Meadows publishes his 'Charlie's Picks' for 2026 primary

Historically one of the highly anticipated "picks" of each election cycle by grassroots conservatives, former Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee chairman (and recent Logan County Commissioner) Charlie Meadows has posted his thoughts on the 2026 primary election. Meadows, who long opined on Oklahoma politics when he was chairman of OCPAC in his famous email newsletters, now has a new podcast, The ABCs of Politics and Culture. Without further ado, here are Charlie's Picks:

CHARLIE’S PICKS 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION

Based on my research as well as information from other trusted sources I have come up with the candidates that I believe should win. Folks reading this may have information about a particular candidate of which I am unaware and therefore have a different opinion which is understandable. Please feel free to share this with others. To contact me my email is charliemeadows7@gmail.com. If you aren't sure which State Senate or House district you live in or Congressional district, that information is on the bottom of your voter ID card sent to you from your county election board.

Here's what you need to know about the State Questions on the ballot

Earlier in the week, I published What you need to know about the judges on the ballot. In this post, I'll focus in on the two state questions that are on the ballot. This information is largely derived from a brief presentation I gave at my church. 

I got some of my material from these helpful articles (SQ805, SQ814) at Ballotpedia, in addition to information from supporting and opposing organizations, and this excellent post on SQ805 at BatesLine.

OCPAC posts "Charlie's Picks" for the 2020 election

Historically one of the highly anticipated "picks" of each election cycle, former Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee chairman Charlie Meadows has posted his thoughts on the 2020 election.

OCPAC VOTER GUIDE -- CHARLIE'S PICKS

These picks are a combination of my opinions based on information I have as well as OCPAC endorsements. I am also using information from iVoter Guide, OK2A, the Parental Rights organization, and other personal resources.

With a recent and expanded knowledge of the aggressive and well-funded Marxist movement in Oklahoma, OCPAC will support some candidates we might not have supported in the past.

This Marxist movement must be squashed. Hopefully, in two years, we will be in a position to expose it at every level. We hope that in the future, it will be a liability to be known as a Marxist/socialist.

PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT – TRUMP/PENCE

I didn't vote for him in 2016, but will do so with joy in 2020. His gross exaggerations and arrogant attitude bother me greatly. His policies make him the best president in my lifetime. He has been able to accomplish remarkable achievements in the face of the greatest opposition of any President in modern times.

CORPORATION COMMISSION – TODD HIETT

There has not been a reason put forth which would remotely suggest a need to replace Commissioner HIETT.

U.S. SENATE – JIM INHOFE

Jim’s seniority allows him to chair 2 really important committees. One dealing with environmental issues where Jim is a knowledgeable voice of reason. The second involves military affairs. Under Obama/Biden our military degraded rapidly. Under Trump/Pence and Inhofe we are making great progress toward a place of needed readiness. The well-funded Abby Broyles is one of the new radical leftists that deserves to be sent back to the dust heap of poor ideas.

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE – THE REPUBLICAN

In 2018 the American public almost "politically assassinated" President Trump when they flipped the majority in the house from Republicans to Democrats. This allowed Nancy Pelosi to become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and in turn support all sorts of evil and oppose all kinds of good. The only contested race in Oklahoma is Congressional District 5 where the well-financed Kendra Horn upset the half-asleep Steve Russell in 2018. It is imperative this seat be recaptured by Stephanie Bice to move control of the House one seat closer to the Republicans.

STATE SENATE RACES

SD 3 – COWBOY BLAKE STEVENS

An incredibly busy fellow that took out the incumbent Republican Wayne Shaw who bottled up an important second amendment bill sponsored by OK2A. We were not able to meet during our interview time. However, we have agreed to meet once he is in OKC for session.

SD 5 – GEORGE BURNS

I believe Mr. Burns beat the better Republican candidate in the primary runoff election by a mere 22 votes. I have had a couple of phone conversations with him and believe him to be better than the Democrat.

SD 7 – WARREN HAMILTON (Endorsed by OCPAC)

Bob and I found Mr. Hamilton to be a thoughtful man of convictions. This was a very hard fought primary where Mr. Hamilton eventually defeated Senator Larry BOGGS in the primary run off.

I would have no problem with Senator BOGGS publicly saying he could not vote for Mr. Hamilton. However, for BOGGS to come out and endorse the Democrat is a step too far as he has shown himself to be a bitter loser.

By the way, Mr. Hamilton far more aligns with the Republican Party platform than Senator BOGGS ever thought of.

Read the rest of "Charlie's Picks" at this link.

Charlie Meadows and OCPAC on today's runoff elections

Conservative stalwart Charlie Meadows and the organization he presided over for many years (the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee) emailed out his oft-anticipated Charlie's Picks yesterday on today's runoff election. Here they are, along with a section with detail on the races in Tulsa:

CHARLIE'S PICKS

[Today,] Tuesday, August 25th is primary runoff election day for 2020.

The following picks are simply my opinions based on extensive research. Helping me with these were Don Spencer of Oklahoma Second Amendment Association (OK2A), Liza Greve of Oklahomans for Health & Parental Rights (OKHPR), and, to a lesser degree, the iVoter Guide.

Readers may have information I am unaware of and have a different opinion. That is fine.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 5

YOUR CHOICE

My problem with Bice is that she has proven not to be a conservative. Her six-year average score is 56 on The Oklahoma Constitution Newspaper's Conservative Index. Find it here.

While she has voted properly on some OK2A bills, Don Spencer has indicated she has been unfriendly and uncooperative with OK2A. I believe Bice has a slightly better chance to beat Horn in November.

OCPAC, Meadows, Blair urge Fisher voters to support Stitt

In the latest email from the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, three prominent members in the organization called for conservatives of all stripes, but supporters of Dan Fisher in particular, to vote for Kevin Stitt in the gubernatorial runoff.

New OCPAC President Bob Linn, former president Charlie Meadows, and Pastor Paul Blair all wrote in support of Stitt. Their comments are posted below:

NOTE TO OKLAHOMA ACTIVISTS, Bob Linn (OCPAC President)

The state of the Church is a matter of concern and requires our continued prayer and involvement.  A weak Church does not, however, relieve us of the very responsibilities we have been urging God’s people to assume for more than a year now.  I write this today to respond to a group of “Christian activists” who have indicated they will be inactive this Tuesday when the opportunity to vote for Kevin Stitt presents itself.  Yet, Governor Stitt represents the conservative political leadership that will mean our best chance for an open door at the very top of Oklahoma government.  OCPAC and Oklahoma’s other conservative groups will never have the ear of Mick Cornett.  We have that possibility with Kevin Stitt.  I urge all our readers and the 36,000 Dan Fisher voters to help place a potential friend in the Governor’s seat on Tuesday!

Pastor Paul Blair's Take on the Republican Runoff Election

In 2016, I decided to support Ted Cruz for President.  While none of the candidates checked every box, he was the one with whom I was most comfortable.  As we know, Donald Trump won the nomination.  In the general election, I crossed my fingers and voted against Hillary and voted for Trump.  Although there are days I shake my head, by and large, I have been pleased with the majority of President Trump's decisions.

