Election Results Map: GOP Gubernatorial Primary

For the latest installment in my Election Results Maps series, we now take a look at the GOP primary for Governor. As is my custom, I try to match primary results map colors to campaign logos when possible, although sometimes I have to differentiate for contrast.

As with every other Republican statewide race with three or more candidates, this one is going to the August runoff. I have maps further detailing the top-3 finishes for the top five vote-getting candidates, which we'll get into right now.

Mick Cornett took the top spot with 29.34%, on the strength of his 45.28% percentage in Oklahoma County; the second highest percentage in the primary (the top went to Todd Lamb in Marshall County at 45.49%). Cornett was over 40% in Cleveland and Payne counties as well. He took "gold" in 24 counties, grabbed "silver" in 14 counties, got "bronze" in 21 counties, and finished fourth or worse in 18 counties (unique among the top three candidates).

Cornett's worst showing was in Choctaw County, where he finished in sixth-place, one vote ahead of Blake "Cowboy" Stephens.

Kevin Stitt edged into the runoff with 24.41% of the vote, a mere 2,494 votes ahead of Todd Lamb. Stitt's top percentage came in Okmulgee, where he won with 34.34%. Tulsa County was his second-highest, with 32.6%. He took gold in 13 counties, silver in 34 counties, and bronze in the remaining 30 counties.

Stitt's worst showing was in Jefferson County, where he was a very distant second with 13.14%.

Todd Lamb came in third with 23.86% of the vote, just 1.3 votes per precinct from getting into the runoff. His top percentage was in Marshall County at 45.49% (top in the race), and Lamb was over 40% in Love, Jefferson, Harper and Dewey counties as well. Lamb won gold in a majority (39) of Oklahoma's 77 counties, garnering silver in 24 counties, and bronze in the remaining 14 counties.

Lamb's worst showing was third-place in Payne County at 18.5%, with three counties (Oklahoma, Logan and Cleveland) at 19%.

Two other candidates won "medals" in the gubernatorial primary: Dan Fisher and Gary Jones.

Fisher won McCurtain County with 26.99% of the vote, took silver in 4 counties, and bronze in 7 more counties. Other than Cimarron County in the Panhandle, all of Fisher's top counties were in southern or southeastern Oklahoma. He had over 10% of the vote in 23 counties. Fisher's worst showing was 3.74% in Harmon County.

Jones got 23.17% and silver in Comanche County, and took bronze in 5 more counties. Jones had over 10% of the vote in eight counties. His worst showing was 1.63% in Harper County.

Of note, Gary Richardson failed to crack the top three in any county, breaking the 10% line in just four counties (Muskogee, Sequoyah, Ottawa, and Cherokee). His top county was Muskogee at 11.73% (fourth-place), while his worst was 1.09% in Major County (seventh-place). Richardson finished behind Blake Stephens in 19 counties.

Blake "Cowboy" Stephens reached 11.84% and fourth-place in Mayes County. Stephens finished ahead of Jones in about eight counties, and ahead of Richardson (as mentioned above) in 19. Other than Mayes County, he had a fifth-place showing in Harper County, but elsewhere was sixth or seventh.

None of the remaining three candidates broke out of the bottom three.

Richardson picks Cornett over Stitt

After posting the above image yesterday touting a pending announcement regarding which GOP gubernatorial candidate he would endorse, Gary Richardson this afternoon endorsed stated that he will be voting for Mick Cornett...

... while saying it's not an endorsement... even though he said yesterday that an endorsement was coming. So I guess it's a non-endorsement endorsement, or something.

From the Richardson campaign's Facebook page:

This isn’t an endorsement announcement. I’m going to say first off, both Stitt and Cornett have issues that I’m not happy about. But to me, it boils down to what has each done in the past 20 years of their career.

Mick Cornett based on the record has obviously helped transform Oklahoma City into a thriving metropolis that has created over 100,000 new jobs, not just in OKC, but the whole region. Our state is in a mess, and Mick has shown he has the ability to bring prosperity back to Oklahoma. While I wish he was more conservative in his views on traditional family values, I am more than confident that the State Legislature can keep that in check. But I will say this, Mick doesn’t hide who he is. He is who he says he is and that goes a long way with me.

Kevin Stitt, well if you have been watching my FB videos for the past year, you know where I stand with Kevin. He is a man who has skirted the law to get ahead, consistently lied about his political positions, and lacks the integrity to be our Governor. Additionally , Stitt has zero involvement in Oklahoma’s primary elections and he was even caught lying about it. First he said he voted for Cruz in the Presidential primary and when the records showed he didn’t vote at all he then said he was “busy working”. How do we know when this person is telling the truth?

I know neither candidate is the ideal candidate, but that is the process we choose to be a part of in a democratic republic. This is a job interview and you have one applicant that has experience in running government and has shown an interest in our state government by consistently being involved in choosing its leaders vs the other applicant who has zero experience in state government and hasn’t even bothered to participate in the process he is asking you to vote for on August 28th. The choice to me, knowing that, is clear.

As Ronald Reagan said, “the person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally - not a 20 percent traitor.” That’s why on August 28th, I will be voting for Mick Cornett in the GOP runoff election.

For my part, I'm disappointed. I can get over Stitt's flaws for the most part, but Cornett is the clear liberal in the race. He's supported by liberals (including a big Hillary bundler), supported raising taxes and opposed repealing ObamaCare, even headlining a nationwide mayors' letter to Congress about it. I will not vote for Mick Cornett at any point.

My pick and take on the GOP gubernatorial primary

I have struggled with who to vote for in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary more than with any other top-level race since registering to vote when I turned eighteen. Of the top six candidates, Mick Cornett is the only one that I absolutely could not put up with. He is the clear liberal in the race, even supported by a Super PAC funded by a Hilary Clinton bundler. Richard Engle penned a great column on the evidence of Cornett's liberal leanings. I would never vote for Mick Cornett under any circumstance.

There are aspects to each of the remaining five candidates that I find appealing, and certain issues that I have disagreements with.

I started off the primary season leaning between State Auditor Gary Jones and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, the individuals I am most closely acquainted with and have interacted with, although I was open to hearing from Richardson, Fisher and Stitt.

I consider Gary Jones to have been by far the best statewide elected official in Oklahoma for the past eight years. His work at the Auditor's office has been stellar, and if it weren't for a Governor and legislative leadership that was unreasonably hostile to him, he would have been able to uncover even more fraud and waste than he did. The way that Fallin, Doerflinger and legislative leadership tried to hamstring and cripple Jones and his office is a serious travesty. If we could make Gary Jones Auditor-for-Life, I'd be all in favor of it, and Oklahoma would benefit greatly.

I appreciated how Todd Lamb surrounded himself with serious conservatives, particularly with OCPA policies and former OCPA employees. That was an important sign that his direction could be greatly different than Mary Fallin's. I also appreciated how Lamb would go out of his way to assist local candidates and county parties on events and fundraising, while other elected officials (Scott Pruitt in particular) would take advantage of candidates and county parties, even to the point of using them for their own fundraising and depriving those monies of being used locally. Lamb was genuine in his support for the party, while others were more mercenary.

