Former Rep. John Wright endorses Tressa Nunley in HD75

HD75 special election candidate Tressa Nunley has been endorsed by former State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow):

"It is impossible to predict every issue that will come before the Legislature. However, if you send someone who shares your principles, values, and convictions, when the issues arise, they are likely to decide and vote on them as you would. I know Tressa Nunley to be Pro-Life, a person of sincere faith, and a candidate who is trusted by several of my conservative friends."

- John A. Wright
Oklahoma State Representative (1998-2010)
Chief Deputy, Tulsa County Assessor's Office

Nunley has also been endorsed by Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel and State Rep. George Faught (R-Muskogee). The Republican primary will be held on May 9th. A district map can be viewed here. Four Republicans and two Democrats are running to fill the seat being vacated by disgraced Rep. Dan Kirby, who resigned after an investigation into his alleged sexual harassment of two previous legislative assistants.

Election Day: VOTE!

Today is the primary election - get out and vote!

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


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

Endorsement: John Wright for Lt. Governor

Continuing with my 2010 Republican Primary endorsements, we now turn to the race for Lieutenant Governor. Five Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent are running for this office.

My endorsement goes to State Representative John Wright.

When I think of the term 'statesman', John Wright comes to mind. John finished up his last legislative session this year; after serving for twelve years in the State House, he is now term limited. John is a rock-solid conservative, and there are few elected officials I trust more. He is an eloquent debater - when he stands up to debate, his fellow state representatives all pause to listen. He draws immense respect from both sides of the aisle.

He is tremendously dedicated. In his time in the House, he never missed a day, and missed only 39 votes up until the last week of session this year, when he underwent emergency eye surgery, and most of two days' votes. However, he did return to finish the session out.

John was elected by his peers to serve as the chairman of the Republican Caucus for two terms. For the past five years, he chaired the Administrative Rules & Agency Oversight Committee in the House, where he performed his duties with thoroughness and dedication. In 2009, he was chosen to chair the Oklahoma Republican Party State Convention.

John's opponents are by no means bad people. In fact, as with most of the other statewide races this year, they would make fine Lieutenant Governors.

However, John is hands-down the most experienced and conservative choice. I'll be voting for John Wright on July 27th.

You can learn more about John and his campaign by visiting his website at www.MovingOklahomaForward.com. He is also on Twitter (@JohnWright2010) and Facebook.

John joins Tom Coburn, Dana Murphy and Owen Laughlin as my endorsed candidates for the July 27th Republican primary. Stay tuned for more endorsements! 

Lamb's TV Ad; Bates' Voter Guide

Whatever your allegiances are in the GOP side of the Lieutenant Governor's race, State Sen. Todd Lamb does have a pretty ingenious TV ad. Watch below.



Lamb is one of several Republican candidates for Lt. Governor. Joining him are the following: State Rep. John Wright, Paul Nosak, Bernie Adler, and Bill Crozier.


On another topic, Tulsa blogger Michael Bates has compiled a very handy Oklahoma Republican Primary Voter's Guide, with information about each of the statewide candidates. Click here to view the guide.

A Salute to Dedication: State Rep. John Wright

State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) embodies the definition of a dedicated statesman. Barely twenty-four hours after undergoing surgery to repair a detached retina, Wright was back on the House floor, performing his legislative duties.

Wright still bore the evidence of his very recent surgery - namely, a wristband and pair of dark glasses.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Wright has never missed a day of session in his twelve years as a legislator. Even under difficult circumstances, such as surgery for a detached retina, he strives to fulfill his duties as a representative of the people of Broken Arrow.

I think you'll agree with me - that is dedication.

John Wright to have Emergency Eye Surgery

Term-limited State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) gave an emotional farewell speech a day early today. Wright had planned on giving the traditional "swan song" on Wednesday, but had to move it up due to health reasons.

Wright is easily the most respected member of the state house, regardless of party. He is also very eloquent - members cringe when he gets up to debate against their bill, because he is so influential on the floor. He has a condition with his eye - the retina is starting to detach. Wright first noticed the issue over the weekend. Today, it worsened and his physician told him to get total rest. He will have surgery Wednesday morning in Oklahoma City.

He was disappointed to be forced to mar his near-perfect attendance; in his twelve years in the legislature, Wright never missed a day of session, and missed only 39 votes - an absolutely astounding feat. Due to his surgery, he will miss the final three days of his last legislative session.

