OKGOP Chair says party platform supports abortion abolition bill SB495, calls for passage

With the Oklahoma Senate Health and Human Services Committee set to hear Senate Bill 495 tomorrow, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party wants legislators to know that the state GOP platform supports the abolition of abortion, and calls on committee members to pass SB 495 to the Senate floor:

Election night 'great success' for OKGOP

 

ELECTION NIGHT ‘GREAT SUCCESS’ FOR OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, November 3, 2020 – With victories throughout the ballot, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party declared the 2020 election cycle a great success.

“Tonight’s results are incredible, and a great success for the Oklahoma Republican Party,” said David McLain. “The citizens of Oklahoma proved once again the GOP is their party of choice from the huge state victories for President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe to Stephanie Bice winning the Fifth Congressional District seat to overwhelmingly reelecting Oklahoma’s other four Republican U.S. House members, Oklahoma voters delivered at the top of the ballot. Not to be outdone, Republican Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett was easily reelected, and Republicans gained five seats in the Oklahoma House and maintained a 39-9 advantage in the Senate, including the reelection of Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat. GOP candidates were also elected and reelected in county and municipal races across Oklahoma, and SQ 805, which the Oklahoma Republican Party opposed, was soundly defeated.”

OKGOP supports Governor Stitt in opposing SQ805

 

From the Oklahoma Republican Party today:

Oklahoma Patriots,

Did you see our Governor’s call to action this week? He needs us to show up at the polls to vote NO on SQ 805.

OKGOP Chair: Democrat candidates must release stance on Energy industry following Biden's shocking statement

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN SAYS DEMOCRAT LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES MUST RELEASE STANCE ON OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

 
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, October 23, 2020 – With an estimated 90,000 Oklahoma jobs directly tied to the oil and natural gas industry, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman David McLain said today Oklahoma voters deserve to know if Democrat candidates seeking election or reelection to the Oklahoma State Legislature support Oklahoma’s leading economic driver.

“In light of Joe Biden’s shocking statement at the end of last evening’s presidential debate that he would ‘transition away from oil in the U.S.’, it is vitally important that Oklahoma voters know if Democrat candidates for the Oklahoma Legislature share their presidential nominee’s irresponsible stance,” McLain said.

OKGOP Chairman blasts Presidential Debate Commission over 'virtual' decision

 

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN DENOUNCES DEBATE COMMISSION DECISION 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, October 8, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today he applauds Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West in denouncing the Commission on Presidential Debates’ (CPD) attempt to manipulate the next Presidential debate by making it digital and remote.

“Chairman West is absolutely correct, and I commend him for speaking out,” said David McLain. “The decision of the Commission on Presidential Debates to make the second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden a virtual affair is wrong. The fact that the Commission is using the President’s contracting of, and medical clearance from COVID-19 as the reason to change the format from live to virtual, is ridiculous. The fact is the debate can be staged safely just as the Vice-Presidential debate was. I support the President’s decision not to participate in the manipulated shell game the CPD is playing. The American people deserve to hear from both candidates live, in the same room, in the same city in front of a live town hall audience, as the debate was scheduled to be. Unfortunately, it appears the CPD prefers to play politics with the format by using President Trump as a pawn.”

Here is the announcement from the Commission on Presidential Debates:

CPD ANNOUNCES SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WILL BE VIRTUAL

Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2020) – In order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15, 2020, The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced the following today:

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations. The town meeting participants and the moderator, Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer & Political Editor, C-SPAN Networks, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida. The White House Pool will provide coverage of the second presidential debate.

OKGOP Chair again calls on redistricting petition head to release donors, expenses

REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN AGAIN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, September 1, 2020 – In light of a third initiative petition filed by a political advocacy group aimed at disrupting Oklahoma’s redistricting process, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today that Andy Moore, leader of People Not Politicians (PNP), must immediately release the organization’s donors and expenses.

“This is the political story that keeps on giving,” said David McLain. “The latest PNP filing is nothing more than a political scheme to buy Mr. Moore’s left-wing, out-of-state donors more time to push their disingenuous petition on Oklahoma voters. Their plan is to increase the size of the state legislature for the 2025 and 2026 sessions, and draw legislative lines on a proportional basis, leading to many counties and cities across the state being disenfranchised. This would be true political gerrymandering.”