In 2018, I was a strong supporter of my dear friend Dan Fisher.  Dan was a known commodity.  We knew exactly what we'd get with Dan.  Unfortunately, money matters in campaigns and we didn't have the money to gain the necessary name ID for Dan to win.

So here we are.  Either Drew Edmondson, Mick Cornett or Kevin Stitt will be our next Governor.

I cannot support Edmondson.  He is honest in his campaign, but he honestly supports things I don't - higher taxes, government control,  abortion on demand, LGBT agenda, etc.

I like Mick personally.  I remember his days as a sportscaster.  However, Mick was wrong in leading OKC in creating a special "protected class" for LGBT personnel.  LGBT is not a race or gender; it is behavior that the Bible classifies as sinful.  He intentionally betrayed Oklahomans who still believe the Bible is God's Word.  At best, Mick is a moderate Republican along the lines of a John Kasich.

Much like Trump, Kevin Stitt is an unknown.  However, I have had the opportunity to visit with him on several occasions since the primary and two things impress me.  1) He is a successful businessman who understands a balance sheet and demands accountability.  That is something we must have as our current state government is a circus.  2)  He recognizes areas in which he does not have great depth and needs help.   A good leader doesn't have to have all the answers, but must surround himself with counselors that are experts in their fields and do have the answers.

I am hopeful that Governor Stitt will surround himself with "our people" - small government, freedom loving, abortion hating, state sovereignty minded counselors.  If we support him and he trusts us, we will have that opportunity.  If we attack him and alienate him, why would he trust us?

Is Stitt a sure thing?  Nope.  But consider all the "sure things" who conned OCPAC during the interview process and currently hold office at 23rd and Lincoln.  The only sure things for Governor had the last names of Brogdon and Fisher, but I know what we'll get with Edmondson or Cornett.

I will be voting for Kevin Stitt for Governor.  Mary turned out to be Oklahoma's biggest disappointment.  I am hopeful that Stitt will be Oklahoma's most pleasant surprise. 

Charlie Meadows in North Pole, Alaska   

This in from North Pole, Alaska:  Charlie says, “If you don’t vote for Kevin Stitt this Tuesday, Santa Clause will not visit your house this Christmas!”

Charlie filled in at North Pole’s Santa’s House for a few minutes on Saturday where he also made himself available for political commentary.  Unconfirmed rumors have been overheard that he actually granted the youngest of Kevin Stitt’s six children their Christmas wish that daddy would be our next governor!

Charlie continued to say, “In all seriousness, it is time for us to vote for the better of the two Republicans.  That is clearly Kevin Stitt.  We know who Mick Cornett is.  He has a track record.  He is not a conservative.  Kevin’s core values are conservative.  We have a much better chance of him governing according to the principles of good government.  Members of OCPAC and other grass roots conservatives have a far better opportunity to share conservative values with Kevin Stitt than we do with Mick Cornett.  Mick Cornett is squarely in the lap of 'the tall building crowd' and will govern according to their wishes.

To refuse to vote for anyone who does not carry the Fisher banner to abolish abortion and re-establish state sovereignty sounds very principled.  Dan did an excellent job of articulating with clarity the importance of these twin issues.  However, last June 26, 92% of all Republicans chose a candidate with a different message.  To force Stitt to commit to the Fisher message would only guarantee his defeat.  Stitt has said nothing, that I am aware of, which would keep him from supporting either of these lofty goals sometime in the future.  We need to help him, as only a Stitt victory will give us a governor who is not committed to establishment funding."

Michener's Musings: candidates, state questions, judges

“Charlie’s Picks,” now “Michener’s Musings,” General Election Nov. 8.  Over thirty years ago, friends of Charlie Meadows, founder of OCPAC, began asking him for his opinions on issues and candidates.  Eventually the number of inquiries became so great that he began sending a mass email before each election which he called “Charlie’s Picks.”  When Charlie retired as the President of OCPAC in March 2015, the duties of weekly commentary and election advice transferred to me, John Michener.  To avoid confusion over authorship, we have decided that future election opinions, picks, and endorsements of OCPAC will be published under the heading “Michener’s Musings.”

You have our permission to forward these picks as far as you like.  If you have received these picks by forward, please join our Facebook group to receive regular updates, or send us an email at michenerjs@gmail.com to be added to our email distribution list.  We generally send only one update per week, and we will not share your email address with anyone.  To become an official member, join OCPAC today.

The following advice represents the opinion of the current OCPAC President and a majority of OCPAC’s leadership Board.  Our recommendations will be organized into five major sections:  1) U.S. Races, 2) State Questions, 3) Judging Justices & Judges, 4) Oklahoma Senate Races, and 5) Oklahoma House of Representatives Races.  In each race we have endorsed a candidate, picked a candidate, or leave it at “your choice.”  Here is what those designations mean:

Endorsed.  Candidates who are endorsed by OCPAC have received our seal of approval.  You can rest assured that their values align with OCPAC values.  They have completed our survey and appeared in person before our PAC for a grueling interview.  Based on this vetting process, we believe they understand the proper role of limited government.  They believe in the superiority of free markets over state-guided economic development, even in areas such as education and health care.  They understand the duty of the state to defend its citizens against the oppression of the federal government.  They believe we should not sanction, institutionalize, or encourage evil and depraved behavior, even if the federal government has done so.

OCPAC endorsed candidates include:  Jim Bridenstine, Matt Jackson, Tom Gann, Molly McKay, Kevin McDugle, Kyle Hilbert, Joe Newhouse, Scott McEachin, Tess Teague, Joseph Silk, Nathan Dahm, Chuck Strohm, David Brumbaugh, Travis Dunlap, Steven McGowen, and Jason Murphey.

PICKED.  Some candidates we simply pick.  This typically means the candidate agrees with us on certain key issues of high importance which would make that candidate more preferable than the alternatives.  We will attempt to explain a little about each pick.

YOUR CHOICE.  This might mean we were unable to obtain enough information to make a pick.  Some candidates do not respond to our inquiries and their campaign materials hold no trustworthy substance.  Or this might mean we believe all of the choices are equally bad.  What if none of the candidates believes in education choice for parents?  What if they all support state-guided economic development?  What if they all want to continue allowing babies to be murdered?  In those cases, we sympathize with how hard it must be to make “your choice.”

SECTION 1 – U.S. RACES

U.S. Congress, House & Senate:  STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN – Most of our congressional delegation is a huge disappointment.  Unfortunately, once the primary was over, our good choices were taken away.  We certainly cannot afford to send any Demonrats to Washington.  The good news is we have Jim Bridenstine there (he is the best we have), and since James Lankford got away from Tom Cole and moved to the Senate, his Freedom Index Score has gone from 66% to 80%.