Wright is currently a candidate for Lieutenant Governor - it is unclear how, or if, this will affect his candidacy. We give our best wishes for John and his family in this time.

Stephens County GOP Fish Fry Straw Poll

A straw poll was held at the recent 6th Annual Stephens County GOP Fish Fry, attended by over 850 people in Duncan. The results are very interesting. (h/t Steve Fair)

Straw Poll Results
from the 6th annual Stephens County Fish Fry
Polling sample included 364 total ballots; attendees could only vote once.

Governor

Mary Fallin - 48.3%
Randy Brogdon - 47.2%
Robert Hubbard -1.1%
Roger Jackson - 0
Undecided - 3.4%


Lieutenant Governor

Todd Lamb-46.2%
John Wright- 25.2%
Undecided- 28.6%


State Treasurer

Owen Laughlin - 44.7%
Ken Miller - 21.8%
Undecided - 33.5%


Labor Commissioner

Mark Costello - 49.4%
Jason Reese - 20%
Undecided - 30.6%


Attorney General

Ryan Leonard - 39.1%
Scott Pruitt - 35.3%
Undecided - 25.6%


4th District Congress

Tom Cole - 70.1%
RJ Harris - 17.3%
Jeff Pritchard - 1.6%
Hector Diaz - 0
Undecided - 11%


2010 Presidential Preference Poll
Participants in the poll selected their top three preferences.

(1) Mike Huckabee - 17.5%
(2) Sarah Palin - 15.9%
(3) J.C. Watts - 15.6%
(4) Mitt Romney - 13.7%
(5) Newt Gingrich - 9.9%
(6) Bobby Jindal - 8.6%
(7) Ron Paul - 5.5%
(8) Paul Ryan - 5.5%
(9) Jeb Bush - 4.1%
(10) Tim Pawlenty - 3.6%

For more information on the poll, contact Steve Fair.

Lamb Ahead of Opponents in Fundraising

Kenneth Corn (D) ~ ~ Todd Lamb (R) ~ ~ John Wright (R)

State Sen. Todd Lamb (R-Edmond) leads the race for Lieutenant Governor when it comes to fundraising. His campaign ended the first quarter with the most cash on hand.

“We are very pleased that the campaign continues to collect contributions from around the state, while also keeping expenses down,” stated Jeff Peters, spokesperson for the campaign.

The Lamb campaign brought in $140,000 in the past quarter, spent $33,000, and has $479,000 of cash on hand. His primary election opponent, State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow), raised $2,500 and spent $1,600 in the past quarter, for a cash on hand total of $28,000.

The only Democrat candidate at this point, State Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau), raised $162,000 in the first quarter, but spent $87,000. He had $448,000 on hand at the end of the quarter.

2nd District GOP To Meet Tomorrow

The 2nd Congressional District Republican Party is holding their quarterly meeting tomorrow afternoon in McAlester. Featured speakers every candidate running for statewide office, with the exception of one.

Governor: Randy Brogdon, Mary Fallin, Robert Hubbard, Roger Jackson

Lt. Gov: Todd Lamb, John Wright

Attorney General: Ryan Leonard, Scott Pruitt

Labor Commissioner: Mark Costello, Jason Reese

Treasurer: Owen Laughlin, Ken Miller

School Superintendent: Janet Barresi (will not be there), Shawn Hime

Corporation Commissioner: Dana Murphy (substitute speaking for her)

Insurance Commissioner: John Doak

The meeting will be held at the Kiamichi Technology Center, at 301 Kiamichi Drive in McAlester, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Republican candidates for statewide office - the GOP primary is on July 27th (94 days).

Tulsa GOP Straw Poll: Brogdon Smashes Fallin

The Tulsa County Republican Party held a well-attended rally on Saturday, February 6th. At the rally, said to be attended by between 400 and 600 people, a straw poll was taken of several different races that will be on the ballot in Tulsa County. Here are the results, taken from an email from the Tulsa County GOP (with some minor formatting changes in the results).

Straw Poll Results Are In

The rally that was held Saturday was a huge success. The Lemley Center was packed and almost every Republican candidate running in the federal and state wide election this year was present along with many of the county officials up for re-election.

