Republican Runoff Results - CD2

Runoff Primary Election Results

The polls have officially closed - results are coming. I'll post the results for the major runoffs.


Insurance Commissioner - 2219 (100%) of 2219 precincts

• John Crawford:  35294 (29.45%)
• John Doak: 84570 (70.55%) - winner

2nd Congressional District - 570 (100%) of 570 precincts

• Daniel Edmonds: 3644 (32.73%)
• Charles Thompson: 7489 (67.27%) - winner

5th Congressional District - 324 (100%) of 324 precincts

• Kevin Calvey: 15899 (34.78%)
• James Lankford: 29814 (67.27%) - winner
  

The State Election Board is posting results here for these and other runoffs.

Vote: Runoff Primary Election

Don't forget to vote! The runoff election is today! While the ballot won't be as full as it was on July 27th, it is still very important that you go vote.

Here are the major races that will be decided today, in addition to numerous lower offices:

The 2nd Congressional District GOP race has come down to two men - Charles Thompson and Daniel Edmonds. The winner will go up against incumbent Democrat Congressman Dan Boren. If you're still undecided in this race, read this post. I endorsed, and recommend voting for, Daniel Edmonds.

The 5th Congressional District GOP race is between James Lankford and Kevin Calvey. The winner here will run against a Democrat and two Independents, although the GOP nominee is heavily favored to win in this district. If you're still undecided, read this post. I endorsed, and recommend voting for, James Lankford.

The race on the GOP side for Insurance Commissioner is now between John Crawford and John Doak. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Commissioner Kim Holland. This is a state-wide office, so all Republicans are eligible to vote in this race, at the very least. I endorsed, and recommend voting for, John Doak.

Don't forget to vote!

Charles Thompson's Campaign Finance Report Problems

2nd District Congressional Candidate Charles Thompson (R-Hulbert) has filed ethics reports with the Federal Election Commission that are, quite frankly, very flawed. As Thompson is one of two Republican candidates in a runoff, this information is important for potential voters to be aware of.

Just to be up-front, I have endorsed his opponent (Daniel Edmonds), but as I have done in the past, I will point things out regardless of whether I support the candidate or not.

Bear with me as we go through Thompson's latest report.

Thompson reports here that he received $10,179.73 between July 8th and August 4th, and spent $2,286.83 in the same period. Here, he also shows that he ended the period with $13,040.34 (later on, he shows that he began the period with $4,329 on hand).

But, do those figures stay the same through the rest of the report?

Moving on to Thompson's expenditures. In Line 17 of the report, he shows that he spent $2,286.83 in "operating expenditures".

However, in Line 22, which adds up all the disbursements (Lines 17, 18, 19(c), 20(d), and 21 added together), the total figure for disbursements is $1,468.39 - $818.44 or about 35% off of the original figure in this report.

It gets even worse.

The itemized expenses only add up to $1,241.56, and $1,030 of that is "in-kind" (in-kind contributions must be reported as both receipts and disbursements). I know this figure to be false, because Thompson had his primary night watch party at the Three Forks River Center in Muskogee, and the rent for the facility was at least $340, and $100 had to be paid up front. If the rent was not paid by the campaign, it had to have been reported as an in-kind contribution by whomever paid for the building.

In addition, his mailing (that included an implied, and untrue, endorsement by Sen. Coburn) never showed up on his report, either for the printing costs or for the postage.


Thompson states that he began the period with a cash on hand of $4,329, had receipts of $10,179.73, expenses of [a disputed] $1,468.39, and ended with $13,040.34.

However,  at the close of the last report, he showed that he ended with a different sum. Let's take a look at that report.

In this report, it clearly shows that the Thompson campaign ended with a cash on hand balance of $621.78, not the $4,329 (an amount seven times higher!) that he showed as the beginning balance in the current report!

This is not the first time Thompson has had problems with his campaign finance reports. In fact, earlier in the campaign, he showed that he accepted an illegal contribution. That resulted in him canning his treasurer, but his reports have never shown that he rectified the mistake.

This is not the only reason Charles Thompson is not the right choice for Congress in the Republican runoff, but it is the most recent. Neither Daniel Edmonds nor the past GOP candidates had campaign finance problems like Thompson has (Edmonds' reports have been flawless - crossed every 't' and dotted every 'i'), and neither does Democrat Congressman Dan Boren (who has hundreds of times the volume of donations/expenses).

If Charles Thompson can't keep track of his campaign account (among other personal fiscal issues), how much more can he manage a multi-million dollar congressional office budget, or the federal budget?


UPDATE: I contacted the Thompson campaign for their explanation of these discrepancies, and they declined to issue a statement.

2nd District Update

The race on the Republican side for the 2nd Congressional District has gone to a runoff, with candidates Charles Thompson and Daniel Edmonds qualifying for the "overtime" round of the primary. Here is a quick roundup up the latest events, in chronological order.

