Rep. Lowe resigns from State House to take County Commission seat

State Rep. Jason Lowe (D-OKC) is the third member of the State House to resign to take a new position since the November election. Mark Vancuren (R-Owasso) stepped down in December to work as a deputy county commissioner in Tulsa County, Amanda Swope (D-Tulsa) in January to take a position under the new Tulsa mayor, and Lowe is resigning because he won a special election for Oklahoma County Commissioner on April 1st.

Lowe announces departure from legislature

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 7th) – Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, announced his resignation from the Oklahoma Legislature on April 7th. 

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve the great residents of House District 97,” Lowe said. “I’m thankful to have been elected to serve you and to serve alongside my esteemed colleagues of the legislature. I want to thank my colleagues for all of their support and insight they’ve given me over the years.”

Canadian County Commissioner Jack Stewart to run for SD18

Canadian County Commissioner, Republican Jack Stewart to Run for New State Senate District 18

Jack Stewart, who is currently finishing his third term as Canadian County Commissioner for District 3, announced today that he will be seeking the Republican nomination for the newly created Oklahoma State Senate District 18. Jack has dedicated more than a decade of his life serving the people of Canadian County as Commissioner – overseeing the design, construction, and maintenance of over 300 road miles in his local community. After much prayer and discussion with leaders in the community, Jack is committed to serve his neighbors in a new way – defending constitutional freedoms and expanding economic opportunities for the region at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Jack received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University before joining the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, where he worked for 31 years. Jack then took his talents to the private sector, working as a transportation unit manager for Carter and Burgess Engineering Company, subsequently Jacobs Engineering. He also served on the Yukon Traffic Commission before serving as Canadian County Commissioner.

Jack Stewart is inviting the community to his Campaign Kickoff Reception, which will be held on Monday, March 28, from 6-8pm at the Express Clydesdales Barn, 12701 W. Wilshire Blvd in Yukon. RSVP on Facebook at Jack Stewart for State Senate, text or call 405-620-4769 or via email to Jack@stewartforoksenate.com. 

Bob Jack announces campaign for Tulsa County Commissioner

Successful Tulsa Business Leader Announces for Tulsa County Commissioner

Prepared and successful Tulsa businessman, Bob Jack, announced today he will run for Tulsa County Commission – Area 3 as a Republican.

“We always say we need to run government like a business, but we rarely send a businessperson to do the job,” said Jack. “I’ve run prosperous businesses and managed organizations for more than 50 years with steadfast integrity. It’s what I do best.”

Jack, retired from his role as a fulltime construction executive, remains active as a construction agent for developers in Tulsa County. During his 50 years in the construction industry, he worked for Manhattan Construction as the senior vice president overseeing its Tulsa division for 4 years prior to retirement and had been with the company for over 10 years. Other experience includes managing Oil Capital Electric in various roles for 23 years, later serving as the company President until 2003.

“I’ve served as a leader for hundreds of people in my career and headed $300 million organizations. I know how to negotiate deals, compromise within reason, manage a budget and lead in the real world,” said Jack.

“I know how to establish relationships and work in cooperation with those who may not share my points of view, but I will always stand firm on my principles. I will never compromise my conservative values and stand against government mandate.”

“My background in the private sector will serve me well as a County Commissioner.”

County Commish Ken Doke to hold reelection campaign kickoff

Muskogee County Commissioner Ken Doke will be holding a reelection campaign kickoff reception on Thursday, October 21st, at 5pm. The event is sponsored, in part, by several local GOP legislators, including Rep. Avery Frix, Sen. Kim David, and Sen. Dwayne Pemberton. 

Doke became the first Republican to win his seat when he won in 2014. Doke has been a great asset and a much-needed conservative leader in Muskogee County government. 

Disgraced OK County Sheriff trying to reinsert into county politics?

It looks like disgraced former Democratic Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel is trying to get back into a position of influence in Oklahoma County politics, as he's publicly declaring his support for candidates in several key races for county offices.

Whetsel resigned from office under a cloud of scandal and the threat of indictment over mismanagement and departmental blunders during his tenure. His misdoings ended up costing Oklahoma County taxpayers over $3,300,000 in higher property taxes to pay for medical bills that Whetsel simply ignored rather than deal with. A scathing audit by State Auditor Gary Jones found repeated examples of financial wrongdoing and actions taken without approval of county commissioners.