“Other states, Oregon for example, are using the exact name as Mr. Moore’s group which confirms my belief that his effort is a component of a national plan to advance a liberal political agenda across the United States. It is why, for the third time this summer, I call on Mr. Moore to release all donors and expenses related to his three redistricting petitions dating to October 2018. His organization has funded salaries, hired attorneys and a public relations firm, produced videos, and engaged in other campaign expenses that have never been disclosed.”

OKGOP: We're primed for November victory

OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY PRIMED FOR NOVEMBER VICTORY

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, August 25, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said tonight the GOP is poised for a victorious November on the state and national levels now that the primary runoffs have concluded, and the presidential contest is set.

“I could not be more excited about the Republican ticket nationally, and in Oklahoma,” David McLain said. “The delegates to the Republican National Convention have formally nominated President Trump and Vice President Pence to a second term, and the overall contrast between the President and Joe Biden is beyond measure. All Americans have a clear choice, and there is no middle ground. Either reelect a proven, pro-business, conservative leader or a liberal, left-wing product of yesteryear. I am extremely confident Oklahoma Republicans, and many conservative and moderate Democrats, will turn out strongly to reelect President Trump, and maintain Oklahoma’s 56-year streak of supporting the Republican presidential ticket.”

OKGOP Chairman calls out redistricting petition head on transparency hypocrisy

GOP CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO STEP DOWN FROM FIO POST, RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, July 27, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party called today for Andy Moore, the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to resign his position and immediately release the names of all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, the initiative petitions to change Oklahoma’s redistricting process of which Moore heads. SQ 804 was ruled invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and SQ 810 was recently withdrawn.

“The irony of Mr. Moore’s conflict of interest is beyond comprehension, and must be brought to light,” said David McLain. “On one hand, he heads an organization whose mission statement is ‘promoting open and transparent government in Oklahoma.’ On the other hand, he also has led two initiative petition campaigns which have never made public who their liberal, and likely out-of-state, donors and key supporters are. This is blatant hypocrisy, and while I seriously doubt Mr. Moore will comply, I call on him to promptly release all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, and resign from his position with FIO.  If he fails to do either, I request FIO’s Board of Directors immediately remove him.”

OKGOP Chairman: OK Dem Chair's comments on Stitt's COVID diagnosis "purely political attack"

GOVERNOR STITT CRITICISM POLITICALLY BASED, REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN SAYS

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, July 16, 2020 – While appreciative of the concern shared by the chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party concerning Governor Kevin Stitt testing positive for COVID-19, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today that Alicia Andrews’ comments unfortunately extend to a purely political attack on the state’s chief executive and his leadership on the COVID issue.

OKGOP clarifies: no primary endorsements from the State Party

It seems that some candidate(s) is insinuating an endorsement by the Oklahoma Republican Party, prompting the following statement by leadership of the OKGOP:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON PRIMARY RACES

Be it known, to all registered Republicans, that the Oklahoma Republican Party does not endorse any candidate running in a Republican primary.

Any candidate running in a primary and implies or states they have the endorsement of the Oklahoma Republican Party is not being truthful and is intentionally misleading voters.

OKGOP warns of "imminent voter fraud", calls for action to reverse Supreme Court ruling regarding absentee ballots

From OKGOP Chairman David McLain:

Call to Action

Yesterday, May 4, 2020, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled to remove the requirement of providing a copy of an Oklahoma photo ID OR Notary Stamp to verify a voter's authenticity when voting by Absentee Ballot. The ruling states all that is necessary now is just a signature on the ballot, with NO proof that it is your ballot and your vote!

If we think the potential for voter fraud was bad before, this type of ruling guarantees a California style of voting and voter fraud like we have NEVER seen in this state! Imagine all the Absentee Ballots that will be sent in by deceased voters! Imagine the vulnerability of our Oklahomans by any group "helping" our seniors fill out ballots at nursing and convalescent homes.

Read SB1779 by clicking on here.

OKGOP launches "2020 Challenge"

From Oklahoma Republican Party chairman David McLain:

"The Democrats' witch-hunt and their progressive, socialistic way of conducting a fake impeachment process has gone too far. Kendra Horn has sided with Nancy Pelosi to impeach President Trump. It's time to take the step to join me in removing Kendra Horn from office. I need your help and resources to win back the 5th Congressional District. 

Everyday Republicans ask how they can help. My reply is to take the "2020 Challenge" with me: $20 per month for 20 months. Our goal is to have 2,020 commitments by the first of March 2020. 