Thompson supporters have been passing around the rumor that if Edmonds does not win the runoff, he will support Dan Boren in November. Edmonds issued the following press release on Monday to combat the rumor.

Edmonds Pledges Support to Conservative Republican Cause
Edmonds: "Our common goal is to replace Dan Boren in Congress."

(Morris, Oklahoma-August 2, 2010):

Daniel Edmonds, candidate in the August 24 runoff election for the Republican nomination in Oklahoma's Second Congressional District, today commented on the runoff election.

"I look forward to the runoff campaign to see who will go on to face Dan Boren in November," Edmonds said. "I will continue to campaign on the issues that are important to the conservative cause."

"Whomever the voters choose to carry the Republican banner in November, I will continue to support the conservative cause," Edmonds continued. "I will work towards one of our common goals, which is replacing Dan Boren as our Congressman."

Edmonds, whose previous political experience includes stints as the Agricultural Policy Intern for the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives and the Frank D. Lucas Agricultural Policy Scholar for Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK 3) in Washington, DC, is running for office for the first time.

Daniel Edmonds, a seventh generation Oklahoman in Okmulgee County, has a BS and MS in Plant and Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University. Learn more about his campaign at www.danieledmonds.org.

On Tuesday, former candidates Howard Houchen and Dan Arnett endorsed Charles Thompson on KFAQ's Eddie Huff Show. The runoff election is on Tuesday, August 24th, and the victor will go on to challenge Democrat Congressman Dan Boren in the November general election.

Republican Primary Results - CD2

(Note - five counties had less than 300 votes, and eleven counties had less than 505)

Click here for the entire Muskogee Politico series of election results maps.

Muskogee Politico's Analysis of the Primary Results

• Governor
  
• Republican: Mary Fallin (54.79%)

Mary Fallin was the heavy favorite from the very beginning, and defeated Randy Brogdon by 15%. Brogdon was able to put up a decent challenge (especially considering that pre-election polls had him down by 40%), but Fallin's statewide name recognition and massive fundraising advantage won out. Click here to view a map of the results.

Fallin enters the general election as the leader, with a Rasmussen poll showing her leading 57%-36% over Democrat nominee Jari Askins.

• Democrat: Jari Askins (50.28%)

Jari Askins won in an extremely close and contested Democrat primary, defying the polls that showed Drew Edmondson with a commanding double-digit lead. This map shows that Askins blew Edmondson out in western Oklahoma, kept a slim lead in central Oklahoma, and made enough inroads in eastern Oklahoma to win.

To illustrate just how close this primary was, Askins won by less than 0.67 votes per precinct.

Askins strength is in western Oklahoma, but western Oklahoma has trended very Republican in recent years. Mary Fallin will be strong in central Oklahoma, and Askins will do well in heavily Democratic eastern Oklahoma. Southern Oklahoma and the Tulsa area may be the key in the general election, but Mary Fallin still has the edge.

• Lieutenant Governor
• Republican: Todd Lamb (66.84%) 

Todd Lamb cruised to victory in a crowded primary. Lamb has a tremendous fundraising advantage, and also ran one of the best campaign ads I've ever seen.

Kenneth Corn, the lone Democrat in the race, spent a lot of his funds in the past quarter (even though he had no primary opponent), so Lamb should still have more money than Corn. Kenneth Corn is one of the Democrats strongest candidates this election, but Lamb has an impressive background, and is very energetic. Advantage: Lamb.

• Attorney General
• Republican: Scott Pruitt (56.05%) 

Scott Pruitt capitalized on his name recognition from the 2006 Lieutenant Governor's race, where he spent over one million dollars but lost in the runoff to Todd Hiett (who lost to Jari Askins). Ryan Leonard ran a robust campaign, but going negative at the end of the campaign probably hurt him more than it helped.

Jim Priest is the Democrat nominee, but even Drew Edmondson has said that the Republican nominee is going to win fairly easily.

• State Auditor and Inspector
• Republican: Gary Jones (69.57%)

Gary Jones easily defeated David Hanigar, and is now the GOP nominee for Auditor for the third time.

Democrat Steve Burrage was appointed by Governor Henry after the previous Auditor (Jeff McMahan) went to jail for bribery and corruption charges (which were uncovered by Jones, McMahan's 2002 and 2006 opponent), and as such has never been on the ballot. SoonerPoll found in June that Jones led Burrage by 20 points.

While Burrage has a hefty campaign warchest, the climate this year in Oklahoma is not friendly to Democrats, and this could be the time Gary Jones finally wins.

• State Treasurer
• Republican: Ken Miller (63.04%)

Miller coasted to victory over Owen Laughlin, and is considered a shoo-in, as the Democrat candidate literally has no campaign.

• State Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Republican: Janet Barresi (62.73%)
• Democrat: Susan Paddack (73.35%)

Both party nominees cruised to large victories over opponents who did little campaigning.

This could prove to be the closest race in November, as both candidates are well funded.