Oklahoma County is on the verge of electing a conservative reformist majority to county offices, tilting the County Budget Board in a new direction.

The budget board is comprised of the county elected officials. From conversations I've had with individuals with closer knowledge of the situation, the conservative/reform side includes County Commissioner Brian Maughan (R), County Clerk David Hooten (R), Court Clerk Rick Warren (R), and Assessor Leonard Sullivan (R).  The status-quo group is made up of  Sheriff PD Taylor (R; Whetsel's former chief deputy and successor), County Treasurer Butch Freeman (R), County Commissioner Ray Vaughan (R), and Democrat Commissioner Willa Johnson (D).

Of those officials, several are either retiring or facing contested races this year. Commissioner Johnson (D) is retiring, and will most likely be replaced by former State Senator Al McAffrey (D). Commissioner Vaughan (R) is also retiring, and term-limited State Rep. Kevin Calvey (R) is favored to defeat Vaughan's chief deputy, Rick Buchanan, in the primary and defeat the Democrat candidate in the general election. Treasurer Butch Freeman is being challenged by Oklahoma County GOP Chairman Daren Ward, with Freeman -- Freeman has held the office since 1993 and is likely to hold on.

With Calvey favored to win his race and pick that seat up for the conservatives/reformists, that makes the primary for County Assessor the swing seat. Incumbent Republican Leonard Sullivan is retiring, and there is a contested GOP primary race between his conservative chief deputy, Larry Stein, and former State Rep. Gary Banz.

Stein is endorsed by outgoing Assessor Sullivan, as well as the rest of the conservative/reform gang on the County Budget Board. Under Sullivan and Stein, the Oklahoma County Assessor's office has hit a record-low number of property value appeals (0.0007% as opposed to the typical county average of 6%-12%), among other accomplishments.

Whetsel, a Democrat, has endorsed Banz for County Assessor, Buchanan for County Commissioner, and Freeman for Treasurer, all of whom are Republicans, in addition to Democrat McAffrey for Commissioner.

Now, why is a disgraced longtime Democrat elected official weighing in on Republican primaries? Could it be that he would prefer to keep the status quo than to see conservative reforms sweep through Oklahoma County?

Oklahoma County voters have an opportunity to bring serious change to county government. It's important that they choose wisely, especially given that voting trends in Oklahoma County may be beginning to swing back in the Democrats' direction.

Doke touts Muskogee County's first balanced budget since '09

From Muskogee County Commissioner Ken Doke (R-Dist. 1):

Yesterday marked the dawning of a new day for Muskogee County. For a number of years now, the county has been operating in the red with deficit budgets. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, the county spent $2,252,441 more than it brought in revenue. Beginning in 2015, the board of county commissioners set out to fix this problem. We began creating new policies and committed to fixing the county's budget woes.

In 2016, commissioners passed a balanced budget that was designed to end deficit spending. For the first time in years, we finished the year with no RED numbers. In fact, Muskogee County ended the year with a surplus balance of $1.2 Million. With a $1.2 Million carry-over balance, we were able to start this NEW fiscal year with the largest budget in Muskogee County history.

Having better managed our funds, we found ourselves in a position to do some things that were long overdue. We are going to put a new roof and replace the HVAC at the courthouse. We are going to be able to pay for these enormous costs out of our budget rather than asking for tax payers to pass a bond. We plan to help Sheriff Rob Frazier purchase new patrol cars. We set aside funds for District Attorney, Orvil Loge to hire a civil attorney to help with his case load for the next year. We allocated monies to the volunteers of the Sheriff's patrol so that they could purchase new equipment.

The OSU Extension had suffered severe state budget cuts, and was at risk of having to cut staff and programs to our area youth. Muskogee County was able to step up and provide the needed funding to keep that agency alive, and continue providing agricultural training and programs to students throughout Muskogee County.

I would like to say thank you to the rest of our commissioner board and to our elected officials throughout the county who bought into the vision; came together; and made the necessary sacrifices to put the county back on the road to success. It is nice to be looking ahead and proactively fixing our problems now compared to where we were just a year or two ago.