Dan Fisher garnished a solid reputation as a diehard conservative in the Legislature, gaining a lifetime Conservative Index score of 94. Across the board, ideologically, I might match up better with him than with the rest of the candidates. As for Stitt, some people I know and respect are supportive of him and have good things to say about him personally.

The events of the last few months in particular changed my view of the race and the candidates.

My biggest disappointment was when Gary Jones began advocating for tax increases. It seemed so out of character when compared to the great work he has done in the Auditor's office. I feel that Gary fell into the trap of trying to appease the leftist unions that dominate the education field in Oklahoma, who only really seek to advance the Democratic agenda and candidates. While I am disappointed with his choice there, I feel very strongly that the next Governor should utilize Gary Jones in a high position on the budget and fiscal matters. He'd be infinitely better than his longtime adversaries Preston Doerflinger and Denise Northrup.

While flat-out refusing to answer the question when I directly asked him, Dan Fisher has indicated that when it comes to landmark pro-life legislation (such as the new "heartbeat" bill in Iowa), he would be no different than Brad Henry or Mary Fallin and would veto such measures. As such, I cannot in good conscience vote for him. While I agree with him on practically everything, and have the same desire to see abortion abolished, I just don't have a peace about supporting someone who would veto pro-life measures.

While he rightfully and very publicly stood against Mary Fallin's disastrous proposal to hike the state sales tax by $2.6B, Todd Lamb frustrated me by not being very vocal in supporting conservatives who fought against the massive tax hikes during the special sessions and 2018 legislative session. In his survey, Lamb said that he adamantly and publicly opposed tax increases that were passed this past session, but it must not have been public enough for me to catch, because I don't recall him being vocal on it. In some cases, his support has been almost after-the-fact, too-little-too-late.

Kevin Stitt is a blank slate, touting his political outsider credentials as a positive. It may well be, but I am hesitant to place novices into such great positions of power when they have no track record to base their trajectory off of. His apathetic voting record and lame excuse for it also leads me to question his dedication to the conservative cause, as the only time he has ever voted in a primary -- when conservative candidates can best be chosen -- was in the 2004 primary.

I am most disappointed with Lamb and Stitt's attempt to have it both ways by saying they would have voted against or vetoed the tax increases this last session, but would not vote to repeal the taxes in the Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite! petition made it to the statewide ballot. That hypocritical stance has made me remove them from consideration in the primary.

I am looking for someone who will be a bold conservative, who won't cower under political pressure, and who will fight for conservative principles even if it will hurt them politically.

I don't always vote for the candidate who wins the primary, but the primary is when I can best vote on principle and make a statement on the direction I'd like the Republican Party to go in.

If Tom Coburn had run for Governor, I would have been all in from day one. He did not, however, and the above issues left me with one candidate remaining.

I will be casting my vote for Gary Richardson.

I have had some problems with Richardson. I disagreed with some of the attacks he has made on Todd Lamb, particularly as it relates to the power and abilities of the lieutenant governor. At times I question his judgment on particular issues. He has an unsatisfactory answer on why he ran as an Independent in the 2002 gubernatorial race, and I believe is a primary reason why Brad Henry won.

However, more so than any other gubernatorial candidate, Gary Richardson has stood up and fought against the tax increases passed by the legislature in the last eighteen months.

Gary Richardson would upend the political status quo in Oklahoma City, and I would consider that to be a very good thing. On the major issues, he is a solid conservative. He would lead the charge in chasing down wasteful spending and could be counted on to protect the interest of taxpayers.

When few would stand up alongside the conservatives in the legislature, Gary Richardson backed them up in spite of the potential for blowback on his campaign. When the Legislature passed unconstitutional tax increases in 2017, Gary Richardson filed a lawsuit to stop them. At every point during the 2017 and 2018 sessions, Gary Richardson supported conservatives who fought to protect the forgotten Oklahoma taxpayer against massive tax hikes.

He's not a perfect candidate. He's not who I envisioned I'd end up voting for. I know that he'll annoy me at times and that he is a longshot candidate. I anticipate this race to go to a runoff between Lamb and either Stitt or Cornett (and Lamb would get my vote under that scenario).

But on Tuesday, in light of my problems with the other candidates, and his consistent and firm opposition to tax increases, I'll be voting for Gary Richardson.

GOP gubernatorial candidates respond to OSC ruling

I reached out to the GOP gubernatorial candidates to get their response to the Oklahoma Supreme Court's tossing out of the HB1010XX veto referendum being circulated by Oklahoma Taxpayers Unite!. Candidates Gary Richardson and Dan Fisher are the only ones at this hour to get responses back to me, posted below in the order that I received them.

Gary Richardson: 
   “The Oklahoma Supreme Court did not contest the merits of the taxation issue addressed in the petition. This ruling was based on the fact that it didn't comply with all of the technicalities that were required. Based on the court's strict compliance rules, when it comes to filing such as this, I can understand the court's ruling.  Again, based on what the court said, it has nothing to do with the merits of the petition.

   But Oklahomans still have a number of avenues to reverse the unjustified tax hikes which passed in the last legislative session. The most expedient avenue is to elect the right Governor, one dedicated to responsible government spending, who can work with lawmakers across the political spectrum to reverse the tax hikes.

   Regardless of this ruling, I don’t see how state leaders can morally justify raising taxes when it is abundantly obvious they are mismanaging the money they already have.

   My first order of business as Governor will be to thoroughly audit state agencies with performance and/or forensic audits so we can flush out the waste, abuse and corruption. All of the data shows, once these audits are completed, the state will save more money than it would have collected through the tax increases.  The tax increases are merely covering up the problem.”

Dan Fisher:
It is my opinion that our State Supreme Court has made it far too difficult for the citizens to express their will in the past.

The Declaration of Independence declares that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and it is the obvious that the understanding and intent of the Founders was that government should function at the “will of the people” - not the other way around.

We have made it so difficult for the people to express their will through initiative petitions that it is practically impossible for them to “jump through all of the legal hoops” to do so.  This is certainly not the “spirit” of the laws governing the petition process.  The very right to petition our government is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  How are citizens to do this if the laws and courts make it impossible to do so?

Therefore, I disagree with our State Supreme Court and believe OTU should push forward.  Sadly, the opponents and the courts are "running out the clock” making it practically impossible for the people to succeed in having their voices heard on this important matter.

Lamb, Stitt, Jones, Cornett: no response yet

Gary Richardson answers MuskogeePolitico Survey

Late last week, I sent out a survey to the top six Republican candidates for Governor. Each of them were asked ten questions, nine of which were identical and one which was uniquely tailored to each of them. I will be posting them in the order of the candidates' responses.

I tried to make the questionnaire interesting, wide-ranging, and tough for all, but I believe the questions are still fair to each. I am personally uncommitted still, and have attempted to use this survey for people like me who are still trying to decide how to vote on June 26th.

Gary Richardson was the third to send in his survey, so he gets the third post. Previous posts show responses from Gary Jones and Dan Fisher.

2018 MuskogeePolitico.com GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

Jamison Faught: How has your experience prepared you to serve as Governor?
Gary Richardson: My experience, both as a United States Attorney and successful business owner, makes me uniquely qualified to be the next Governor of Oklahoma. I have a proven track record of integrity, leadership and success — the exact traits voters want in their next Governor.

