engle will be running against current Chairman and candidate Gary Jones' pick, Angie LaPlante, for Vice Chair at the 2009 Oklahoma Republican Party State Convention on April 18th.

Williams and Engle are closely affiliated with the libertarian wing of the party, mainly supporters of former presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who are disgruntled with the status quo in the party, whereas Jones and LaPlante are considered to be part of the 'establishment', and more in line with the larger social conservative wing of the party.

In my opinion, Williams' choosing Engle to be her running mate is a poor decision, bad strategy, and will backfire on her at the state convention.

Engle was one of the main spokesmen for the 'Liberty Values Coalition' at the 2008 ORP State Convention (the LVC was, again, mainly supporters of Ron Paul). His tone, manner, and argumentative interruptions of the convention made him the most annoying, irritating and aggravating person present. By the time the convention was over, I had a headache from listening to the man. He turned off many of the delegates who might have otherwise voted with his coalition. The same thing will happen with Cheryl Williams.

But, I'm fine with that, since I'm supporting Gary Jones.

* - unverified as of yet

Gary Jones Announces OKGOP Team

Official press release from OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones:

(EDIT: That didn't work... try this instead)

This will make for an interesting state chair race. This blog is fully behind Gary Jones; the OKGOP has flourished under his lead like it has for no other.

Angie LaPlante Announces for OKGOP Vice Chair

Today, Angie LaPlante, former Oklahoma County chairman and current Legislative Assistant for State Rep. Ken Miller, announced her candidacy for Oklahoma Republican Party Vice Chair. The announcement was made in the following email obtained by the Muskogee Politico:

Greetings all,

I am running for the State GOP Vice-Chair position! It is imperative that we keep our Republican party in tact and strong. I can bring many great things to the table. I am a strong grassroots activist, proven solid leader, work extremely well as a team player and believe that those who work from the bottom up get more accomplish and succeed. It's about the party and our values. I am going to be quite honest and frank with you all... if you don't want to see our party taken over by the Libertarian agenda, we need to make sure we elect those who do not have a personal agenda to destroy our party.

If you missed your precinct meeting (due to weather - which many did) it is not too late to participate in the upcoming conventions. Just contact your county chairman and you can be included in the upcoming process.

The OK County Convention is Saturday, Feb 28 at 8:30am at the Christian Heritage Academy in Del City. Our county chairman is Pam Pollard. She can be reached at 820-8154 or pampollardgop@aol.com. The state convention will be held Saturday, April 18 at 8:30am at the Clarion Meridian in OKC. In order to voice you vote you must be able to attend these conventions. If you are in another county, just check with the state HQ at 528-3501 and Jay Mandraccia can assist you.

I hope I can count on your voice and vote in the upcoming conventions. It's about our party and keeping our conservative values. Please spread the word!

Thank you
Angie LaPlante

Thus far, LaPlante is the only publicly announced candidate for Vice Chair. Candidates for the Chairmanship are current Chairman Gary Jones and current Vice Chair Cheryl Williams.