SECTION 2 – STATE QUESTIONS

SQ 776, “Full Force & Effect of Death Penalty.”  Vote YES.  This measure would affirm in the state constitution that the death penalty is not cruel or unusual punishment.  It would affirm that the death penalty remains in force even when a particular method of execution is unavailable.

SQ 777, “Right to Harm.”  Vote NO.  This proposed amendment to our state constitution sounds good on the surface, but it appears to have been written by Washington lobbyists on behalf of multi-national corporate agricultural interests.  The measure is designed to bypass our state legislature’s authority, so that federal mandates and regulations can rule the day in farming.  Ultimately, if passed, this measure would make it harder for small farmers to fight federal overreach and harder to fight the lawyers of out-of- state big corporations.  Here is a thirteen-minute explanation of SQ 777, and here is our interview on the Pat Campbell Show.

SQ 779, “The Boren Tax.”  Vote NO.  This measure would create a new, huge, permanent funding source for education which would only exacerbate the problems inherent in an inefficient and corrupt monopoly, as we have explained in previous updates.  If enacted, the Boren tax would increase the state education sales tax rate by about 28%, making our state less competitive with other states.  According to the Tax Foundation, it would raise Oklahoma’s average statewide sales tax to the second-highest in the union.

SQ 780, “Smart Justice Reform Act.” Vote YES.  This measure would change some drug possession crimes from a felony to a misdemeanor, and it would raise the property crime threshold to $1,000, so that if the crime involved less than $1,000 in value, it would be classified as a misdemeanor rather than a felony.  These changes make common sense.  There is a tremendous difference between having a misdemeanor versus a felony conviction on one’s record.  If we want the penalty to match the crime, this is a reform in the right direction.  Those who hurt themselves and others by abusing drugs are not beyond recovery.  They may deserve some punishment and rehabilitation, but to treat them as felons is to unfairly limit many of their future options.  The best argument against the measure is that it is tied to SQ 781, which is not good.  If you are concerned with 781, you might want to vote no on 780 for the practical reason that that they would likely pass together.

SQ 781, “County Community Safety Investment Fund.”  Vote NO.   A man came home and said to his wife, “Look at this new power drill I bought for free.”  “Bought for free?” she said.  “Yes.  It was originally $40, but it was marked half off, so I bought it with the $20 I saved.”  SQ 781 is reminiscent of the free power drill.  The state would come home with a new slush fund.  Revenue for the fund would come from the cost savings of implementing SQ 780, as imagined by the “best estimate” of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.  Then the funds would be redistributed to counties for “community rehabilitative programs.”  Let’s not buy another dollar-sucking socialist scheme.  We can use existing public and private programs to help those with addiction problems.  Any cost savings ought to be returned to the people or reallocated within law enforcement budgets for improvement to county jails or other proper needs.

SQ 790, “Repeal the Blaine Amendment.”  Vote YES.  Last year the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered a monument of the Ten Commandments be removed from the capitol grounds, citing a portion of the Oklahoma Constitution which prohibits the government from using public property for the benefit of any religious institution.  The purpose of the monument was to remember the historical influence of the Ten Commandments, not to support a particular religious institution.  Furthermore, the monument was placed by private funds.  The court’s opinion was wrong.

If the court’s opinion is applied consistently, women and children on Sooner Care will not be able to receive services from a clinic or hospital affiliated with a religion, we will not be able to vote at church polling places, and we will not be able to hold school or conduct public business at churches after a tornado or fire destroys a public building.

Sen. Joseph Silk of Broken Bow and Sen. Rob Standridge of Norman authored SQ 790 so that the citizens might correct the injustice of the court.  If SQ 790 passes, the state must still comply with the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents government from endorsing a religion, but we will be able to replace our Ten Commandments monument and continue to benefit from the generosity of churches.

Some argue that if we repeal the Blaine Amendment, we open the capitol grounds to satanic idols.  This is simply false.  Satanism played no historic role in the formation of our civil laws.  One such idol was already proposed and was laughed out of town, all the way to Detroit.  Download this Ten Commandments Flyer, and give a copy to everybody at church.

SQ 792, “Modernizing Liquor Laws.”  Vote Yes.  In a perfect world, we would dismantle the ABLE Commission and allow any businessperson to sell all kinds of adult beverages without state interference.  This complex resolution would not accomplish that, and it contains many anti-free market aspects.  The Legislature would still be regulating the adult beverage industry to a high degree.  The fascist ABLE commission would remain intact.  Licensing and other restrictions on ownership and sales would continue under this proposed amendment (e.g., felons could not be licensees—another reason to vote yes on SQ 780).  However, if passed, SQ 792 would inch Oklahoma in the right direction.  We would see more competition and availability of products as a result, and we would be more competitive with other states.  We might even be allowed to buy local communion wine on Sundays!

SECTION 3 – JUDGING JUSTICES & JUDGES

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices:  Vote NO on Justices James Winchester and Donald Combs.  They are not just.  Overall, our State Supreme Court is progressive and activist.  It sometimes disregards our state constitution, and its opinions are inconsistent.  These two justices voted incorrectly on five out of six key votes, yielding a score of only 16.5%.

In the last few years, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has banned the Ten Commandments (Prescott v. Okla. Capitol Preservation Committee, 2015 OK 54), protected child rapists (Burns v. Cline, 2016 OK 99), protected abortionists (Burns v. Cline, 2014 OK 90), and protected sex offenders (Hendricks v. Jones ex rel. State ex rel. Okla. Dept. of Corr., 2013 OK 71).  Download this Judging Justices Flyer and give a copy to everybody at church.

Charlie Meadows provides the following recommendations on appellate judges based on his off the record discussions with attorneys, prosecutors, and lower court judges.

Judge Clancy Smith (State Court of Criminal Appeals):  Vote NO – Sources tell us that this Brad Henry appointee is very smart, but ideologically progressive to her core and way too nit-picky with jury decisions.

Judge Robert Hudson (State Court of Criminal Appeals):  Vote YES – Hudson is fairly new on the court.  He was appointed Payne county District Attorney by Frank Keating, replacing a corrupt DA.  Eventually he became chief of staff for Scott Pruitt.  He was recently appointed by Gov. Fallin to the Criminal Court of Appeals.  Hudson appears to be a serious Christian, and everyone consulted gave him very high marks.

Judge Thomas Thornbrugh (State Court of Civil Appeals):  YOUR CHOICE - The Court of Civil Appeals is the most difficult to evaluate because they do not settle many high profile cases.  Thornbrugh was the only judge on the court with whom some sources were not fully satisfied.

Judge John Fischer (State Court of Civil Appeals): Vote YES.

Judge Larry Joplin (State Court of Civil Appeals): Vote YES.

Read the rest below the page break...

Charlie Meadows' runoff election picks

"Charlie's Picks" for the August 23rd runoff

by Charlie Meadows (former OCPAC president) and John Michener (current OCPAC president)

The following picks represent the opinions of the OCPAC leadership team.  We have noted which candidates were specifically endorsed and funded by OCPAC based on their conservative principles and policies.