• Commissioner of Labor
• Republican: Mark Costello (57.06%)

Mark Costello dropped over $150,000 of his own money into this race, which enabled him to hit the airwaves with his now-infamous jingle. Jason Reese just didn't have the funds to compete.

Incumbent Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields will face an uphill battle, due to the climate and the fact that Costello can afford to put more money into his campaign. At the last report, Fields has less than $10,000 in his account.

• Insurance Commissioner
• Republican: John Crawford (41.67%) and John Doak (39.14%) -- runoff

In a shocker of the night, former Insurance Commissioner John Crawford emerged with the lead, and John Doak took second to make the runoff. Doak had raised more money than all the other candidates combined, and was running ads across the state. Crawford also was running televisions ads, recycled from his failed 1998 reelection run.

The problem with the down-ballot races like this is that the public is focused on the "big" races, like Governor and Congress, and candidates have a harder time raising money. Thus, it's more difficult for the candidates to educate the voters.

The Democrat's best chance at holding a statewide office, as incumbent commissioner Kim Holland currently has nearly $300,000 in her campaign account. Holland was a 2008 presidential delegate for Barack Obama, though, and the GOP nominee is sure to hammer her for that.

• Corporation Commissioner
• Republican: Dana Murphy (69.21%) -- elected, no opponent in November

Dana Murphy batted aside a nearly non-existent campaign by her Republican opponent, and since no other candidate filed to run, has been reelected to her first full term. Murphy just finished a partial term (she was elected in 2008).

• U.S. Senate
• Republican: Tom Coburn (90.36%)

Tom Coburn obliterated his two token challengers, and in the process racked up his highest vote percentage ever (by far).

• Democrat: Jim Rogers (65.36%)

Jim Rogers, a perennial candidate, defeated Mark Myles - the only Democrat candidate who did any campaigning whatsoever.

Coburn was going to win big in November, regardless of whomever the Democrats nominated, but this will be a tremendous cakewalk.

• U.S. House, District 1
• Republican: John Sullivan (62.07%)

Sullivan cruised to victory over a crowded primary. The only surprise in this race was that Nathan Dahm came in third, behind Kenneth Rice.

• U.S. House, District 2
• Republican: Charles Thompson (33.57%) and Daniel Edmonds (28.31%) -- runoff 

In a crowded race, Charles Thompson and Daniel Edmonds made it into the GOP runoff. The surprise of the night was Dan Arnett receiving 15%, and finishing third - in front of Howard Houchen. Arnett spent the entire campaign going by "Dan", but placed his name on the ballot as "Daniel", which created some confusion, with two Daniel's being on the ballot. I would speculate that a good portion of the Arnett vote was actually intended for Edmonds.

Thompson sent out a mail piece that implied a non-existing endorsement by U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, which did affect some voters. Even so, Thompson only came in first because of his lead in Cherokee and Delaware counties.

This race could still go either way.

• Democrat: Dan Boren (75.56%)

Dan Boren easily defeated a challenge from far-left state senator Jim Wilson, who garnered support from disgruntled liberal Democrats (mainly in the metropolitan areas of the state), who consider Boren to be a "Democrat-In-Name-Only". Unfortunately for Wilson, his supporters don't live in the district, and therefore could not vote, hence his resounding defeat.

Boren spent over seven hundred thousand dollars in the primary.

• U.S. House, District 4
• Republican: Tom Cole (77.26%) -- re-elected, no opponent in November 

Tom Cole was easily reelected over RJ Harris. Harris waged an intense online campaign, but was unable to translate that into votes.

• U.S. House, District 5
• Republican: James Lankford (33.58%) and Kevin Calvey (32.48%) -- runoff

Unlike RJ Harris, James Lankford conducted a successful online and ground campaign, and surged into first place, shocking the Washington pundits. Kevin Calvey had all of the group endorsements (such as Club for Growth, Gun Owners of America, ACU), in addition to loaning his campaign $250,000, but Lankford's energetic campaign slipped on by.

The momentum is with James Lankford in this runoff.

• Democrat: Billy Coyle (56.83%)

Billy Coyle defeated Tom Goodman in the Democrat primary, but this seat is hard for a Democrat to win.

Winners in Tuesday's Primary

Statewide office primary winners

• Governor
• Republican: Mary Fallin (54.79%)
• Democrat: Jari Askins (50.28%)
• Lieutenant Governor
• Republican: Todd Lamb (66.84%)
• Attorney General
• Republican: Scott Pruitt (56.05%)
• State Auditor and Inspector
• Republican: Gary Jones (69.57%)
• State Treasurer
• Republican: Ken Miller (63.04%)
• State Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Republican: Janet Barresi (62.73%)
• Democrat: Susan Paddack (73.35%)
• Commissioner of Labor
• Republican: Mark Costello (57.06%)
• Insurance Commissioner
• Republican: John Crawford (41.67%) and John Doak (39.14%) -- runoff
• Corporation Commissioner
• Republican: Dana Murphy (69.21%) -- elected, no opponent in November