JF: What needs to be done to fix Oklahoma’s budget process?
GR: It is impossible to prescribe a cure when we don’t have a diagnosis. That mentality is what has plunged Oklahoma into its current crisis. We need hard data on the problem before we can come up with a solution and that begins with audits.

I launched my campaign by calling for performance and forensic audit of every state agency, board and commission. And I would require those audits to be performed, at a minimum, every four years. Only after we have that information can we accurately determine which steps to take.

JF: Tax revenue has increased dramatically over the past few months to nearly-record setting levels. There may be a surplus of over one billion dollars available for budgeting next year. What would you propose be done with any budget surplus during the next legislative session?
GR: I would use that money to fund teacher pay raises before we implement the burdensome tax increases passed by the legislature last session.

JF: Education has been a hot topic over the past few years. What is your plan to address the issues facing common and higher education in Oklahoma?
GR: I would begin with an audit to determine where the waste and mismanagement is. We have a constitutional obligation to educate our children but we also have a moral obligation to be good stewards of taxpayer money.

Oklahoma’s classroom teachers deserve a raise, and they are frustration is justified, but a knee-jerk reaction of raising taxes is not the answer. And it should be made clear that the teacher raise goes to effect whether or not the veto referendum succeeds.  But if the veto is passed, I have a very specific plan to give every teacher a pay raise without placing a higher burden on hard-working Oklahomans.

Education is a government program that should be scrutinized like any other agency to maximize return.

JF: Under Civil Asset Forfeiture, law enforcement can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity, even if the property owner is not found guilty of or even charged with a crime. This has resulted in high-profile cases of innocent citizens having property or funds essentially stolen from them with no justification. What is your position on Civil Asset Forfeiture?
GR: Civil asset forfeiture should only be allowed when accompanied by probable cause. Permanently seizing someone’s personal assets should only be allowed if that person is convicted of a crime related to the seized assets. Under the current system, law-enforcement has the ability to take people’s property, one of our fundamental God-given rights, based on suspicion alone. There does not have to be an arrest, and indictment, a trial or a conviction. The very idea of due process is not just circumvented — it is aborted.

JF: How do you plan to hold state government accountable for spending, in light of the scandals we’ve seen over the past year?
GR: Audit, audits, audit. We have a complete lack of oversight and accountability when it comes to agency spending in Oklahoma. I will seek out the fraud, waste and corruption and then prosecute anyone found stealing from the taxpayers of Oklahoma. It is precisely what I did as a US Attorney when I prosecuted people during the county commissioner scandal and it is precisely what I will do on the state level.

JF: The current Tribal-State Gaming Compact expires on January 1st, 2020. The next Governor will negotiate for the State of Oklahoma for the next 15-year tribal gaming agreement. What would you hope to achieve in your role?
GR: The state of Oklahoma depends on the Governor to negotiate a fair deal for the people of Oklahoma. Thus far, the people of Oklahoma have been short changed. Every industry that benefits from setting up shop in Oklahoma must be treated fairly and equally. The Indian tribes, which I am happy to see flourish in the era of legalized gambling, must contribute its fair share to maintain Oklahoma’s Government infrastructure.

JF: Republicans are often characterized as being for “big business”, “crony capitalism” or “corporate welfare”, sometimes deservedly and shamefully so. Oklahoma has a history of handing out sweetheart deals to large corporations in order to entice them to move to Oklahoma. Meanwhile, small businesses, the backbone of our economy who operate without high-paid lobbyists, often get overlooked. How do you intend to promote and incentivize entrepreneurship and small business growth in Oklahoma?
GR: We must remember our largest corporations started out as small businesses. Encouraging the development of small business start-ups is critical to the future of Oklahoma’s economy.

The government should never set out to level the playing field but the government should do its best to clear the playing field. That means corporate welfare and kickbacks must come to an end. The free market works at its best when government interference is kept at a minimum.

JF: One of your main campaign platforms both now and during your Independent gubernatorial campaign of 2002 is to audit and dismantle the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. If you are successful in accomplishing that, how do you plan to pay for the dismantling and the additional maintenance ODOT will incur by absorbing the current turnpike system without negatively impacting ODOT’s other obligations?
GR: The turnpike system is perhaps the greatest scam ever pulled on the people of Oklahoma. The turnpike authority operates with zero oversight and accountability despite being a tremendous drain on the taxpayers.

I have a five-year plan to phase out the turnpikes by paying off existing bonds, transferring construction and maintenance to ODOT, and it will ultimately save the state billions of dollars.

Oklahoma’s infrastructure is in a state of decay because we do not allocate resources responsibly. My plan to dismantle the turnpike system will not cost taxpayers money — save taxpayers money.

JF: As the primary approaches, what one thing do you want voters to remember about you as they go into the voting booth?
GR: I am a proven leader with a remarkable track record of success Who can make the changes Oklahoma desperately needs.

We cannot continue to elect the same leaders and expect different results. Oklahoma state government needs a fundamental overhaul that implements a reliable system of transparency, oversight and accountability of how our money is spent.

Gary Richardson is the only candidate who can make that happen.

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I'd like to thank Gary for his time and for filling out this survey. I hope you find the questions and answers informative and helpful as you make your decision for the upcoming primary election. Stay tuned for further posts with responses from the rest of the candidates.

You can learn more about Gary Richardson and his campaign for Governor by visiting GaryRichardson.org.


ADDITIONAL SURVEY POSTS:

Gary Jones 

Dan Fisher

Gary Richardson

Kevin Stitt (coming at 7am Friday)

Todd Lamb (coming at 11am Friday) 

Mick Cornett (coming at 4pm Friday)

Dan Fisher answers MuskogeePolitico Survey

Late last week, I sent out a survey to the top six Republican candidates for Governor. Each of them were asked ten questions, nine of which were identical and one which was uniquely tailored to each of them. I will be posting them in the order of the candidates' responses.

I tried to make the questionnaire interesting, wide-ranging, and tough for all, but I believe the questions are still fair to each. I am personally uncommitted still, and have attempted to use this survey for people like me who are still trying to decide how to vote on June 26th.

Dan Fisher was the second candidate to send in his survey, so he gets this second post.

2018 MuskogeePolitico.com GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

Jamison Faught: How has your experience prepared you to serve as Governor?
Dan Fisher: OK needs strong leadership.  By serving as a senior pastor for 34 years, I have honed my leadership and speaking skills equipping me to be a strong leader.  Additionally, I was in leadership during my two terms in the OK House so I know how government works and what it will take to fix many of the problems we face.

JF: What needs to be done to fix Oklahoma’s budget process?
DF: Like many of our problems, the budgeting process is a systemic failure. At the beginning of each legislative session, three budgets are in the works:  one from the governor, one from the House, and one from the Senate – this is ludicrous!  I would propose that before session even begins, the governor, House leadership, and Senate leadership have already come together to hammer out a “general” outline for the budget.  Then, the first two months of the session should be dedicated only to getting the budget finished and passed.  Then the last two months of session can be dedicated to legislation.