Oklahoma Senate

District 13 (Garvin, Pottawatomie, Seminole) – JET MCCOY has name recognition from his rodeo adventures and would be favored to win.  OCPAC did not interview or endorse, but Greg McCortney is one of the public educrat candidates.

District 19 (Alfalfa, Garfield, Kay) – DR. ROSS VANHOOSER – Charlie met with Dr. Vanhooser and believes he would provide a conservative counterbalance to the liberal Dr. Yen in the Senate.

District 23 (Canadian, Kingfisher) – MATT STACY – OCPAC did not endorse either of the candidates, but Matt is for education choice.  His opponent, backed by educrats and every current, past, and future office-holder in the district, looks like and smells like a good-ol’ boy.  Matt is the candidate talking about principles, freedom, and smaller government.

District 25 (Tulsa) – JOE NEWHOUSE – OCPAC endorsed Joe, and his opponent is a recently registered Republican who is pro-abortion.

District 31 (Comanche, Cotton, Stephens) – YOUR CHOICE – Both candidates are running on platforms to protect the monopoly of public education.

District 39 (Tulsa) – AMANDA TEEGARDEN – OCPAC endorsed Amanda, one of the most conservative, principled candidates we have ever met.

District 41 (Oklahoma) - PAUL BLAIR – OCPAC endorsed Paul.  He will fight to protect life, liberty, and property.  He will be a true leader and game-changer in the Senate.  He was also endorsed by Dr. Tom Coburn.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

District 8 (Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner) – YOUR CHOICE – OCPAC did not interview or endorse in this race.  Both candidates are established businessmen who do not need the job.  Their websites sound good on the issues and do not raise any red flags.

District 60 (Caddo, Canadian) – YOUR CHOICE – OCPAC interviewed both of these candidates and found them solid on most issues.  Chad Slane was polished and well spoken, and Rhonda Baker was recruited by Rep. Dan Fisher; therefore, we did not endorse in the race.  However, we discovered one difference between the two:  Rhonda Baker supports Education Savings Accounts, while Chad was opposed to funding school choice.

District 67 (Tulsa) – SCOTT MCEACHIN – OCPAC and Tom Coburn have endorsed Scott.  It is worth noting that Scott is an intelligent and ardent supporter of states’ rights.

District 85 (Oklahoma) – MATT JACKSON – Matt is a life-long Republican activist and conservative.

County Offices.  We do not usually involve ourselves in local elections, but these particular races are noteworthy:

Cleveland County Court Clerk – MIKE REYNOLDS

Logan County Sheriff – JIM BAUMAN – Jim is a constitutional sheriff in the likeness of Sheriff Richard Mack.  He has attended multiple continuing education conferences with Mack.  Bauman is an ardent supporter of the right to defend one’s self with arms.  In fact, we have heard that Bauman’s opponent once tried to ban guns at a public concert where the law allowed citizens to carry, and Sheriff Bauman had to intervene against the out-of-line police chief who now wants his job.

Oklahoma County Court Clerk – RICK WARREN – Rick is the sitting clerk and has done a fine job.  He is an independent businessman who is not after a political career; he is a true public servant.

Oklahoma County Clerk – DAVID B. HOOTEN – The sitting clerk, Caudill, is essentially a Democrat and has been caught lying about endorsements.  It is time for a change in Oklahoma County.

{{ Blog note -- I will be out-of-pocket for a few days, so posting will be light or non-existent. Be sure to check out the blogs on the blogrolls on the right sidebar for more news and opinion.   -JF }}

Charlie Meadows' 2016 primary picks

Charlie’s Picks

by Charlie Meadows (former president of OCPAC)

It has become a tradition for me to publish my political tip sheet before important elections.  These are my opinions of who I believe ought to win, not necessarily who I believe will win.  This is a very important election cycle as we have the largest number of open seats since 2004, the first year term limits were fully implemented.

I will be a little more limited this year as I simply have not done the volume of research I have done in the past.  Some folks may have information to which I am not privy and therefore have a different opinion, which is just fine.  I will do the Oklahoma Legislature first, then the congressional seats.

Oklahoma Senate

SD 1  (Vinita, Jay, Afton, etc.)  YOUR CHOICE - Of the three Republican candidates running, none of them came to OCPAC for our grueling interview process.

SD 3  (Stillwell, Grove, Beggs, etc.)  WAYNE SHAW - Senator Shaw is the incumbent with a lifetime average of 70% on the Conservative Index, which is not great, but acceptable to OCPAC.

SD 9  (Muskogee, Tahlequah, etc.)  YOUR CHOICE - I could not endorse either of these candidates as one is arrogant and full of selfish ambition, while the other is one of the radical government education candidates wanting to dump tons of additional taxes down the deep, dark hole of education without the reforms necessary to produce good quality education.

SD 12  (Sapulpa, Bristow, Oilton, etc.)  YOUR CHOICE - Rep. Leewright scored a paltry 53% on the 2015 Conservative Index.  I know nothing about the other candidate.

SD 13  (Ada, Pauls Valley, etc.)  YOUR CHOICE - None of the three candidates came to OCPAC for our interview process.  I would think Jet McCoy (of rodeo and TV fame) would have the best shot at winning.  McCortney is one of the radical government school candidates.  I know nothing about Mr. Howard.

SD 15  (Norman, Moore)  ROB STANDRIDGE - Senator Standridge has a 75% lifetime average on the Conservative Index.  He is one of the better Republican Senators and should be re-elected.

SD 17  (Shawnee, Choctaw, Luther, etc.)  BROOKE McGOWAN - OCPAC endorsed Brooke McGowan after our interview process.  Good lawmakers are people who will read and attend meetings and seminars to educate themselves.  As an example Brooke and her husband attended a seminar hosted by Pastor Paul Blair about a year and a half ago on the Islamic agenda to take over America.  Brooke and Paul already have a working relationship, and I believe they will work well together in the Senate.  On the other hand, Senator Sharp was OCPAC’s RINO (Republican In Name Only) award winner last year.  His score of 50% on the Conservative Index ranked him almost at the bottom—thirty-eight out of forty.  I warned people four years ago that Sharp was not a conservative, but not enough voters listened, and he beat the conservative candidate by less than one hundred votes in the primary run-off.  If you live in the district, please vote for Brooke McGowan to improve the quality of the Senate.

SD 19  (Enid area)  GREG INGLE - OCPAC endorsed Greg Ingle for the seat.  I also met with Dr. Vanhooser, one of the other strong candidates in the race.  Should he win the primary, I think he could also make a fine lawmaker and provide a second opinion to the liberal Dr. Yen in the Senate.

SD 21  (Stillwater)  YOUR CHOICE - I know nothing about the two Republicans, but it would be hard for either of them to be much worse than the retiring Sen. Halligan who turned out to be a disaster.