Federal office primary winners

• U.S. Senate
• Republican: Tom Coburn (90.36%)
• Democrat: Jim Rogers (65.36%)
• U.S. House, District 1
• Republican: John Sullivan (62.07%)
• U.S. House, District 2
• Republican: Charles Thompson (33.57%) and Daniel Edmonds (28.31%) -- runoff
• Democrat: Dan Boren (75.56%)
• U.S. House, District 4
• Republican: Tom Cole (77.26%) -- re-elected, no opponent in November
• U.S. House, District 5
• Republican: James Lankford (33.58%) and Kevin Calvey (32.48%) -- runoff
• Democrat: Billy Coyle (56.83%)

Congressional Races go to Runoff

The primary election is over, and there are numerous tidbits to share. However, due to the late hour, and the fact that I have been up since before 4am, I'll just mention the various Congressional races.

Congressional District 1

Congressman John Sullivan easily batted away his primary challengers, and emerged victorious with 62% of the vote. Kenneth Rice came in second with 17%, and Nathan Dahm was third with 14%. All other candidates were under 3%.

Congressional District 2

Charles Thompson came out on top, with a plurality of 33.5%, and Daniel Edmonds was second with 28%. In one of the evening's surprises, Dan Arnett came in third with 16%, and Howard Houchen ended up fourth with 11.5%.

This race will go to a runoff between Thompson and Edmonds.

Congressional District 4

As with the CD1 race, Congressman Tom Cole breezed to victory over his challenger, RJ Harris. Cole received 79% of the vote, and Harris got 21%.

Congressional District 5

Political newcomer James Lankford squeezed by into the lead with 33.6% of the vote, while longtime frontrunner Kevin Calvey came in second with 32.5%. Mike Thompson was third with 18%, and Shane Jett received 10.7%. All other candidates were below 3%.

As with the CD2 race, this will also go to a runoff, between Lankford and Calvey.


The full primary election results can be viewed here.

Election Day: VOTE!

Today is the primary election - get out and vote!

For a refresher, here is my list of endorsed/recommended candidates, with links to my posts on that candidate.


U.S. Senate: Tom Coburn
U.S. House, District 1: Patrick Haworth
U.S. House, District 2: Daniel Edmonds
U.S. House, District 5: James Lankford
Governor: Robert Hubbard (2nd choice - Randy Brogdon)
Lieutenant Governor: John Wright
State Treasurer: Owen Laughlin
State Auditor: Gary Jones
Attorney General: Scott Pruitt
State Superintendent: Janet Barresi
Labor Commissioner: Jason Reese
Insurance Commissioner: John Doak
Corporation Commissioner: Dana Murphy

2nd District GOP Candidates Watch Party Locations

Here are the locations for the 2nd Congressional District Republican candidates watch parties, in the order they will appear on the ballot.
 

Daniel Edmonds

The Edmonds 2 Congress campaign watch party will be held at the Edmonds Farm/Ranch headquarters near Morris. For directions, call the campaign headquarters at (918) 733-2068.

The Edmonds watch party will start at 7:00pm.

 

Charles Thompson

The Thompson for Congress watch party will be held at the new River Center at the Three Forks Harbor, right across the Arkansas River from Muskogee in Fort Gibson.

The River Center is located at 5201 Three Forks Road, Fort Gibson (click here for map).

The Thompson watch party will start at 7pm. 

Howard Houchen

The Houchen for Congress watch party will be held in Muskogee at the Faifield Inn & Suites (1650 North 32nd Street; click here for map). It will start at 6:30pm.

Houchen will not be the only congressional candidate at his watch party - he is holding a joint event with 4th District candidate RJ Harris. Harris is soon to ship out to Afghanistan with the Army, and is currently at Camp Gruber in Braggs.

Dan Arnett

The Arnett for Congress campaign is holding a private watch party. For more information, contact the campaign at dan@danarnettforcongress.com.







I did not receive any information from the remaining two candidate, Raymond Wickson and Chester Clem Falling.

In addition, the Muskogee County Republican Party will be holding a watch party at the Muskogee Civic Center (4th & Okmulgee; click here for map), in Rooms A and B, starting at 6:45pm.

Endorsement: Daniel Edmonds for Congress

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

The best Republican for this seat is Daniel Edmonds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am giving my endorsement and vote to Daniel Edmonds.

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

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

Jim Wilson Hits Back at Dan Boren

Tahlequah State Sen. Jim Wilson's congressional campaign has released a web ad attacking Congressman Dan Boren's record.




Wilson, who is perhaps the most liberal/progressive member of the Oklahoma legislature, is the lone Democrat challenging Boren, Oklahoma's sole Democrat congressional member. Six Republicans are running: Dan Arnett, Daniel Edmonds, Howard Houchen, Charles Thompson, and little-known candidates Chester Clem Falling and Raymond Wickson.