Sign up on our website, like I did, and join me in fighting back against these progressives who want to strip our liberties and freedoms from us. 

Will you join me and be part of the solution?"

OKGOP Chairman: Beware of Nat'l Democrats pushing redistricting petition

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman David McLain is out with an op-ed pushing back on Democratic efforts to put redistricting reform on the ballot, which is part of a nationwide effort by leftist groups.

National Democrats Seek Inroads in Oklahoma With Redistricting Push

by OKGOP Chairman David McLain

Democratic Party leaders that include former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder are spearheading a national effort to change the way congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. Their motives are partisan and ideological.

First, these “reformers” seek to reverse the Republican advantage in state politics brought on by widespread disaffection with the Democrat Party’s lurch to the left. Republicans have unified control over the legislative bodies in 29 of 50 states (including Oklahoma), compared with just 19 for Democrats. Leftist leaders know that simply redrawing these districts may produce faster gains for the Democratic Party than doing the hard work of winning elections. That is why the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), chaired by Holder, is working to redraw these lines exclusively in red states and areas where Republicans have experienced electoral success.

The NDRC is ideological in nature and understands the stakes are high. Its website cites global warming, gun control, and abortion rights as policy priorities and implores like-minded people and groups to join their cause.

In Oklahoma, they have found a taker: a coalition called “People Not Politicians” that is backed by out-of-state liberal interest groups and in-state Democrat political operatives. They have filed Initiative Petition 420, a precursor to State Question 804, which could appear on the ballot in Oklahoma if the group can overcome legal challenges and acquire the necessary number of signatures.

SQ 804 would remove control over the redistricting process from our elected officials and place it in the hands of unelected activist judges who would then assemble their own “independent” election commission. These new commissioners, unlike the bipartisan legislative committees that today control redistricting, would be held accountable to no one.

How has this worked in other states? Writing on the works of “independent” judges in Pennsylvania, The Wall Street Journal opined in July: “The judges substituted their own map that helped Democrats gain three seats in Congress last year. That’s not democracy. It’s judicial usurpation of democracy.”

Furthermore, the maps created by many of these independent commissions look as bad or worse than the corkscrew- or hockey stick-shaped maps that many legislative bodies produce. The difference, of course, being that activist judges are contorting districts into positions that accompany the “correct” numbers of urban, liberal, LGBTQ+, or whatever other left-leaning affiliation that might benefit Democrats. In Oklahoma, the redistricting proposal explicitly mirrors that kind of leftist “social justice” commitment, citing gender identification and sexual orientation as factors that should be taken under consideration when assembling the new commission on redistricting.

Finally, the Oklahoma proposal is designed in a way that will almost certainly benefit urban pockets in Oklahoma City and Tulsa at the expense of rural areas. Our legislators have taken pains to create legislative districts that empower the state’s rural voters, knowing that power will otherwise flow disproportionately to our bigger, wealthier cities. By contrast, the Oklahoma petition includes provisions that will undercut rural districts by changing, for instance, how the state counts incarcerated inmates. Under our current system, inmates count as residents in the community that houses them, most of which are in rural areas. SQ 804 would change that by counting them based on their address pre-incarceration, meaning thousands of inmates in rural prisons would be counted as residents of Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.

Ultimately, this is really about control. Our current system places the state Legislature in control of our elections, as envisioned by the Founding Fathers, outlined in the Constitution and later approved by the U.S. Supreme Court. State Question 804, by contrast, sees the results of our democracy in action and says, “no thanks.” It replaces the will of the people and their representatives with the will — and the whims — of unelected judges and a new commission that will answer to no one.

OKGOP Chair and Vice Chair dispute financial woes, call for each other to resign

Oh boy. The OKGOP chairmanships since the 'golden age' of Gary Jones and Matt Pinnell have pretty much been Dysfunction Junction, but none have resulted in something quite like this.

To set the background, the Oklahoma Republican Party is having some major financial problems. This is a pretty well established fact. Fundraising has been lackluster to nonexistent, while spending has apparently taken the budget well into the red. Some of this is the result of longterm issues, while some of this is new.

Yesterday, Vice Chairman Mike Turner was featured in a News 9 interview where he slammed Chairman David McLain for the OKGOP's severe ongoing financial woes and called for his resignation. Specifically, Turner said:

"The chairman should step aside for the good of the party."

The News 9 story touts documents leaked to them by party insiders that show the OKGOP with more than $18,000 in outstanding bills and less than $75 in the daily operations account.