SD 23  (Blanchard, Tuttle, Chickasha, etc.)  KEVIN CROW - Crow received OCPAC’s endorsement and is an inspiring history professor at the university in Chickasha.  While he was weak on educational choice, he is very principled and will not be a go-along-to-get-along Republican if elected.  The Senate needs an independent personality like Kevin.  He is already well educated on many of the issues faced by the members of the legislature.

SD 25  (Bixby, Broken Arrow, Jenks, etc.)  JOE NEWHOUSE – Joe is a former staffer of Congressman Bridenstine.  As a navy pilot, Newhouse actually has a few more carrier landings than Bridenstine who has about 180.  I believe Mr. Newhouse does not yet have a fully developed conservative ideology, but I found him very open and teachable.

SD 27  (Woodward, Moreland, and the panhandle)  YOUR CHOICE - Sen. Marlatt has a 62% lifetime Conservative Index score, which is only a couple of points above our RINO nominee threshold.  I know nothing of his challenger.

SD 29  (Bartlesville area)  YOUR CHOICE - Oliver is the radical government education candidate, and I know nothing about Julie Daniels.

SD 31  (Duncan, Elgin, Addington, Cash area)  YOUR CHOICE - Hasenbeck and Kidd are the radical government education candidates, and I know nothing about Mr. Rodriguez.

SD 33  (Broken Arrow area)  NATHAN DAHM - Sen. Dahm was OCPAC’s Senator of the Year for 2015 and was previously our Freshman of the Year.  With a lifetime average of 98% on the Conservative Index, he may be the finest in the Senate.  You can bet the two challengers are liberal compared to Nathan Dahm.

SD 37  (Sand Springs, Tulsa area)  YOUR CHOICE - Senator Newberry scored a 53% on the Conservative Index this year and has a 64% lifetime average.  Mr. Jackson is a radical government education candidate, and Mrs. Patterson got a late start and lacks resources.

SD 39  (East Tulsa)  AMANDA TEEGARDEN - As one of the founders and executive director of OK-SAFE (Oklahomans for Sovereignty and Free Enterprise), Amanda is supremely prepared to be one of the finest senators that could be elected.  She is also one of the finest researchers I have ever met.  She is head and shoulders above the other candidates and was endorsed by OCPAC.

SD 41  (Central & East Edmond)  PAUL BLAIR - This is probably the most important Senate race in the state for this election cycle.  Paul has a well-developed conservative ideology, natural leadership skills, and strong Christian character.  Mr. Pugh is probably a nice fellow, but an interview in the Edmond Sun reveals he would care more about going along with establishment Republican leadership than being an independent lawmaker representing the people of the district.  Mr. Tallent is not a conservative, but a progressive Republican.

SD 43  (Purcell, Washington, Duncan area)  COREY BROOKS - While Senator Brooks’s lifetime average of 67% on the Conservative Index leaves a lot to be desired, his opponent, Mr. Scott, is one of the radical government education candidates.

SD 45  (Southwest OKC & Mustang)  KYLE LOVELESS - Senator Loveless scored an acceptable 80% on the Conservative Index this year.  His work to bring justice to asset forfeiture laws is extremely valuable, and we must keep him in office to continue that fight.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

While we have a good crop of Senate candidates, I was disappointed with the caliber of the House candidates, at least of the ones that came to OCPAC.  Many did not attend; therefore, I will only address races I know something about.  In addition, while there will be a lot of Republican candidates on the ballot in November against Democrats, many of the primaries were not contested.

HD 27  (Tecumseh, Wanette, Norman area)  Representative Cockroft has a 78% lifetime average on the Conservative Index and is one of the most conservative members of the legislature.

HD 36  (Pawhuska, Hominy, Skiatook area)  SEAN ROBERTS - Representative Roberts has a lifetime Conservative Index score of 76%, which is good enough to warrant his re-election.

HD 39  (Northwest Edmond)  MICHAEL BUOY - While I was disappointed that Mr. Buoy did not attend our interview process, he has attended several other meetings, as well as the Patriot Pastors luncheons.  I know he has been given important materials to read to fully develop a strong conservative ideology.

HD 43 (Yukon area)  JOHN PAUL JORDAN - Representative Jordan scored 83% his first year in office.  The other two primary candidates are very liberal compared to John Paul.

HD 50 (Duncan, Comanche area)  DENNIS JOHNSON - Rep. Johnson has a lifetime average on the Conservative Index of 78%, so should be re-elected.

HD 58 (Meno, Cherokee, Woodard area)  LUKE DOANE - OCPAC endorsed Mr. Doane after he really impressed our members.  He is very sharp and has a conservative ideology far more developed than most candidates.  His up-side is huge!

HD 60 (Hinton, El Reno, western Yukon area) - YOUR CHOICE - Two of the three candidates, both teachers, came to OCPAC for our interview process.  Neither of the candidates had raised much financial support, and each had ideological strengths and weaknesses.  OCPAC did not endorse a candidate this race.

HD 66 (Sand Springs area)  Rep. Jadine Nollan is the incumbent, scoring a paltry 23% on this year’s Conservative Index.  Mrs. DeLozier, her challenger, came to OCPAC, and our members decided not to endorse her.  Mrs. DeLozier got a late start and has not raised much support, making her chances slim.  Delozier was a very pleasant person.

HD 70 (east central Tulsa area)  KEN WALKER - Rep. Walker has an 81% lifetime average on the Conservative Index and should therefore be re-elected.

HD 82 (OKC, West Edmond area)  KEVIN CALVEY - Kevin scored 80% on the Conservative Index this year and therefore should be re-elected.

HD 83 (Edmond area)  RANDY McDANIEL - Rep. McDaniel scored 90% on last year’s Conservative Index and certainly should be re-elected.  His work to restore the viability of Oklahoma’s retirement funds without a tax increase has been vital.

HD 84 (Bethany, Warr Acres area)  YOUR CHOICE - OCPAC members decided not to endorse Mr. Cagle.  The other candidates support the radical government education agenda.  Look for Tammy West to win this one without a run-off.

HD 85 (North central OKC)  Nick Berry has attended OCPAC meetings on several occasions, and we even had candidate forum between Nick Berry and Matt Jackson.

HD 87  (OKC, Warr Acres area) - I strongly disagree with the members of OCPAC who did not endorse Mr. Granger, though the vote was very close.  Based on our lengthy survey and tough interview process, there were only a couple of issues of concern with Mr. Granger.  It is my hope that our members do not fall into the trap of perfection becoming the enemy of good.

HD 96  (East Edmond, Arcadia, Luther, Jones area) - LEWIS MOORE – Rep. Moore scored 90% on the latest Conservative Index and certainly should be re-elected over the two less conservative candidates challenging him.

HD 101 (Midwest City, Choctaw area) - TESS TEAGUE - OCPAC members endorsed Tess with her conservative positions, energy, and money.  She does work at the Capitol, so if elected she will be ahead of the learning curve for most freshmen lawmakers.