JF: Tax revenue has increased dramatically over the past few months to nearly-record setting levels. There may be a surplus of over one billion dollars available for budgeting next year. What would you propose be done with any budget surplus during the next legislative session?
DF: This is why I am against the massive tax hike passed this past session and why I am for its repeal.  Anyone who visited with State Treasurer Miller knew that economic indicators had been trending upward for months.  The legislature simply caved to pressure from the teacher’s union.  In light of the increased revenues, and barring a vote of the people to repeal the tax increase, I would use the additional revenues now coming into the state coffers to offset the tax increase from the last session and thus, reduce the tax burden upon the people.

JF: Education has been a hot topic over the past few years. What is your plan to address the issues facing common and higher education in Oklahoma?
DF: We must reduce education bureaucracy and consolidate school district administration and redirect those funds to the classroom.  We must remove the funding “silos” and allow education dollars to be directed to where they are needed most.  But, I believe funding is only part of the problem.  We must also address how the system works and what is taught to our students.  OK colleges and universities tell us that 40% of high school graduates need remediation before they can take college level courses.  We must not only fund education, we must “fix” education.  I would work to decentralize control of education and return it to the parents and local districts – how children are educated should not be decided by bureaucrats in Washington D.C. or 23rd and Lincoln.

JF: Under Civil Asset Forfeiture, law enforcement can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity, even if the property owner is not found guilty of or even charged with a crime. This has resulted in high-profile cases of innocent citizens having property or funds essentially stolen from them with no justification. What is your position on Civil Asset Forfeiture?
DF: The Fourth Amendment guarantees against illegal search and seizure of private property.  I would push for reform legislation that would require a conviction before property can be forfeited.  I would change the beneficiary to the state as opposed to local law enforcement agencies.  I would also want to see the state reimburse any legal fees to innocent citizens who are forced to litigate to recover their property.

JF: How do you plan to hold state government accountable for spending, in light of the scandals we’ve seen over the past year?
DF: I favor the recent reform proposals that would allow the governor to fire agency heads.  I am also campaigning on the importance of hiring outside auditing firms to perform performance and forensic audits to hold agencies financially and functionally accountable.

JF: The current Tribal-State Gaming Compact expires on January 1st, 2020. The next Governor will negotiate for the State of Oklahoma for the next 15-year tribal gaming agreement. What would you hope to achieve in your role?
DF: For starters, I would negotiate a more fair profit sharing balance and an agreement for outside auditing to verify that all parties are in compliance with the compacts.

JF: Republicans are often characterized as being for “big business”, “crony capitalism” or “corporate welfare”, sometimes deservedly and shamefully so. Oklahoma has a history of handing out sweetheart deals to large corporations in order to entice them to move to Oklahoma. Meanwhile, small businesses, the backbone of our economy who operate without high-paid lobbyists, often get overlooked. How do you intend to promote and incentivize entrepreneurship and small business growth in Oklahoma?
DF: I believe that the best incentive for investment and growth is to get the state out of the way.  If OK is not over-regulating and over-taxing businesses, then they will grow and thrive.  The state should not hurt our homegrown businesses by using their tax dollars against them to pick winners and losers.  I will veto unfair “economic development” schemes in favor of creating a truly free market that will entice investment from all over America.  Additionally, I will be an ambassador to herald the news that OK does not penalize businesses with burdensome taxes and regulations.

JF: Your most prominent - and unique - platform during this campaign has been Abortion Abolitionism (or, “Immediatism”). You have publicly renounced the term “pro-life”, and your campaign has attacked being “pro-life” as insufficient. In the past few months, the Governors of Mississippi and Louisiana have signed into law bills that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and Iowa’s Governor signed a measure that would ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected (as early as 6 weeks). If the Oklahoma legislature sent either of those two measures to your desk, would you sign it, or would you veto it?
DF: Since I have been very clear about my position on abortion, if I am elected governor, I will have a mandate from the people to abolish abortion.  I believe “incrementalism” has produced over 60 million murdered pre-born babies.  It is time to call abortion what it is – murder, and treat it as such. We must criminalize murder by abortion rather than regulate it as healthcare.  I am the only candidate willing to criminalize abortion and enforce that law.  I would invite your readers to visit FisherforGovernor.com to view our six-minute abortion video for a full explanation of how we can and must abolish all murder by abortion.

JF: As the primary approaches, what one thing do you want voters to remember about you as they go into the voting booth?
DF: I want them to remember that I am the one candidate who is not beholding to any political group, that I am a statesman instead of a “politician,” and that I have a track record as a true conservative Republican.  I want them to remember that we need Dan Fisher ASAP – to Abolish Abortion, assert our State Sovereignty, Audit every facet of state government, and establish Proper Government that protects every life, our liberty, and our property.

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I'd like to thank Dan for his time and for filling out this survey. I hope you find the questions and answers informative and helpful as you make your decision for the upcoming primary election. Stay tuned for further posts with responses from the rest of the candidates.

You can learn more about Dan Fisher and his campaign for Governor by visiting FisherForGovernor.com.

ADDITIONAL SURVEY POSTS:

Gary Jones 

Dan Fisher

Gary Richardson (coming at 8pm Thursday)

Kevin Stitt (coming at 7am Friday)

Todd Lamb (coming at 11am Friday) 

Mick Cornett (coming at 4pm Friday)

Fisher touts online poll showing him in second

Dan Fisher's campaign is out with the following press release, touting his second-place showing in an online poll conducted by WesternJournal.com.

WesternJournal is a conservative news site that, to be honest, borders on "clickbait" sometimes. I saw and took this poll after seeing it advertised on Facebook, which is more along the lines of a large straw poll than a traditional scientific survey. Anyway, here's the release and figures:

Fisher Groundswell Grows

New survey shows Dan Fisher in 2nd place

(El Reno, Ok.) - A new survey of 1,101 in the Oklahoma Governor's race shows former state Rep. Dan Fisher moving into second place. The survey was released June 19th by The Western Journal ,a news and political website based in Phoenix, Arizona,

The results were as follows:

Kevin Stitt 23.5 %
Dan Fisher 14.5%
Mick Cornett 13.9%
Todd Lamb 10.7%
Gary Richardson 8.8%
Gary Jones 6%
Undecided 20.7%

With such a large number of undecided the race is very much up for grabs. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote the top two vote getters will advance to a run-off in August. However, Fisher saw the most upward movement of any candidate in the race. Fisher surpassed Todd Lamb and Mick Cornett, previously considered the front runners in the race. The details and questions of the survey can be found here: https://www.westernjournal.com/oklahoma-republican-gubernatorial-primary-election-2018/

Fisher also enjoyed a victory in the straw poll of the Tulsa Area Republican Assembly. Among the organization members  52% preferred Fisher in the Governor’s race.  No formal endorsement was issued because the organization by-laws require a two-thirds majority to endorse. The results were as follows:

Dan Fisher 52%
Gary Richardson 29%
Kevin Stitt 14%
Todd Lamb 4%

Once described by the Tulsa World as “the darkest of dark horses“ in the governor’s race, Fisher has shown strong support at the grassroots level in several recent straw polls. Fisher appears to be peaking at the right time, with the election next Tuesday

Pre-Primary Finance Reports: Governor's race

The final campaign finance reports (pre-primary) before the June 26th primary have been submitted and posted on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website. We'll look at the gubernatorial race in this post. All figures below are campaign-to-date, and may include in-kind contributions or expenditures. A new addition for this post will be their campaign "burn rate".