Then, Chairman McLain issued the following press release calling for the resignation of Vice Chairman Turner:

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY 10/16/2019 

Regarding the news story released earlier today: I have in front of me, a complete spreadsheet of payables which clearly document the fact that at no time has our utility services been threatened.

As of today, I have documentation showing we have in excess of $20,000 in our account. Point being, Mr. Turner either deliberately provided false information OR did so out of ignorance of the facts. Either way, I am obliged to protect the integrity of the Oklahoma Republican Party and set the record straight.

Also, at my election on April 6th of this year, I received 70% of the party’s confidence from ALL segments of the Republican Party. Not just one segment. ALL.

The Central Committee has called for the immediate resignation of Mike Turner as the Vice Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party and will be giving an official call to order of the State Committee this week.

Respectfully,

David McLain, Chairman
Oklahoma Republican Party

Some sources are indicating that the RNC has bailed the OKGOP out with a $20,000 infusion of cash to help float through the current set of financial problems, although Chairman McLain has not made any comment to that point except in the above press release.

Transparency and openness on the OKGOP's financial situation would go a long way toward shedding light on its true state and charting a path forward. Hopefully we will see that happen quickly.

I sat on both the state and executive committees during the chairmanships of Jones and Pinnell. We had very clear budget reports and financial statements during their tenures, detailing exactly where every penny the state party had was going. Although I've not been on either committee for some years, I have seen financial statements from two of the last four chairs, and none had the transparency or detail given under Jones and Pinnell, and none of the chairman since have had the kind of fundraising success they had.

Some of that is a result of a massive shift in how politics and campaigns work today. The political parties are less important than they used to be, and outside groups play a much bigger role in elections. Social media has also made it easier to access volunteers without having to route through existing party infrastructure.

That said, it certainly seems to me, from my outside perspective, that the state GOP has suffered from poor leadership for some time, and the effect has been devastating to the party's finances. I'm appalled that the party of fiscal responsibility would find itself operating in debt to such a degree as it has during much of the past decade.

The OKGOP has some major hurdles ahead of it if it wants to successfully retake the 5th Congressional District, stave off legislative losses in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, and continue making progress on taking more county offices across the state. Those goals may have to happen independently of the state party.

OKGOP slams Dems' Constitutional Carry repeal effort

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman David McLain

OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY RESPONDS TO FAR-LEFT ATTEMPT TO REPEAL SECOND AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) - During a press conference Monday, Democrat state representative Jason Lowe announced his filing of a repeal petition to repeal House Bill 2597, commonly known as constitutional carry. He was joined by far-left activist groups including Bloomberg-funded Moms Demand Action and Young Democrats of America.

Per the rules surrounding repeal petitions in Oklahoma, the out-of-state activist groups will be required to acquire tens of thousands of signatures in the next 10 days in order to have their repeal question placed upon the 2020 ballot.

In response to Rep. Lowe's announcement, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman David McLain released the following statement:

"Our Republican-led legislature voted overwhelmingly in 2019 to protect Oklahomans' constitutional right to carry and through Governor Kevin Stitt's leadership, Oklahomans will soon be allowed to fully exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms. The Oklahoma Republican Party stands ready to defend every Oklahoman's right to bear arms and we stand firmly against the far-left agenda of Oklahoma Democrat lawmakers and out-of-state socialists."

OKGOP comments on Democratic presidential debates

OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) - On Wednesday, June 26th, and Thursday, June 27th, the Democratic Party presidential candidates will meet in Miami, Florida for a two-part series of debates to be aired from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm CST on NBC, MSNBC, and Telemundo.

Both nights will feature two different sets of ten candidates who qualified for their places on the stage by of meeting certain polling or fundraising requirements set by the Democratic National Committee. In reference to the upcoming Democratic presidential debates, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman David McLain released the following statement:

"Tonight and tomorrow night, 20 Democrat presidential hopefuls will make their case who should be the next President of the United States during the first televised debates of the 2020 election cycle. These debates will be sure to feature some of the top issues of the 2020 Democrat platform: promising an ever-increasing amount of "free" things to the public, increasing burdensome regulations on American businesses, hiking taxes on hard-working American families, obstructing President Trump as he continues his work to Keep America Great, and continuing the Democrat assault on the American dream," said McLain.

"The Oklahoma Republican Party looks forward to working hard to re-elect President Trump in 2020 across all 77 counties of our state and continuing the positive impact that has been made nationwide through his Republican leadership."