Note: In 2014, Doke became the first Republican to be elected as a County Commissioner in Muskogee County. Balancing the budget has been one of the things he's pushed for while in office, and I believe this wouldn't have happened without his efforts.

Wagoner County Commissioner switches to GOP

Wagoner County Commissioner Chris Edwards has switched his voter registration to Republican, making term-limited State Representative Wade Rousellot the lone elected Democrat in Wagoner County.

COMMISSIONER HONORS, CONVICTIONS MAKES CHANGE

In keeping with his personal values and convictions, District Two Wagoner County Commissioner, Chris Edwards has changed his voter registration to the Republican Party.  When asked about the reason for the switch, Edwards explains that based on changes made to the Democratic Party platform during the last national convention, he feels the party platform no longer reflects his personal values.

Being a devout Christian, even serving as a deacon in his church, Edwards has always been solidly pro-life and says that he has always supported limited government and lower taxes.  Being a veteran himself, he is also a strong advocate for our military.  In fact, Edwards’ original voter registration was for the Republican Party.  “I made the switch to be a Democrat at the request of a commissioner I worked for here and I just never switched back.  At that time, you almost had to be a Democrat to vote in Wagoner County”.

He goes on to say that, even so, party affiliation has never been an issue to him. “I have always wanted to just do the best job I can do as an elected servant of the county.  I have tried to leave the politics out of it and make the best decisions I can make based on my convictions” and he says he believes the citizens agree he has done just that.

However, it is those convictions that have now led him to make the decision to change registration. He said, “I have always been at odds with some of the things in the (Democratic) party platform, but I really have a hard time reconciling some of the things they are supporting now, especially their views on the family, with my Christian faith.”  He said he began considering the move when the crowd booed God at the last Democratic National Convention.

Edwards says he believes that the majority of the people in Wagoner County are much more conservative than are some of the more far-left in the Democratic Party. “I think when they look at the two parties and what they believe side by side, they will see the same thing I did.  My values and beliefs really are more in line with the Republicans.  If that’s the case, I hope they will join me and make the move too.”

Big night for Muskogee County GOP

Not only was tonight's election a big night for the OKGOP, it was a huge night for the Muskogee County GOP.

In House District 14, George Faught defeated Jack Reavis 4,469 votes (56.8%) to 3,399 (43.2%) -- the biggest margin achieved by a Republican in that district. In 2006, Faught became the first Republican to win HD14, holding it for three terms, and Republican Arthur Hulbert held the seat this past term.

In the race for District 1 County Commissioner, Ken Doke defeated Speck Plunkett 3,375 votes (53.0%) to 2,992 (47.0%). As far as is know, Doke becomes the first Republican to hold a seat on the county commission.

State Senator Kim David easily retained SD18, with 68.7% district-wide and 62.3% in the Muskogee County portion of the district.

Roger Thompson took SD8 from the Democrats, with 55.9% district-wide, and 53.9% in the Muskogee County portion.

Statewide Republican candidates had a mixed bag in Muskogee County. Mary Fallin got 47.6% to Joe Dorman's 49.1%, Todd Lamb took 60.5%, Joy Hofmeister received 44.0%, Mark Costello eeked out 50.1%, Jim Inhofe got 60.3%, James Lankford took 59.9%, and Markwayne Mullin received 64.4%.

My Picks for the 2014 General Election

With the election literally around the corner, I've had people ask for my take on the candidates. Here is how I plan to vote, primarily focused on the Muskogee ballot but also throwing in a few other races I deem to be important.