Congress, U.S. House of Representatives

Let me try to make this easy.  What kind of representation do you want to see from our five U.S. Representatives?  Do you want loyal Republican establishment congressmen who go-along-to-get-along and only fight Obama and the progressive Democrats with less-than effective means and oftentimes worthless votes?  If so re-elect Cole, Lucas, Mullin, and Russell.  If, on the other hand, you want someone who will elect a non-establishment Speaker of the House and use the Constitution to rein-in the run-away Executive and Judicial branches of government, then be sure to re-elect Jim Bridenstine and replace the other four congressmen.

U.S. HD 1  JIM BRIDENSTINE - This will be Jim’s last term (he pledged only three, and he is a man of his word).  He is the best we have.

U.S. HD 2  JARRIN JACKSON - OCPAC endorsed Jackson after our interview process.  Of all the challengers, Mr. Jackson probably has the best chance of up-setting an incumbent.  Before filing date he had already raised nearly $100 thousand.  He is charismatic, hardworking, and has a far greater understanding of the Constitution than Representative Mullin.

U.S. HD 3  DESIREE BROWN - OCPAC did not make an endorsement in this race, but I have had an opportunity to visit with Desiree on two different occasions.  I am impressed with her convictions and understanding of the Constitution.  However, without resources and with a late start she has little to no chance of winning.  Frank Lucas has been in congress so long he is the epitome of what is wrong with congress.  His big campaign war chest allows him to hire slick professional ad agencies to produce commercials that effectively portray him as the best thing since sliced bread to an electorate which has little standard by which to measure a good or useless congressman.  Every time I hear his commercial featuring giggling California Valley Girls acting like Frank Lucas groupies, I want to puke.

U.S. HD 4  JAMES TAYLOR - OCPAC endorsed James Taylor, though candidate Shawn Roberts was also an impressive candidate.  Representative Cole is the biggest problem with the Republican party in the State of Oklahoma.  He is not a conservative, but rather a moderate who is now a major player in the Republican establishment in Washington.  Shaking down big-government advocates in Washington, Cole had $1.5 million in his war chest before this election cycle even began.  James Taylor is principled and would never become a go-along-to-get-along congressman.  He is a true conservative and a constitutionalist.

U.S. HD 5  FRANK VOLPE - Two years ago OCPAC endorsed Steve Russell.  In the primary run-off, I worked very hard to get Steve elected, even making robo-calls on Steve’s behalf.  While I personally love Steve and really appreciate some of the things he is trying to accomplish, I can no longer support him.  Unfortunately, Steve fell in with the Republican establishment from day one, instead of working alongside Jim Bridenstine.  His reasons for supporting Speaker Boehner are insulting to close political observers.  Also, his answer to me at a town hall meeting about his understanding of the difference between revolutionary and evolutionary Islam was insulting and was intended to pacify listeners.  OCPAC members endorsed Frank Volpe, who is also an accomplished retired military man.  Frank is running against Steve for all the right reasons.  He is very principled and would make a very good congressman if elected.

Thanks for your time and attention.  Again, some folks will have different opinions with some of my picks and that is fine.  I hope these picks are helpful to those looking for information.

OCPAC Endorses Jarrin Jackson for Congress

OCPAC Endorses Jarrin Jackson for U.S. Congress, OK-District 2

Spokesman says current Congressman Mullin has not kept his word

May 4, 2016 (Oklahoma City, OK) -- The Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) announced its endorsement of Republican Jarrin Jackson for Congress, who is challenging incumbent Congressman Markwayne Mullin for Oklahoma’s second district. The group voted overwhelmingly in support of the decorated combat veteran, with several citing disappointment in Mullin’s vote record of growing government and increasing the national debt to unprecedented levels.

“Jarrin is a Jim Bridenstine grassroots conservative who will defend the Constitution. He won’t disappoint conservatives in District Two who are still wondering why Mullin voted for the Omnibus – a $19 trillion dollar debt disgrace,” former President of OCPAC, Charlie Meadows, said after the group interviewed Jackson.

He said, “Jarrin is a combat veteran. He knows what it means to serve others and defend our Constitution. America is starved for leadership, and his record of service shows that he is willing to sacrifice his comfort for our nation’s success. He has already proven that he will keep his word and do what he says. District Two will be well-served to elect Jarrin Jackson as a true representative of our state’s conservative, constitutional values.”

Jackson used Mullin’s record to justify his candidacy. “Markwayne Mullin consistently votes to grow government. From the Omnibus to education to Amtrak to the Ex-Im Bank, Mullin has a record of spending other people’s money to make government bigger,” said Jackson.

Jarrin Jackson, a graduate of West Point and former Army Ranger, earned 2 bronze stars in service during two combat tours in Afghanistan. A 5th generation Oklahoman from Oologah, he and his physician wife Katie raise their two boys, Lloyd and Dale, in Claremore, Oklahoma.


For more information on Jarrin Jackson and his principled stands for Oklahoma and our country, please visit his campaign website: jarrinjackson.com, and Facebook at jarrinjackson1.

Charlie Meadows' 2014 Picks

Charlie Meadows, president of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC), as is his tradition, emailed out his "picks" for the general election. As the head of one of the most influential conservative activist groups in Oklahoma, Meadows' opinion on races is sought after by many grassroots Republicans.

Due to the length, I am putting the statewide races at the top, with the legislative and others below the jump:

GOVERNOR  -  MARY FALLIN  -  Governor Fallin is not very conservative and as such has provided very weak conservative leadership. No citizen has had a tax cut take effect in the 4 years she has been in office. However, she has signed two bills that have increased taxes. This year she threw a temper tantrum and vetoed over 10 important pieces of legislation including several 2nd Amendment bills. With all that said, she would still be slightly better than Joe Dorman. If the latest poll shows her to be less than 55% I will vote for her, if the poll shows greater than 55% I will leave the governor part of my ballot blank and she will have to win without my vote.

LT. GOVERNOR  -  TODD LAMB  -  Todd is far more conservative than Governor Fallin. He covers the state talking with businessmen and workers alike, searching for any needed policy changes to make Oklahoma a more friendly state for successes. He is the best Lt. Governor we have ever had. His opponent is a liberal progressive that has pulled a number of stunts, such as living on a welfare check for a month to try and appeal to voters. She and her husband are actually successful restaurateurs.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION  -  YOUR CHOICE  -  Most of the campaign has centered on who is, or who is not, qualified for the position or how much Mr. Cox makes. When it comes to their policies, there is very little difference. I actually give a slight edge to Cox on my agreement with policies. Unfortunately they are both dead set against vouchers, which are the only thing that might possibly improve the government schools. His campaign treasurer is from out of state and a proud activist homosexual. If the campaign is the only service provided, then that will not be so bad. However, should he join the staff if Cox wins, then that may be a real problem.