Arnett: "Let Afghanistan take care of Afghanistan"

Republican congressional candidate Dan Arnett made the following statement in an article in the Sunday edition of the McAlester News-Capital.

“In Arizona, the government isn’t protecting our border,”  Arnett said.

“That’s an area where the government isn’t doing its job. I would like to see the government step up and do its job.”

Arnett knows how he would like to see that accomplished.

“Get our men and women out of Afghanistan and bring them back to our own borders,” Arnett said. “Let Afghanistan take care of Afghanistan.” [emphasis mine]

Arnett is one of six Republican candidates for the 2nd Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Congressman Dan Boren. The other GOP contenders are Daniel Edmonds, Howard Houchen, Charles Thompson, and last-minute candidates Raymond Wickson, and Chester Falling. State Sen. Jim Wilson is the lone Democrat candidate running against Congressman Boren.

Boren Endorsed by Pro-Life Groups

2nd District Congressman Dan Boren (D-Muskogee) picked up two pro-life endorsements today for the Democratic primary.

Pro-Life Democrat From Oklahoma Gets Rare Pro-Life Support, Opposed HCR Bill

Oklahoma City, OK (LifeNews.com) -- When a coalition of pro-life Democrats walked out on the pro-life groups which strenuously opposed the pro-abortion health care bill President Barack Obama eventually signed, Congressman Dan Boren of Oklahoma was one of the few to not jump ship.

Today, the National Right to Life Committee and its Oklahoma affiliate rewarded the pro-life Democrat with an endorsement.

The backing comes at a time when other pro-life Democratic candidates in states like Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, lost their endorsements because of their support of the government-run health care plan containing massive taxpayer financing of abortions.

The NRLC PAC endorsed Boren of Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district in the July 27 Democratic Primary.

The group told LifeNews.com Boren has had a 100% pro-life voting record during the 111th Congress and it thanked him for opposing the health care bill.

“Congressman Dan Boren is to be commended for his efforts to prevent the Democratic health-care legislation from mandating coverage of abortion and federal funding of abortion,” said National Right to Life Vice President and Chairman of Oklahomans For Life, Tony Lauinger.

“His efforts included spearheading a June 2009 letter from pro-life House Democrats to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stating that they could not ‘support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan,'" Lauinger said. "When the necessary pro-life safeguards were not included in the final health-care legislation, Congressman Boren kept his word and opposed the pro-abortion bill.”

Also announcing a run for the Democratic nomination for the 2nd congressional district seat is state Senator Jim Wilson, one of the most outspokenly pro-abortion members of the Oklahoma legislature.

Over the past four years, on 23 key abortion-related votes scored by Oklahomans For Life, Jim Wilson was absent once, voted pro-life once, and voted pro-abortion 21 times.

“Senator Wilson is so extreme on abortion that he even opposed a bill which protects against coerced abortions and seeks to ensure that a mother's consent to an abortion is truly voluntary," Lauinger said.

Related web sites:
National Right to Life PAC - http://www.nrlpac.org
Oklahomans for Life - http://www.OkForLife.org

As was stated, Wilson is very liberal, not only on pro-life issues, but on practically every other topic. He specifically stated Boren's 'no' vote on "ObamaCare" as his reason for challenging Boren; Wilson is a huge supporter of the healthcare plan.

In addition to Wilson, Boren is also being challenged by Republicans Daniel Edmonds, Charles Thompson, Chester Falling and Dan Arnett, all of whom filed for office yesterday or today. Howard Houchen, another announced Republican candidate, has not filed his candidacy yet.

Additional candidates can file tomorrow. The Oklahoma State Election Board has a list of the candidates who have filed here.

Candidate Filing 2010

Today was the first of the three day filing period for candidates here in Oklahoma. 391 individuals filed today, for offices ranging from district judge, to Governor, to United State Senate.

Of the candidates, 157 were non-partisan (running for District Judge or Associate District Judge), 96 were Democrats, 134 were Republicans, and 4 were Independents.

The first to file was State Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-OKC), who actually arrived to wait in line at 10:45pm, Sunday evening (filing opened at 8am this morning).

Filing Day Tidbits

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn drew two Republican opponents - Lewis Spring and perennial candidate Evelyn Rogers. U.S. Congressman John Sullivan (R-Tulsa) drew two Republican challengers - Craig Allen and Nathan Dahm. Congressman Dan Boren (D-Muskogee) filed, as did two of his Republican opponents - Daniel Edmonds and Charles Thompson. Edmonds was the first Oklahoma candidate to file for Congress. Congressmen Frank Lucas (R-Cheyenne) and Tom Cole (R-Moore) filed, as did Cole's Republican opponent, R.J. Harris. Two Democrats (Tom Guild and Billy Coyle), three Republicans (James Lankford, Kevin Calvey and Mike Thompson), and one Independent (Clark Duffie) filed for the open 5th Congressional District, which Rep. Mary Fallin is vacating to run for Governor.