REPUBLICANS

Total Raised: $11,483,354.76

Total Spent: $9,860,467.90

Total Cash-on-Hand: $1,396,825.53
Burn rate: 87.59%

Kevin Stitt

Total raised: $4,199,443.76 (includes $2,175,000 loan)

Total spent: $3,784,958.59

Total cash-on-hand: $291,158.26
Burn rate: 92.86%
* Stitt has loaned himself another $606,000 since the filing of the report, bringing his loan total up to $2,781,000

Todd Lamb
Total raised: $3,674,855.45
Total spent: $2,871,609.81
Total cash-on-hand: $771,172.10
Burn rate: 78.83%

Mick Cornett
Total raised: $1,921,719.71
Total spent: $1,619,645.47
Total cash-on-hand: $247,553.76
Burn rate: 86.74%

Gary Richardson
Total raised: $1,250,548.55 (includes $1,000,000 loan)
Total spent: $1,227,229.10
Total cash-on-hand: $17,570.67
Burn rate: 98.59%

Dan Fisher
Total raised: $331,518.81 (includes $20,000 loan)
Total spent: $276,984.18
Total cash-on-hand: $46,710.54
Burn rate: 85.57%

Gary Jones

Total raised: $88,680.48

Total spent: $67,831.91

Total cash-on-hand: $19,555.04

Burn rate: 77.62%

DEMOCRATS

Total Raised: $1,587,948.76

Total Spent: $1,156,481.92

Total Cash-on-Hand: $420,070.17
Burn rate: 85.09%

Drew Edmondson
Total raised: $1,519,555.52 (includes $60,000 loan)
Total spent: $1,093,546.04
Total cash-on-hand: $414,929.31
Burn rate: 72.49%

Connie Johnson

Total raised: $68,393.24

Total spent: $62,935.88

Total cash-on-hand: $5,140.86
Burn rate: 92.45%

LIBERTARIANS

Total Raised: $31,965.44 (~$13,100 in-kind)

Total Spent: $16,042.65

Total Cash-on-Hand: $2,810.01
Burn rate: 85.09

Chris Powell

Total raised: $6,332.88 (including $1,200 loan)

Total spent: $5,920.88

Total cash-on-hand: $277.65
Burn rate: 95.52%

Rex Lawhorn
Total raised: $7,814.54 (half in-kind)
Total spent: $3,799.87
Total cash-on-hand: $520.13
Burn rate: 87.96%

Joseph Maldonado

Total raised: $17,818.02 (~$9,500 in-kind)

Total spent: $6,321.90

Total cash-on-hand: $2,012.23
Burn rate: 75.86%

Money-wise, Chris Powell is far and away the leader in the Libertarian primary, having raised more cash than Rex Lawhorn and Joseph Maldonado (aka Joe Exotic) combined.

Coming this week: Gubernatorial Candidate Survey responses

Coming later this week, I will be posting the responses or non-responses of the top six GOP gubernatorial candidates. Each of them have been sent a questionnaire, which I will post below.

Questions 1-8 and 10 were the same for all candidates, and cover important issues that I believe voters will be interested in reading their response to, including some topics that I have not seen previously addressed by many of the candidates.

Question 9 was be different for everyone, with the question being tailored for each candidate specifically. I tried to make the questionnaire interesting, wide-ranging, and tough for all, but I believe the questions are still fair to each.

I am personally uncommitted still, and have attempted to use this survey for people like me who are still trying to decide how to vote on June 26th.

Here is what each of the candidates have been asked to answer:

2018 MuskogeePolitico.com GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

1. How has your experience prepared you to serve as Governor?

2. What needs to be done to fix Oklahoma’s budget process?

3. Tax revenue has increased dramatically over the past few months to nearly-record setting levels. There may be a surplus of over one billion dollars available for budgeting next year. What would you propose be done with any budget surplus during the next legislative session?

4. Education has been a hot topic over the past few years. What is your plan to address the issues facing common and higher education in Oklahoma?

5. Under Civil Asset Forfeiture, law enforcement can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity, even if the property owner is not found guilty of or even charged with a crime. This has resulted in high-profile cases of innocent citizens having property or funds essentially stolen from them with no justification. What is your position on Civil Asset Forfeiture?

6. How do you plan to hold state government accountable for spending, in light of the scandals we’ve seen over the past year?

7. The current Tribal-State Gaming Compact expires on January 1st, 2020. The next Governor will negotiate for the State of Oklahoma for the next 15-year tribal gaming agreement. What would you hope to achieve in your role?

8. Republicans are often characterized as being for “big business”, “crony capitalism” or “corporate welfare”, sometimes deservedly and shamefully so. Oklahoma has a history of handing out sweetheart deals to large corporations in order to entice them to move to Oklahoma. Meanwhile, small businesses, the backbone of our economy who operate without high-paid lobbyists, often get overlooked. How do you intend to promote and incentivize entrepreneurship and small business growth in Oklahoma?

9.
CORNETT: You call yourself a conservative, yet as Mayor, you pushed for large tax increases and signed a letter to Congress that opposed repealing the Affordable Care Act (aka “ObamaCare”). How are those positions conservative, and how do you defend them to conservatives, who view ObamaCare as the most damaging measure to come out of Washington in decades and who believe in lower taxes?
FISHER: Your most prominent - and unique - platform during this campaign has been Abortion Abolitionism (or, “Immediatism”). You have publicly renounced the term “pro-life”, and your campaign has attacked being “pro-life” as insufficient. In the past few months, the Governors of Mississippi and Louisiana have signed into law bills that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and Iowa’s Governor signed a measure that would ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected (as early as 6 weeks). If the Oklahoma legislature sent either of those two measures to your desk, would you sign it, or would you veto it?
JONES: During the last session and special sessions, you were perhaps the only gubernatorial candidate to openly suggest and advocate for raising taxes. You even spoke at a press conference with the House Democratic caucus to push for a budget plan that raised nearly $500M in taxes. This is despite being a former chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, whose platform generally opposes tax increases. What do you say to those who may be concerned that you will abandon the GOP platform once in office, like Mary Fallin has?
LAMB: One common concern I hear from people is a perception that you are timid and unwilling to take difficult stances on issues, or that you wait until it is “safe” before voicing your opinions on controversial measures. Specific examples are the pro-life and open-carry bills that Gov. Fallin vetoed, and the tax-hike fight of 2018 where legislative conservatives were virtually unassisted in their efforts to stand up for taxpayers. What do you say to those who have doubts about your political courage?
RICHARDSON: One of your main campaign platforms both now and during your Independent gubernatorial campaign of 2002 is to audit and dismantle the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. If you are successful in accomplishing that, how do you plan to pay for the dismantling and the additional maintenance ODOT will incur by absorbing the current turnpike system without negatively impacting ODOT’s other obligations?
STITT: In your position as a corporate CEO you made decisions and policy that affected your entire company, however, the governor does not have that same unilateral power. As an outsider, how will you be effective as governor not having navigated those waters previously, and given your previous lack of involvement in even voting regularly as a private citizen?