LABOR COMMISSIONER  -  MARK COSTELLO  -  Vote for the only fellow in this campaign that has a drivers license, that would be Mark. His opponent is a former teacher (God help those students) and a recent “Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Tulsa” organizer. I believe he is big time nutty. On the other hand Mark Costello is without question the finest Labor Commissioner we have ever had in the State of Oklahoma.

U.S. SENATOR  -  JIM INHOFE  -  While Jim is one of the best Senators in Washington, he could be better. He has a tendency to be a big spender. He considered not running again, but decided we needed him for at least one more term. The last couple of times I have seen him speak in person, he has a hard time staying on track and seems to lean more and more on his staff for information. He is invaluable on the “global warming / climate change” scam, but I do hope this will be his last term in office as he will be 86 at the end of this term. We have plenty of strong and younger conservatives that could step up and represent Oklahoma well by that time.

U.S. SENATOR (unexpired term)  -  JAMES LANKFORD  -  It is no secret that I endorsed Randy Brogdon in the primary, but we are now to the general election and this is a no brainier. Now that James will no longer be in the House and as close to the negative influence of Tom Cole, hopefully he will govern more like some of the non-establishment Republicans in the Senate. James is very hard working, has a great memory, is a quick study and is the finest communicator in Oklahoma. Connie Johnson is currently the most liberal Senator in the legislature with a lifetime conservative score of a 12. Before being elected she was an ultra liberal staffer back in the days when Gene Stipe and company ruled Oklahoma where she  learned well the ideology of liberalism.  

Next on the ballot will be your office for U.S. REPRESENTATIVE. The only exception will be District 1 which is basically Tulsa and Bartlesville as congressman Bridenstine did not draw an opponent. I would vote for all 3 Republican incumbents, Mark Wayne Mullin in district 2, Frank Lucas in district 3 and even Tom Cole in district 4. In no case would the Democrat be better than these incumbents and with what is going on in Washington, we don’t need to do something stupid like replacing one of these fellows with a Democrat. On the other hand, I would strongly consider a quality and more conservative Republican challenger for any of the 3 of them two years from now

The one U.S. Representative seat that we must be careful about is the District 5 seat. This was the seat held by James Lankford and it has been trending more liberal. The Republican candidate is Steve Russell who turned out to be the strongest of the 6 candidates in the primary race. I don’t know that Steve will be quite as strong a congressman as Bridenstine, but I believe he has the potential to be a very good U.S. Representative. His homosexual Democrat opponent, Al McAffrey, was the second most liberal State Senator at the Capital, only a little less liberal than Connie Johnson.  VOTE  -  STEVE RUSSELL


The next area on your ballots will be the Judicial Retention area

This is the second election cycle in which the State Chamber of Commerce has used their new program called the Oklahoma Civil Justice Council to try and effect the outcomes in 2 of our judicial courts of appeals (they don’t rate the criminal court of appeals). This is an integral part in what I believe is the State Chamber’s drive for total control over the State of Oklahoma. This election cycle and in conjunction with the Oklahoma Prosperity Project, another project of the State Chamber, they have mailed out their judicial ratings published on a very slick looking bi-fold. Only they know how far reaching their mail out happens to go. They don’t tell anyone how to vote on the judges, but a low score next to a judge’s name indicates a bad judge. I don’t necessarily disagree with their suggestions in this election cycle, where if followed, the voters would VOTE NO on all but one judge (Brian Goree - court of civil appeals). I only differ on that one judge as I believe it is vital we strike significant fear into these judges on our appeals courts as I would suggest that in too many cases, they have become a law unto themselves. The Chamber with their unlimited money may eventually reshape how we treat our judges, but this can become very dangerous. The governing board of this Judicial Council has some very powerful people on it that represent some of the very large Oklahoma businesses that have to go before 2 of these 3 appeals courts. The potential for a conflict of interest here is very high.

The first area will be for the Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices.

District 1) will be John F. Reif  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 6) will be Tom Colbert  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 9) will be Joseph M. Watt  -  VOTE  -  NO

All 3 of these Supreme Court Justices are liberal activists judges that have no fear of the retention ballot as we have never said NO to one of them over the past 50 years or so since we switched to a retention ballot system. As an example, the latest abortion ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allows the states to put some regulations on abortion providers. So far, every time the legislature passes a law to regulate abortion providers, the pro-abortion crowd files a suit and by the time it reaches our “supremes” they strike our laws down citing Roe v Wade. These 3 are all guilty of such actions.

The second area is the Court of Criminal Appeals of which there is only 1 Judge on the ballot.

District 3) will be Gary Lumpkin  -  VOTE  -  YES  -  My sources have in the past and continue to tell me Judge Lumpkin is an excellent jurist with a very good judicial temperament.

The third area is the Court of Civil Appeals which is probably the most difficult to evaluate.

District 1 - office 1)  will be Jerry L. Goodman  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 1 - office 2)  will be Jane P. Wiseman  -  VOTE  -  NO    (Of particular interest, after the federal courts overturned our ban on homosexual marriage, Judge Wiseman hopped in her vehicle and drove to Tulsa to perform Oklahoma’s first Lesbian marriage. The marriage was between the two Lesbians that worked as editors for the Tulsa World Newspaper. With her glee in performing this marriage she showed her arrogant attitude and stuck her finger in the eyes of 76% of Oklahomans who voted to amend our Constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.)

District 2 - office 1)  will be Deborah B. Barnes  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 2 - office 2)  will be Keith Rapp  -  VOTE  -  NO

District 6 - office 2)  will be Jack Goree  -  VOTE  -  NO

On the back side of your ballots will be 3 State Questions.

I recommend   VOTING  -  YES  -  ON ALL 3 measures. None are very significant, mostly small adjustments in nature and they all deal with veteran benefits. I will say this, I believe it is very important to live up every promise we make to a military recruit when they enlist and then go on to become a veteran. I also believe we should be very careful about adding additional benefits for veterans, especially if new benefits put at risk our ability to meet the already promised benefits.

See Charlie's legislative picks after the jump...

Meadows asks, 'Brogdon for Governor?'

Charlie Meadows, President of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC), wants Randy Brogdon to run for Governor again.

This from Meadows' latest OCPAC email:

"WILL BROGDON RUN FOR GOVERNOR?

After listening to Pay McGuigan this past Wednesday document just how poorly government has performed since Governor Fallin has been in office as a result of her weak leadership, especially in comparison to Kansas, I announced that I would do everything possible to encourage former Senator Randy Brogdon to run for governor again. Especially since he only missed forcing her into a primary runoff by only a little over 4% of the vote and now there is a paltry record for her to run on.

I knew he would be speaking in Guthrie this past Saturday, I was even asked to introduce him at the meeting. Therefore, I tried to be clever and beg him to run and tell us YES if he had been contemplating a run or to just play me along and NOT say NO if he was determined not to run.