All of the major Democrat (Jari Askins and Drew Edmondson) and Republican (Mary Fallin and Randy Brogdon) candidates for Governor filed. Democrat State Sen. Kenneth Corn filed for Lieutenant Governor, as did Bernie Adler, a Republican. Democrat State Auditor Steve Burrage filed, with no opponent currently. Democrat Jim Priest filed for Attorney General. Former State Sen. Owen Laughlin and State Rep. Ken Miller, both Republicans, filed for State Treasurer, as did Democrat Steven Covert. Democrat State Sen. Susan Paddack, Democrat Jerry Combrink, and Independent Richard Cooper filed for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Democrat Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields filed, as did his two Republican challengers (Mark Costello and Jason Reese). Republicans John Doak and Mark Croucher filed for Insurance Commissioner, and Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy filed for reelection.

Only the 22 even-numbered State Senate districts are up for election this year. Every district except for SD16 had a candidate file today. State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant) drew a Republican challenger, Josh Brecheen (a former field representative for U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn) in SD6. Ron Black posted some thoughts on why this race could affect any close statewide race this November.

All state house districts are up, and candidates filed in all but three districts today. In eastern Oklahoma (the 2nd Congressional District), Democrat State Reps. Glen Bud Smithson (HD2), Mike Brown (HD4), and Brian Renegar (HD17) drew Republican challengers. Three open seats drew numerous candidates; HD 3 got two Democrats and one Republican, HD18 drew four Democrats and one Republican, and HD21 drew two Democrats and two Republicans (Jack Accountius and Dustin Roberts). Republican State Reps. Randy Terrill (HD53) and Mike Christian (HD93) both drew Democrat challengers. Both men had their notarized "declarations of candidacy" submitted through proxies (which is completely legal), thereby avoiding speaking to the media. The two are currently being mentioned, along with outgoing Democrat State Sen. Debbe Leftwich, in a possible political corruption case.


Filing continues at the State Capitol tomorrow and Wednesday, from 8am to 5pm. You can view the entire list of candidates here.

2nd District Candidate Ranking: 3rd Edition

The Muskogee Politico's 2nd District Candidate Ranking
Post-1st Quarter FEC Reports

With the close of the 2010 1st Quarter FEC reports, it's once again time for the Muskogee Politico 2nd District Candidate Ranking. This is the third in the GOP candidate ranking series. The original ranking can be viewed here, with the second located here. This is not to be construed as an endorsement of a specific candidate by this blog - merely my view of the race as it currently stands.

And now, without further ado, I present the latest installment of the 2nd District Candidate Ranking from the Muskogee Politico.

1. Daniel Edmonds (prev. 2nd)


I see Daniel Edmonds as having taken the top spot this past quarter.

Public Policy Polling conducted a poll of the 2nd District race, and Edmonds came out as the best Republican when compared to incumbent Congressman Dan Boren (D). He was 16 points down to Boren, as opposed to 20 points (Thompson), 22 points (Houchen), and 27 points (Arnett). You can see more information on that poll here.

Edmonds still seems to be the candidate that can have the broadest appeal to conservative Democrats - a must for winning in this heavily Democratic district.

If this ranking was based solely on raising money, Edmonds would not be ranked first. His fundraising has been poor, a factor that has affected all candidates in this race (except Boren).

However, Edmonds looks to be getting the most bang for his buck; his campaign appears to be the most frugal and effective. He set the standard among his competitors for campaign literature, sparking the rest to get much more professional materials.

In my discussions with Republicans across the district, Edmonds gets the broadest support. That wasn't the case earlier in the campaign, but it seems to be growing steadily now, as activists and voters get to know the candidates.

Edmonds still needs to find a way to raise funds. If he can be in the lead with what little he has now, he could do much better with a good war-chest.


2. Howard Houchen (prev. 1st)

Howard Houchen, after a quick start, has seemed to cool among the Republican electorate.

The latest FEC reports show that Houchen raised slightly over $20,000 in the last quarter - a modest, but respectable sum for a challenger in circumstances like these. His showing was the highest of the Republican challengers to this point. He currently has $9,309 cash on hand - $4,000 more than the nearest Republican competitor.

Houchen is a very aggressive candidate, which will give some voters hesitation, while appealing to others. The Ron Paul/libertarian community seems to be rallying around Houchen in particular, which again, may alienate some people.

He has shown what I find to be a fairly minor lapse in judgment by joining any and every group out there that asks him to (such as Bring Home the Politicians, which aims to hold Congress from every state capitol via teleconference, as opposed to physically meeting in Washington at the Capitol). I find the group's idea to be a bad one, for many reasons.

He's also doing a bit of negative campaigning (in relation to Dan Boren) that I don't care for. It's one thing to attack a person's record, but outlandish caricatures are out of taste, in my opinion. One of the things I hear regularly about Howard is that he consistently goes over the time allotted to him to speak at meetings - something that several other candidates also do.