U.S. Senate - Jim Inhofe and James Lankford
Lankford will make a great addition to the U.S. Senate. Although I'm not a fan of being in Washington for 20+ years, Inhofe is a reliable conservative voice. However, this should be his final term.
U.S. House - Markwayne Mullin (CD2), Steve Russell (CD5)
The Democrats put up lousy congressional candidates, so all GOP nominees should coast in. Russell will be a fantastic Congressman, and a good ally for Jim Bridenstine.
Governor - Mary Fallin
I'll hold my nose and vote Fallin. She's been a disappointment in some ways, but is better than the alternative - four or even eight years of a Democratic Governor.
Lieutenant Governor - Todd Lamb
Sure, it's hard to mess up being Lieutenant Governor, but Lamb has done a great job in being proactive and involved in economic development.
Labor Commissioner - Mark Costello
Costello has been a great Labor Commissioner. Add to that the fact that his opponent is pretty much a certified nut, and it's an easy pick.
State Superintendent - Joy Hofmeister
Hofmeister may not be perfect, but I trust her more than I do the Democrat (Cox). This is an important office, and I don't want to give it back to the Democrats.

State House District 12 - David Tackett
Although I disagree with David on some issues, he is generally on the right side of things, and would add to the conservative caucus in the State House.
State House District 14 - George Faught
We need experienced conservatives at the State Capitol, and HD14 needs continued conservative representation. (Disclaimer for those who like disclaimers: George Faught is my father)
State House District 76 - David Brumbaugh
I used to go to church with Brumbaugh. He will easily win reelection, and deserves to.
State House District 87 - Jason Nelson
Nelson is a reformer, and was the principal author of HB3399, which repealed Common Core. He's in a tough re-election bid, and is also facing his young daughter's recent diagnosis with a life-threatening condition.

State Senate District 5 - Joseph Silk
This is a very tough seat to win (registration is something like 12% Republican), but if Silk can pull it off, he will be one of the most conservative members in the State Senate.
State Senate District 6 - Josh Brecheen
This is perhaps the most important legislative race of the year. Brecheen has been targeted for his leadership in repealing Common Core, and is facing a tough reelection bid in a district that heavily favors the Democrats (Brecheen was the first Republican to win).
State Senate District 8 - Roger Thompson
A great chance for a pick-up by the GOP. Thompson is a good, conservative candidate.

Muskogee County Commission, District 1 - Ken Doke
Ken will bring a fresh, conservative viewpoint to the County Commission, one that we desperately need. I believe he would be the first Republican to ever win.

District Judge (District 15, Office 4) - James Walters for District Judge
I don't know a ton about this race, but have heard enough to go Walters over Alford.

Supreme Court - John Reif - NO
Supreme Court - Tom Colbert - NO
Supreme Court - Joseph Watt - NO
The consistency with which our mostly-liberal State Supreme Court tosses out pro-life legislation leads me to throw them out, too.
Court of Criminal Appeals - Gary Lumpkin - YES
I've heard good things about Lumpkin, so I'll vote to keep him.
Court of Civil Appeals - Jerry Goodman - NO
Court of Civil Appeals - Jane Wiseman - NO!
Wiseman officiated the first homosexual wedding in Oklahoma. That's enough for me to vote her out -- but Michael Bates details other reasons as well
Court of Civil Appeals - Deborah Barnes - NO
Court of Civil Appeals - Keith Rapp - NO
Court of Civil Appeals - Brian Goree - YES
I've also heard good reports about Goree, so I'll vote to keep him.

SQ 769 - NO
This deals with allowing certain government officials to concurrently hold certain military offices. This will probably pass (it passed the House 82-5 and the Senate 44-0), but I'm just not comfortable with the potential situation of a government official being unable to perform the duties of their elected office due to their enlistment in the military. I could probably be talked into voting 'yes', though.
SQ 770 - YES
SQ 771 - YES
SQs 770 and 771 deal with property tax exemptions for service-disabled veterans and surviving spouses, and for spouses of those killed in the line of duty. I will vote 'yes' on both.

Doke and Stewart in Muskogee County Commission GOP primary

Ken Doke                                           Mike Stewart

Muskogee County Commission District 1 has an interesting phenomenon taking place this June -- a GOP primary.  Republicans Ken Doke and Mike Stewart both filed their candidacy last week for the open county commission seat. Three Democrats also filed: Bob Burgess, Steve Goad, and Speck Plunkett.

Doke is an area businessman, while Stewart has been the City of Muskogee's Public Works Director since 2000, after working in various sanitation and streets functions since 1977.

Muskogee County rarely has Republican primaries for any office, and it has been years since any GOP primary took place for a county-level office. Only about 25% of Muskogee County voters are registered Republican.