The bad news is, no matter how hard I tried to set him up to say YES, during the Q&A time, he would not do so. The good news is, he had the opportunity to crush any thought by saying NO and he would NOT do so. May I suggest, Randy loves to speak about liberty and does so all over the state. Should you run into him, please encourage him to run again. The good citizens all over the state who want good government at least deserve another option than Mary to vote for. "

Whoever runs against Governor Fallin will face formidable, if not insurmountable odds. As of the most recent campaign finance report, her campaign warchest consisted of a paltry $1.2 million.

OCPAC's Charlie Meadows picks Weston for OKGOP Chair

Charlie Meadows, longtime chairman of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC), sent out the following email last night regarding the race for Oklahoma Republican Party chairman. An influential grassroots leader/activist, Meadows' analysis and concluding endorsement may end up impacting this race more than the endorsements the two candidates have touted so far in the race. I'll explain after his email below.

Charlie Meadows, OCPAC chairman

WHY I ENDORSE DAVID WESTON FOR REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN

First let me say, this is my own opinion and not a position of OCPAC, in fact OCPAC does not endorse for such a race. In addition, many of my friends and fellow conservatives will disagree with me; however, I believe that will be the result of strong personal relationships with Amanda Teegarden, rather than an evaluation of the 2 candidates for the job in which they are running. Therefore, please let me explain why I am picking my friend David over my friend Amanda.

When Amanda called me on Monday, April 1st to tell me she was going to run for the Republican State Chairman’s position and wanted to make the public announcement during the candidate forum at OCPAC 2 days later, I knew it was going to be a difficult situation for me. I have known both Amanda and David for about the same amount of time, consider both of them to be friends and respect both of them for their respective efforts to make Oklahoma a better place. Following the forum at OCPAC on Wednesday, I was determined to NOT make an endorsement for chairman and knew I would have to wrestle with a decision as how to vote at the state convention on April 20th.

However, I spent a good deal of Wednesday night tossing about the race and decided to lay my friendships aside and actually evaluate these two candidates. David has the greater amount of state party experience as he has served as the finance officer under 2 different state chairmen and thus really knows the workings of the state party. In addition he has also worked as a consultant in 2 high profile campaigns, first that of James Lankford and second, the race last year where Jim Bridenstine successfully unseated the incumbent John Sullivan and then went on to win big in the general election. Amanda is a co-founder and the executive director of OK-SAFE, she is also one of the finest researchers I know. I believe David has an advantage when it comes to administration and an ability to TRY and work with the many factions within the Republican party, whereas, Amanda’s strengths are more oriented toward policy. I believe the job of party chairman is about 80% administration and 20% policy.

While, I generally agree with Amanda on policy, this is the most important reason I gladly endorse David over Amanda. Please let me explain a possible way for others to evaluate these two candidates.

Last year we had 6 state questions on the ballot, I am going to discuss 3 of them and then ask you to ask yourself, how you voted on these 3 questions?  1) I supported the question which was designed to eliminate affirmative action policies in state government hiring practices and college admission standards in Oklahoma. Ask yourself how did you vote on that issue? Even though eliminating affirmative action has long been a part of the Republican party platform, Amanda opposed the question, basically because it wasn’t a perfect measure. 2) I supported the measure to reduce the annual amount property taxes could increase from the maximum of a 5% increase to no more than an increase of 3% (this does not apply to school bond increases). Ask yourself how did you stand on that issue, Amanda opposed the issue. 3)  I supported the question to eliminate all intangible property from being subjected to property taxation. That was a very important and strong pro business measure. Ask yourself if you supported that state question? Amanda opposed it.

Every Monday morning the Republican party state chairman is on the Ried Mullins radio show on KTOK 1000 AM as the voice of the Republican party doing debate with Ben Odom, the spokesman for the Democrat party. Had Amanda been our chairman at that time she would have been on radio agreeing with the Democrat positions and opposing our platform which has for a long time opposed affirmative action, opposed increasing taxes and in principle our platform supports tax cuts.

Amanda’s positions were different from those of our most conservative Republican lawmakers, different from the positions taken by David Weston, and vice chairman candidates, Richard Engle, Denise Crosswhite Hader and Sara Jo Odom (listed in alphabetic order), I know as I have polled all of them since our forum. Also, all 3 of these issues have been a part of the conservative index. In other words, Amanda was seriously out of step with the Republican party. As such, I believe she should not be elected as our state chairman, David is far better suited for the position as he will work better with the broad range of factions within the party and be more successful in raising finances. Amanda does a great job in research and I would strongly support her if she decided to run for a legislative seat. In that position, information she could provide to colleagues would far outweigh any time she might over analyze a few issues and take the wrong positions on such.

Charlie Meadows

Meadows is very influential in the conservative/libertarian circles of Oklahoma GOP grassroots activists. Amanda Teegarden appeals to much of the same group of activists. As a result, many of the delegates that would naturally form the core of support for Teegarden, but who are heavily influenced by Meadows and his widely-circulated email chain may now reconsider, and instead vote for Weston at this weekend's state convention.

I think Charlie pretty much hit the nail on the head with his evaluation, and I completely agree with him. I respect Amanda and her work with OK-SAFE (a great organization), and have had her come speak to groups in my area about different issues. She is a thorough researcher, and very knowledgeable about important topics of the day. That said, I don't think that being chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party fits her as well as it does Dave Weston, who has actual experience working in the state party.

Want to learn more about the candidates for OKGOP Chair and Vice-Chair? 

Click here for survey responses from each of the hopefuls!

OCPAC Endorses George Faught

OCPAC Endorses Faught for Congress

Muskogee, OK – Yesterday the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee voted to endorse George Faught in his race for the GOP nomination in CD-2.

Faught stated, "I was honored to join the group last week and listen to issues they were concerned about and answer their questions. OCPAC and its members stick to their conservative convictions and I am pleased to have their support."

Charlie Meadows, President of OCPAC said, "After appearing before OCPAC and going through an intensive question and answer session our members determined that George Faught is far better qualified to serve in the US Congress than his opponent. George has a better grasp of the Constitution and his experience will work for the benefit of the citizens in the 2nd District, particularly his consistent, principled opposition to ObamaCare."

OCPAC focuses on promoting conservative constitutional values in the Oklahoma state Legislature and holds legislators accountable through their constant involvement and communication with the voters of Oklahoma.

Staunchly pro-life, pro-business, and pro-limited government, George Faught has been endorsed by Gov. Mike Huckabee, Oklahoma State Auditor Gary Jones, Gun Owners of America, David Barton, the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, Family Research Council Action PAC, Concerned Women PAC, Eagle Forum and Phyllis Schlafly, Citizens United Political Victory Fund, the Minuteman Project, American Conservative PAC, and many other conservative groups and individuals.

 Longtime owner and operator of a successful carpet cleaning business, Faught and his wife of almost 30 years, Becky, live in Muskogee, and are the parents of three grown children - all born and raised in Muskogee. In 2006, Faught became the first Republican ever elected to the State House in his Muskogee-based district. You can learn more about George and his campaign by visiting his website, and by following him on Facebook and Twitter.

The 2nd District runoff is on August 28th.