On the other hand, Houchen is having the most success of the GOP candidates in raising money, even though he does seem to be burning through it pretty fast. He has run some radio ads, as well as some recent cable TV ads. It's still probably too early for any of that to be effective, and the actual ads themselves aren't the best, design-wise. But, he is the only candidate to have done either at this point.

Houchen needs to appeal to a broader group of voters, and find a way to not alienate potential supporters. He is still very much in the running for the lead. This race will remain fluid until someone emerges as the clear leader.

3. Charles Thompson (prev. 3rd)

Charles Thompson continues to make moves, although he does not advance in this ranking. Thompson put his toe in the water back in June, dropped out a week later, and decided to get back in sometime in early September.

He filed a report with the FEC this past quarter, reporting about $15,000 raised (although almost $10,000 was in-kind donations). I do have questions about his report - some items may not follow FEC rules.

Thompson does seem to be having the most success at generating volunteers. His military background is attractive to many voters.

However, Thompson has a tendency to trot out ideas that are... ill-advised. For instance, this one on constituent contact. He has called for, in campaign emails, the banning of Islam in the United States, as well as mandating that former Representatives live in their district for the same amount of time they represented the district - in order to live under the laws they passed. As with Houchen, Charles has a hard time keeping to time limits while speaking.

If Thompson can start to raise funds, as well as keep from making more of these mistakes, he can really start to make some waves in this race.


4. Dan Arnett (prev. 4th)

Although Dan Arnett had some influence on this race at the very beginning (I see him as one of the reasons that Congressman Boren actually held town halls), I see his impact dwindling.

Arnett has transferred from law school in Pennsylvania to the University of Tulsa, which has helped him to be more visible across the district. However, folks that I have talked with aren't sold on supporting him with the three aforementioned candidates in the race. I don't see his support base growing in the way it is for the other candidates.

Of the Republican candidates at the time, he performed the worst in the PPP poll that took place at the end of February. As with Houchen and Thompson, Arnett has trouble staying within time limits while speaking, sometimes even speaking for twice as long as he was given.

Arnett is going to have a difficult time convincing voters to join his camp, especially since he isn't raising money or generating as much interest as the other candidates. With some 40 days left until the filing period begins, Arnett has to either make some moves, or make some tough decisions.

5. Miki Booth (prev. not on list)

Miki Booth originally entered the race as an Independent, but decided to switch to Republican in early April. The fact that she took 7-8% of the vote as an Independent in the PPP poll probably had an impact on her decision.

Booth is most well-known for her "Birther" stance. Her position on other issues always takes second place to talking about President Obama's birth certificate, or lack thereof.

She will not be an impact on this race, and will only take single digits of the vote in July.



And that is the 3rd edition of the Muskogee Politico 2nd District Candidate Ranking. Keep an eye here for the latest news and developments for this race.

2nd District Update: Booth Switches to Republican

The Republican field of candidate for the 2nd Congressional District has officially become even more crowded. Miki Booth, originally an Independent candidate, has thrown her hat in the ring for the GOP nomination:

MIKI BOOTH SAYS REPUBLICANS CAN MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO OR “GO THE DISTANCE” TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION

I am among a large contingent of Americans who are fed up with the politics of both parties and changed affiliation to Independent or none.

In January I threw my hat into the political ring by registering to run originally as an Independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in District 2 Oklahoma, the seat currently held by Dan Boren.

There are four Republicans who will be on the primary election ballot, and as of this past Friday, I became the fifth by announcing my decision to return to the Republican party. And as of today, the change is reflected on the Federal Election Commission website.

Last Saturday, March 20, was a critical day for America. Thousands answered the “Code Red” call to get to our nation’s capital to protest the massive entitlement bill that we cannot afford and most Americans don’t want. This massive 2,000-page monstrosity being hawked as “healthcare reform” is nothing more than a government takeover of one-sixth of our economy and heavily laced with “goodies” and paybacks to Democrats in Congress, their allies and supporters.

I was one of the 40,000 or so Americans who stood outside the Capitol building shouting “Kill the Bill!” and “USA!” We don’t want our country turning into a socialist nation, and yet this is where we are rapidly heading under the dictates of Obama’s regime and a far-left “progressive” Congress. It made no difference that people from all 50 states, including a group of us from Oklahoma who drove 1,300 miles non-stop to make a last plea to stop the takeover, as we ultimately lost the healthcare battle.

But we haven’t lost entirely. All indications are good for conservatives to reclaim the Senate and House in November, but party politics could ruin our chances if Republicans don’t change the way they do business. And by this I mean it’s less about money than it is adhering to the Constitution as the Law of the Land: the difference between attending a $100 a plate fund-raising dinner in Muskogee or driving 1,300 miles non-stop to defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

Respectfully submitted,

Miki Booth
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives
Wyandotte, OK

As an Independent candidate, Booth placed an emphasis on the "birther" controversy over Barack Obama's birth certificate.