10. As the primary approaches, what one thing do you want voters to remember about you as they go into the voting booth?

Brief Blogging Bullets: a quick recap

I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, and so there's been quite a bit of news and activity that did not get a mention here.

Here are some brief blogging bullets to catch up with some noteworthy items.

• Andy Coleman received another endorsement by a Freedom Caucus member, this time from Congressman Scott Perry. Coleman has received endorsements from 8 Freedom Caucus members so far in his bid to replace ex-Congressman Jim Bridenstine in the 1st District.
• GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Stitt is out with a new TV ad
• OCPA statement on accused professor receiving state subsidies
• Reps. Sean Roberts, Teague Request Study on Legislation to Provide Accountability and Funding for State Agencies
• Rep. Tom Gann Submits Interim Study Request on Commissioners of Land Office
• U.S. Sen. James Lankford is encouraging Oklahomans to vote against SQ788, the "Medical Marijuana" referendum
• Surprise, surprise! Oklahoma government gross receipts set a new record in May. Gross receipts have grown by $1.3B in the last 12 months. But we still needed those tax hikes?
• According to a new statewide survey of Oklahoma voters commissioned by OCPA, Oklahomans support the idea of letting tax dollars follow the child to the school of their parents’ choice.
• GOP gubernatorial Gary Richardson is slamming Kevin Stitt's business record in a new TV ad
• 1st District GOP candidate Andy Coleman has been endorsed by Club For Growth
• GOP gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb is out with a TV ad featuring Gen. Tommy Franks
• GOP Insurance Commission candidate Glen Mulready has a humorous and effective TV ad
• 1st District GOP candidate Nathan Dahm has been endorsed by the NRA
• GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Fisher is running a TV ad
• The GOP race for Attorney General is turning increasingly nasty. I receive press releases almost daily from Mike Hunter and Gentner Drummond... but get such a bad taste from them that I don't run them. It's two attorneys slinging mud as fast and hard as they can... and I'm disinclined to vote for either of them at this point.

Richardson touts new poll, tied with Cornett in 3rd

GARY RICHARDSON LEAPS FORWARD IN LATEST POLL 

May 25, 2018 --  A new poll released today shows conservative GOP Candidate for Governor, Gary Richardson, is well-positioned to make the primary runoff.  The poll shows Richardson tied for third place and within the margin of error for second place.

    “The methodology for this poll is much more reliable and scientific than some others that have come out recently,” Gary Richardson says. “We have been campaigning nonstop across Oklahoma and voters are clearly responding to my position on implementing mandatory statewide audits and cracking down on illegal immigrants who drain state resources.

     The poll (attached below) was conducted on May 22 & 23 among 500 likely Republican primary voters.  The margin of error is +/- 4.4%.

- Todd Lamb 20%
- Kevin Stitt 17%
- Gary Richardson 13%
- Mick Cornett 13%
- Dan Fisher 4%
- Gary Jones 3% 
- Undecided 30%

    “With so many candidates in this primary race, the dynamics are constantly changing,” says Richardson.  “The runoff is still anybody’s game and I have no doubts that I will be on the ballot for Governor in August and November.  Momentum wins elections and we are making significant strides every day.“

SoonerPoll: Lamb 23.3%, Cornett 20.4%, Stitt 13.5%

Last night, numbers were released from a SoonerPoll survey conducted for KWTV (OKC's News9) and KOTV (Tulsa's News on 6) on the statewide primaries. Here are the GOP gubernatorial race numbers:

SoonerPoll/News9/News on 6 Oklahoma GOP Gubernatorial Poll (PDF link) 

622 likely Oklahoma voters (321 Republicans), conducted in May [date not availavle]. Overall MoE +/- 3.93%. Numbers in parentheses are from April, brackets January, braces are from September.

Todd Lamb - 23.3% (21.2%) [17.6%] {32%}
Mick Cornett - 20.4% (22%) [23.9%] {29%}
Kevin Stitt - 13.5% (7.8%) [3.4%] {not polled}
Gary Jones - 4.1% (2.6%) [3.4%] {"under 10%"}
Dan Fisher - 3.2%(3.7%) [4.0%] {"under 10%"}
Gary Richardson - 2.9% (7.2%) [9.0%] {"under 10%"}
Other candidate - 1.2%
Undecided - 31.3 (35.5%) [38.7%] {23%}

You can view the full crosstabs here.

On the Democratic side of things, Drew Edmondson got 43.5%, Connie Johnson 13.6%, and 42.9% were undecided.

Follow these links for the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General numbers.

1Q Gubernatorial Campaign Finance Reports

The 1st Quarter campaign finance reports have been submitted and posted on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website. We'll look at the gubernatorial race in this post. All figures below are campaign-to-date, and may include in-kind contributions or expenditures. A new addition for this post will be their campaign "burn rate".

REPUBLICANS

Total Raised: $9,631,483.38

Total Spent: $4,196,573.75

Total Cash-on-Hand: $5,268,120.77
Burn rate: 44.34%

Todd Lamb
Total raised: $3,454,637.80
Total spent: $1,033,421.28
Total cash-on-hand: $2,392,784.26
Burn rate: 30.16%

Kevin Stitt

Total raised: $3,091,136.66 (includes $1,500,000 loan)

Total spent: $1,421,321.59

Total cash-on-hand: $1,595,276.76
Burn rate: 47.12%

Mick Cornett
Total raised: $1,574,727.65
Total spent: $727,719.21
Total cash-on-hand: $797,787.96
Burn rate: 47.65%

Gary Richardson
Total raised: $1,208,593.55 (includes $1,000,000 loan)
Total spent: $811,186.98
Total cash-on-hand: $392,557.79
Burn rate: 67.39%

Dan Fisher
Total raised: $230,697.24 (includes $20,000 loan)
Total spent: $177,802.47
Total cash-on-hand: $46,083.21
Burn rate: 79.42%

Gary Jones

Total raised: $71,690.48

Total spent: $26,766.16

Total cash-on-hand: $43,630.79

Burn rate: 38.02%

Of the GOP candidates, Todd Lamb has the lowest burn rate at just a hair over 30%. Stitt and Cornett are right under 48%, while Richardson is at 67%. Stitt and Richardson have combined to write $2.5M in personal loans to their campaigns, so in one respect the burn rate may not mean much for them. Dan Fisher has the highest burn rate at almost 80%, leaving his campaign mostly out of money for the final weeks. Gary Jones has the second lowest burn rate, but by far the lowest fundraising at less than $75K.

DEMOCRATS

Total Raised: $1,206,329.11

Total Spent: $862,406.88

Total Cash-on-Hand: $333,272.81
Burn rate: 72.13%

Drew Edmondson
Total raised: $1,146,024.47 (includes $50,000 loan)
Total spent: $809,668.38
Total cash-on-hand: $326,023.17
Burn rate: 71.29%

Connie Johnson

Total raised: $60,304.64

Total spent: $52,738.50

Total cash-on-hand: $7,249.64
Burn rate: 87.91%

Both Democratic candidates have very high burn rates. Edmondson is the heavy favorite in this primary, but will likely head into the general election having exhausted most of his campaign money.