You can follow the Oklahoma Republican Party and their Victory 2020 effort on Facebook by visiting https://www.facebook.com/OKGOP/, and you can make a contribution to the Oklahoma Republican Party at https://secure.anedot.com/okgop/okgop.

OKGOP, Oklahoma sculptor unveil bust of Trump at 2020 campaign kickoff party

Sculptor Brenda Angel displaying her work

OKLAHOMA REPUBLICAN PARTY UNVEILS STATUE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AT RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN KICKOFF CELEBRATION

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) - On Tuesday, June 18, at 1:00 pm the Oklahoma Republican Party hosted a reception at the Oklahoma GOP Headquarters in Oklahoma City in the hours leading up to the nationwide announcement by President Donald J. Trump that he is running for re-election.

The event featured the grand unveiling of a sculpture of President Trump called “The President who Loved America” by acclaimed Oklahoma sculptor Brenda Angel, Ph.D. The public was invited to the event, which was also headlined by Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd and several State Senators and State Representatives, including State Senator Nathan Dahm and Major Jay Steagall, (Ret.), and more.

"I am excited about the announcement from President Trump that he will seek re-election," said David McLain, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party. "The promises he made were the promises he kept. His strong leadership with proven global security and economic success has led to peace and prosperity. Oklahomans are eager to support their President!"

Senior United States Senator Jim Inhofe welcomed the announcement of the upcoming President Trump kickoff and the active efforts underway by the Oklahoma Republican Party to elect Republicans in the upcoming cycle, "President Trump has been a staunch ally of mine in rebuilding our military after years of neglect. I share his priorities of securing our country, rolling back burdensome regulation, and protecting our men and women in uniform. I look forward to working with the Oklahoma Republican Party to ensure that we re-elect President Trump and keep Oklahoma red in 2020."

The event featured speeches from Republican party leaders and elected officials and focused on rallying supporters across the state of Oklahoma to do their part in 2020 to ensure the re-election of President Trump.

“It’s an honor to be with everyone at the unveiling of the Trump sculpture done by Angel, a fellow southeastern Oklahoman,” said State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, the first female State Auditor, who was elected to statewide office by the highest margin in Oklahoma history. “It is an honor to support President Trump – he delivers on his promises.  President Trump loves this country and its people, and it is evident by his accountability and transparency – he led the biggest tax and regulations cuts on businesses since the late ’80s.  Trump delivers on expectations, and I look forward to what he will accomplish in the next four years.”

The same day, the Oklahoma Republican Party also began a push for fundraising for its "Victory 2020" campaign to train activists and to elect Republicans from the top of the ballot to local offices in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. To make your donation, please visit: https://causes.anedot.com/okgop

A link to the Facebook Live of the event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/NEWS9/videos/2474157045962067

Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd, sculptor Brenda Angel, Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm, and Oklahoma State Representative Major Jay Steagall, (Ret.) pose with the statue of President Donald J. Trump

David McLain wins OKGOP Chair race, Mike Turner wins Vice-Chair

Approximately 1,000 delegates attended the Oklahoma Republican Party's State Convention today, and voting just concluded moments ago on the election for State Chairman. David McLain, previous Tulsa County GOP Chairman, won with 69.86% of the vote, defeating previous Oklahoma County Chairman Daren Ward (21.64%) and Tulsa-area activist Darren Gantz (8.5%).

Voting is ongoing for the Vice-Chair race; I'll update when it finishes. The candidates are former OK Young Republicans chairman John Roberts, former one-term State Rep. Mike Turner, and Kyletta Ray.

UPDATE (3:48pm): the first round of ballots for Vice-Chair have now been cast and counted. Mike Turner got 42.03% of the vote, Kyletta Ray received 31.67%, and John Roberts garnered 26.3%. Turner and Ray are headed for a runoff vote.

UPDATE 2 (4:05pm): Mike Turner has been elected OKGOP Vice-Chair, defeating Kyletta Ray 52.96% to 47.04%.

McLain wins SD34 GOP primary

David McLain appears to have pulled out a squeaker in the winner-take-all GOP primary for Senate District 34.

With 34 of 35 precincts reporting, McLain received 881 votes (42.11%), John Feary got 823 (39.34%), Mark Williams received 333 (15.92%), and Chuck Daugherty got 55 (2.63%).

The general election will be January 12th, 2016.