In the recent Public Policy Polling survey of the district, Booth received between 7% and 8% as an Independent candidate - perhaps some incentive to join the race as a Republican. We will see whether or not Booth will have an impact on the race.

She joins Dan Arnett, Daniel Edmonds, Howard Houchen and Charles Thompson in the race for the Republican Party nomination.

2nd District Candidate Edmonds on Health Care Vote

Edmonds, candidate for the 2nd District, released this statement regarding the health care vote in the U.S. House last night:

EDMONDS PLEDGES TO WORK TO REPEAL HEALTHCARE VOTE

MORRIS, OK - Daniel Edmonds, leading Republican candidate for Oklahoma's Second Congressional District, pledges to work to repeal the healthcare legislation recently passed in the U.S. House. Edmonds has indicated that, if elected, he will author or sponsor legislation to repeal ObamaCare.

"Our current Congressman didn't vote for ObamaCare, for which I commend him," Edmonds said. "However, I challenge him to author or sponsor legislation to repeal it. The majority of Oklahoma does not want this government healthcare so we need a representative who will take measures to repeal the current legislation. I don't believe our Congressman will initiate or support a repeal because of his support of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House - support he's shown in casting three votes in favor of her leadership."

"If given the honor to serve my fellow Oklahomans in Washington, I will author or sponsor legislation to repeal ObamaCare. This legislation is wrong for America and a vast majority did not want this legislation to pass. We will work to repeal it and instead offer real solutions of availability, tort reform, and lower costs."

To learn more about Daniel Edmonds and his current campaign for Oklahoma's U.S. Congressional District 2 Seat, visit http://danieledmonds.org. Edmonds is the leading Republican in a contested primary. The primary election will be held July 27. The general election will be held November 2.

Edmonds is one of four candidates running on the Republican side for the 2nd Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Democrat Dan Boren.

The other candidates are Dan Arnett, Howard Houchen, and Charles Thompson.

2nd District Candidate Houchen on Health Care Vote

Howard Houchen, candidate for the 2nd District, released this statement regarding the health care vote in the U.S. House last night:

Howard Houchen, Republican Candidate for US Congressional District OK-2 Statement on House Health Care Vote

Hugo, OK – 21 March 2010 -- In the evening hours of 21 March 2010, Speaker Pelosi's House of Representatives voted for passage of not just Federal government control of the American Health Care sector but, in doing so also voted to cement the foundations of the Progressive central-planning collectivist ideology that an overwhelming majority of Eastern Oklahomans, and Americans, have voiced opposition to. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele reiterated what I have been saying throughout Eastern Oklahoma and across as much of America as possible for almost a year: "The problem has been...that the Leadership has not listened. This Administration, this Congress has not listened to what people wanted." Does anyone doubt that if the peoples' elected representatives had voted the will of their constituency that this bill wouldn't have passed? What occurred today provides definitive proof of what I stated back in June of 2009; "American governance is busted...and it needs new batteries."

While I do not believe today’s vote represents the absolute final say on whether or not America turns to socialized health care, and all the other central-planning mechanisms that are contained in this unconstitutional and un-American piece of legislation, I do believe it signals a hazardous change of direction that America is not meant to travel and will place us in perils not yet fully contemplated that will undo, forever, the intent and purpose of our Founding Principles. To paraphrase Sen. Jim DeMint from a statement at around 4:00 pm CST: This is a wholly unworthy process for a free people.

While I have always held on to hope that this day would not come, whereby our elected officials overtly and arrogantly ignored the unmistakable will of the citizenry, we have prepared the Houchen for Congress campaign to deal with such a blow to individual and economic freedom by the Pelosi House. On 14 January 2010, I signed the "Repeal It Pledge" that was initiated by The Club for Growth which stated very simply: "I, Howard Houchen, hereby pledge to the people of OK-D2 upon my election to the U.S. House of Representatives, to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government." To date, the only Oklahoma Republicans who have signed that pledge are Sen. Tom Coburn, Rep. Tom Cole, Rep. John Sullivan, Republican House Candidate (OK-05) Kevin Calvey, and Howard Houchen. Note: No other Oklahoma legislator has signed this pledge to overturn socialized medicine.

Clearly our attempts as "mere citizens" to be represented by our officials in government no longer is worthy of their attention. This current state of affairs must not be allowed to stand. I have made the solemn vow to turn back the encroachments of federal government on individual liberties and economic freedom...today’s vote only serves to strengthen that resolve. America is far too special and deserves far greater than what now guides her course. I will fight for the voice of Eastern Oklahomans to be heard at all times and will fight for the future of the America we know is possible and not settle for anything less than an environment of Freedom, Constitutional adherence, and a truly limited federal government.

Houchen is one of four candidates running on the Republican side for the 2nd Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Democrat Dan Boren.

The other candidates are Dan Arnett, Daniel Edmonds, and Charles Thompson.