LIBERTARIANS

Total Raised: $18,387.56 ($10,400 in-kind)

Total Spent: $4,469.53

Total Cash-on-Hand: $3,658.24
Burn rate: 56.24%

Chris Powell

Total raised: $4,467.88

Total spent: $1,312.94

Total cash-on-hand: $3,020.59
Burn rate: 30.3%

Rex Lawhorn
Total raised: $2,189.54
Total spent: $910.34
Total cash-on-hand: $464.66
Burn rate: 76.18%

Joseph Maldonado

Total raised: $11,730.14 (~$9,300 in-kind)

Total spent: $2,246.25

Total cash-on-hand: $172.99
Burn rate: 92.85%

Money-wise, Chris Powell is far and away the leader in the Libertarian primary, having raised more cash than Rex Lawhorn and Joseph Maldonado (aka Joe Exotic) combined.

New Richardson ad focuses on illegal immigration

GARY RICHARDSON TARGETS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN NEW AD CAMPAIGN

    Conservative GOP Candidate for Governor, Gary Richardson, launches an ad campaign on both radio and TV this week targeting illegal immigration.  As a budget hawk, Richardson plans to lift the burden on all taxpayers who fund government services for illegal immigrants who should not be in Oklahoma.

    "Oklahoma embraces all cultures and welcomes people from all over the world — as long as they’re obeying the law,” Gary Richardson says.  “But no working taxpayer should be expected to foot the bill for people who don’t pay taxes because they’re working here illegally.  The data shows this problem costs Oklahomans are an extra $464 million in taxes each year.  That ends on my watch.  The investigative audits I’ll demand will pinpoint the people exploiting the taxpayers and push them off the government roles.  It’s the fair thing to do."

    The new Richardson for Governor ad also references the case of Gustavo Gutierrez, a thrice-deported illegal alien, who killed beloved Oklahoma City sportscaster, Bob Barry, Jr. in 2015 while driving under the influence. It will air statewide.

Poll: Lamb and Stitt at 19%, Cornett 17%, Richardson 12%

Magellan Strategies released a brand new poll today on the gubernatorial race, showing the biggest shake-up yet:

Oklahoma 2018 Governor Republican Primary Election Survey Release

(link)

Today Magellan Strategies released the findings of an automated voice recorded survey of 644 likely Republican primary voters in Oklahoma. The interviews were conducted on April 18th, 19th and 22nd, 2018. This survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.86% at the 95 percent confidence interval. The results were weighted to reflect the voter turnout demographics of past Republican primary elections in Oklahoma.

Survey Findings

Our first survey looking at the Republican primary election for Oklahoma Governor finds a three-way tie. Among all respondents, 19% support Lt. Governor Todd Lamb, 19% support businessman Kevin Stitt and 17% support former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. Among the second tier of candidates, U.S. Attorney Gary Richardson has 12% support, former State Representative Dan Fisher has 5% support, State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones has 5% support. Twenty-three percent of respondents are undecided.

In reviewing the ballot test by voter subgroup, we can see each candidate’s current strength and opportunities to build support. Among the all-important senior voter subgroup, (which constitutes 45% of likely voter turnout) we find Mick Cornett and Kevin Stitt in a tight battle with Todd Lamb close behind and 24% undecided. Among self-identified Trump Republicans and Evangelical Republicans, Kevin Stitt leads his opponents by 7 points and 5 points respectively. However, among self-identified traditional Republicans Mick Cornett leads Todd Lamb by 5 points and Kevin Stitt by 23 points. Looking at the ballot test by Congressional District, it is no surprise to see former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett’s support is coming mostly from CD-5 (which contains Oklahoma City). In contrast, both Todd Lamb and Kevin Stitt have broader geographic support across the state.

(click to view larger)

Oklahoma Governor Republican Primary Candidate Image Ratings

Among the three front-runners, Todd Lamb is the most well-known candidate at this time with 94% of respondents having heard of him and 60% having an opinion of him. The Lt. Governor also has a net-positive image rating with 35% of respondents having a favorable opinion of him and 25% having an unfavorable opinion. About 80% of Republican primary voters have heard of Kevin Stitt and Mick Cornett. Sixty-two percent of respondents have an opinion of Mick Cornett and 47% have an opinion of Kevin Stitt. Kevin Stitt’s image rating (28% favorable/19% unfavorable) is slightly more positive than Mick Cornett’s (33% favorable/29% unfavorable).

For more from the Magellan Strategies poll, including approval ratings and survey questions on teacher pay, go to this link.

Apollo 10 commander Tom Stafford endorses Gary Richardson

LT. GEN. TOM STAFFORD ENDORSES GARY RICHARDSON FOR GOVERNOR

    Famed U.S. Astronaut, Air Force Lt. General (ret.), and Weatherford native, Thomas Stafford, is endorsing Gary Richardson for Oklahoma Governor.  Among his many distinctions, Lt. Gen. Stafford flew four pioneering missions in space and was the Commander of Apollo 10, the first flight of the lunar module to the moon.

    "Gary Richardson is the perfect conservative candidate to lead Oklahoma out of our current crisis," Gen. Thomas Stafford says. "Richardson earned a national reputation as a U.S. Attorney with a unique talent for finding and prosecuting corruption —  that is exactly what we need right now.  Throughout my career I have seen firsthand how vital it is to have a strong leader at the helm. Gary Richardson has the integrity and the leadership skills to steer our ship in a new direction as Oklahoma’s next Governor.”

    Gary Richardson says he is honored and humbled to receive Gen. Stafford’s endorsement and support.

    “General Tom Stafford is an international hero and has always made Oklahoma proud,” says Gary Richardson.  “Gen. Stafford is the personification of everything we value in Oklahoma — hard work, courage and determination.  He was a pioneer of space travel and that pioneering spirit is what I want to bring to Oklahoma government.  We need an overhaul of the system, we need a process that demands transparency and accountability of how every tax dollar is spent, and we need a bold leader to make that happen.  Conservatives in Oklahoma are demanding responsible government and that is my top priority.”

    Gary Richardson is a native Oklahoman, a former US Attorney appointed by President Reagan and founder of a nationally-renowned law firm in Tulsa.

Richardson points out funding discrepancy in viral textbook photo

OK Gov. Candidate Gary Richardson Exposes Truth About Viral Tattered Textbook Photo

Gary Richardson, GOP Candidate for Oklahoma governor, called into question the circumstances of the photo of a tattered textbook from an Owasso, OK middle school which was reported nationally by CNN, CBS, and other news outlets.

"Owasso Public Schools passed a $57 million bond issue last October," said Richardson.  "In the bond package was $2 million for textbooks and $4.7 million to expand the administration office that houses the superintendent and other administrators. If $2 million wasn't enough to replace the textbooks, why was expanding the administrators' offices a bigger priority?"

Richardson continued, "It's clear that our schools need more funding and the $6,000 teacher raise passed two weeks ago was long past due.  But the teacher's union, OEA, keeps demanding additional tax increases because textbooks are 20 to 30 years old."

"It seems there are bigger issues than just lack of funds as is apparent with the funding choices that the Owasso administrators made with this last bond issue," said Richardson.  "Because I would imagine every teacher, parent, and student would say textbooks that aren't falling apart are definitely a higher priority than administrators getting a bigger office."

"I think teachers and parents need to look closely at their schools' past bond issues and find out where their administrators' priority on textbook funding is," said Richardson.  "I'm not suggesting otherwise, but it would be a shame if this is going on elsewhere."   

Richardson Calls For End To Teacher Walkout

Richardson Says It's Time To End The Teacher Walkout

Gary Richardson released the following statement calling for the end of the weeklong teacher walkout.

"I have said from the beginning I believe the teachers' outrage over the lack of leadership at the State Capitol was justified. But my support turns to anger when the union tactics are less about education and more about pushing a liberal agenda demanding higher taxes and increased government spending.

Working Oklahomans took a pay cut in order to fund a teacher pay raise -- and that's something I don't take lightly.

The state approved almost $500 million in new taxes to provide a $6,100 raise for every teacher and to allocate $50 million more for classrooms which is even more than they originally requested.  Yet the union pushes for even more tax hikes and school districts are starting to declare cancellations for Monday.

The results of state wide standardized testing, which began this week, is a critical factor in determining our federal education funding. If the union continues their push for more and more taxes, Oklahoma risks losing close to $700 million in federal funds, and the union will have to answer for that.

I encourage individual teachers and school board members across Oklahoma to evaluate, without union interference, whether the walkout has strayed from its original purpose.

In politics, as in life, no one gets everything they want."

Gary Richardson is a native Oklahoman, a former US Attorney appointed by President Reagan and founder of a nationally-renowned law firm in Tulsa. For more information on Gary Richardson’s campaign for Governor of Oklahoma visit his website at www.GaryRichardson.org.

Poll: Cornett 22%, Lamb 21.2%, Stitt 7.8%

SoonerPoll conducted a survey recently for KWTV (OKC's News9) and KOTV (Tulsa's News on 6) on the teacher strike, and included questions about the gubernatorial race, state employee pay raises, arming teachers, and various education funding measures (including the CLO measure). Here are the GOP gubernatorial race numbers:

SoonerPoll/News9/News on 6 Oklahoma GOP Gubernatorial Poll (PDF link) 

557 likely Oklahoma voters (294 Republicans), conducted March 14-22. Overall MoE +/- 4.15%. Numbers in parentheses are from January, brackets are from September.

Mick Cornett - 22% (23.9%) [29%]
Todd Lamb - 21.2% (17.6%) (32%]
Kevin Stitt - 7.8% (3.4%) [not polled]
Gary Richardson - 7.2% (9.0%) ["under 10%"]
Dan Fisher - 3.7% (4.0%) ["under 10%"]
Gary Jones - 2.6% (3.4%) ["under 10%"]
Undecided - 35.5% (38.7%) [23%]


You can view the full crosstabs here.

Gubernatorial candidates respond to bill lowering SQ640 threshold

Following the House passage of HJR 1050 yesterday, I reached out to all of the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian gubernatorial candidates for their comments on the topic of SQ 640 and changing the legislative vote threshold for raising taxes.

Here are their responses, in order of when I received them.

1) What is your position on Article 5, Section 33 of the Oklahoma Constitution (aka SQ640)? 

(200 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): I am a strong supporter of SQ640 and I will work to defeat any attempt to change it. I intend to make my voice loud and clear on this. SQ640 made it clear, the people want there to be a high threshold for their taxes to be raised. I stand with the people.
Todd Lamb (R): I support SQ 640.
Chris Powell (L): The people of Oklahoma passed SQ 640 because of their experience with state government and their desire to keep that state government in check.  Considering that our current state government is viewed even more negatively than it was at the time SQ 640 was passed, it seems counterintuitive to consider increasing it's power.  Further, it is a guarantee that if revenue is increased it will remove any incentive to reform spending and reduce waste, corruption, and crony capitalism.
Rex Lawhorn (L): SQ 640 was a result of the legislature doing just as the current legislature is attempting, and that's governing against the will of the people. It was a stern message passed by the citizens of Oklahoma to take back control over the legislative process in regards to law that most affects every Oklahoman, and that is their right to keep the fruits of their labor. If we are going to permit legislators to have any control over our lives, it should be with great restraint and complete transparency, and SQ 640 returned that control. It should never be easy to take away the rights from our citizens.
Connie Johnson (D): I support changing the threshold required to raise taxes and encourage the Legislature to give consideration to requiring the same threshold to lower taxes. In both instances, Oklahomans are ready to address the reality of and need for solutions to our state operating at a budget that is 15% of what it was in 2007, with 165,000 more people. Sending SQ 640 back to a vote of the people is one of several potential existing revenue streams. I challenge the Legislature to have the courage to immediately begin to factor in the fiscal impact of cannabis, wind and solar as new, renewable and sustainable revenue streams.
Gary Jones (R): I have said before I would not change the 3/4 requirement.
Gary Richardson (R): The people voted for SQ 640 in 1992 to essentially force any new tax increase to the vote of the people and it is working exactly as the voters intended. Without SQ 640, we probably never would’ve uncovered all the waste and corruption that has come to light at the Health, Tourism and Ag departments.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time] Stitt responded late with this: I’m not interested in changing the constitution. It should be hard to raise taxes; it shouldn’t be this hard to govern. I am running for governor because state government is fundamentally broken, and the answer to our crisis is new leadership and fresh vision.
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE

2) Do you support changing the threshold, and if so to what level? 

(100 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): Emphatically NO!
Todd Lamb (R): I do not support lowering the threshold for SQ 640.
Chris Powell (L): I do not support reducing the 3/4ths threshold for the Legislature to raise taxes and if the issue is put on the ballot I will vote against it and campaign against it.
Rex Lawhorn (L): No, I do not support any change in the threshold. The government rules by the consent of the governed, and if the people want that threshold changed, they will propose and pass another State Question. Until that time arrives, the government should act within the constraints placed upon it by the people.
Connie Johnson (D): [no response to this question, but in #1 indicated she would change the threshold]
Gary Jones (R): [no specific response to this question, but in #1 said he would not change it]
Gary Richardson (R): No.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time]
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE

3) If HJR1050 makes it onto the ballot as written, will you vote for it, or against it? 

(10 words or less)

Dan Fisher (R): Against it.
Todd Lamb (R): I would vote against it in its present form.
Chris Powell (L): Against it.
Rex Lawhorn (L): Against. I will actively campaign against it, as well.
Connie Johnson (D): [no response to this question, but in #1 indicated she would change the threshold]
Gary Jones (R): [no specific response to this question, but in #1 said he would not change it]
Gary Richardson (R): I will vote against it.
Kevin Stitt (R): [emailed saying they would respond, did not get back with me by publishing time]
Mick Cornett (R): NO RESPONSE
Drew Edmondson (D): NO RESPONSE
Joseph Maldonado (L):  NO RESPONSE