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett welcomed everyone and gave a short report on the progress of his administrations actions since being elected.

Vice Chairman J.B. Alexander gave a status report on the Tulsa County Republican Party during which he challenged everyone present to get actively involved with the county party.

Vice Chairman Alexander stated "Our forefathers gave of their time, talents and treasures to create this nation and we need to do the same to ensure our Freedoms and Liberty's are protected in order to save this Republic".

Chairman Sally Bell reorganized our veterans by arranging for the VFW 5th District Honor Guard to present the colors and to present the flags of all five branches of the armed forces. Seventeen year old Elissa Stiles of Owasso gave a wonderful presentation titled "Taught by Example" which honored our veterans.

Elissa took second place with this presentation in last years statewide VFW "Voice of Democracy" competition. Her presentation this year won her first place in the state and she will be traveling to WashingtonDC this spring to compete nationally. Congratulations Elissa!!

Now here is the information many people are waiting for. A straw poll results.

The following question was asked concerning the below listed races:

"If the election were held today, who would you vote for...."

U.S. Congress, District 1
John Sullivan (i) - 52.9%
Nathan Dahm - 26.6%
Fran Moghaddam - 1.5%
Undecided - 13.3%
Not My District - 5.7%

Governor
Randy Brogdon - 68.4%
Mary Fallin - 23.6%
Robert Hubbard - 0.8%
Undecided - 7.2%

Lieutenant Governor
John Wright - 35.7%
Todd Lamb - 22.4%
Undecided - 41.8%

Attorney General
Ryan Leonard - 25.9%
Clark Jolley - 7.6%
Undecided - 66.5%

State Treasurer
Owen Laughlin - 18.3%
Ken Miller - 15.6%
Undecided - 66.2%

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Janet Barresi - 36.9%
Shawn Hime - 6.1%
Undecided - 57.0%

Labor Commissioner
Tad Jones - 18.6%
Jason Reese - 11.4%
Mark Costello - 9.5%
Mark Mullin - 0.4%
Undecided - 60.1%

State Senate, District 34
Tim Coager - 16.0%
Rick Brinkley - 13.3%
Undecided - 17.1%
Not My District - 53.6%

State House, District 68
Howard Pidcock - 11.4%
Glen Mulready - 8.7%
Undecided - 20.5%
Not My District - 59.3%

State House, District 75
Dan Kirby (i) - 9.1%
Dennis Adkins - 3.0%
Undecided - 20.9%
Not My District - 66.9%

Tulsa Co. Commissioner, District 3
Fred Perry (i) - 17.9%
Michael Masters - 10.6%
Undecided - 24.3%
Not My District - 47.1%

A full copy of the survey and straw poll will be posted on the Tulsa County Republican Party web site later this week.

Race-by-race analysis:

1st Congressional District
This is by no means bad news for John Sullivan. In fact, I think it's somewhat disappointing for Nathan Dahm. This would have been the easiest time for Dahm to weight the vote towards him, but he failed to really challenge Sullivan. Dahm's support is going to be higher among the grassroots GOP faithful than it is among the average voters, since the activists will be more upset with Sullivan.

Governor
I was particularly pleased to see State Sen. Randy Brogdon with such a large lead. Congresswoman Mary Fallin again failed to attend, a trait that is occurring far too often to be mere coincidence. Fallin is angering many in the GOP grassroots by ignoring Republican meetings across Oklahoma, and particular on this side of the state. If she isn't careful, there may not be many in the grassroots of the party left who haven't be wooed by Brogdon.

Lieutenant Governor
The underdog in this race, outgoing State Rep. John Wright, had a respectable lead (even if Tulsa County is practically his home turf). Wright has a tough hill to climb in beating State Sen. Todd Lamb, however.

Attorney General
Ryan Leonard held a substantial lead over State Sen. Clark Jolley, who I really think should not run for this seat. Leonard would make a great Attorney General, and I'm glad he's holding a big lead in this race.

State Treasurer
I was very glad to see that former State Sen. Owen Laughlin edged out State Rep. Ken Miller in this poll. Laughlin, being from up near the Panhandle, will have a much harder time getting his name out than the establishment pick, Miller (the current Appropriations chairman in the State House), but it is refreshing to see him leading.

State Superintendent
Janet Barresi holds a huge lead over newly-arrived Shawn Hime. This race may get dirtier than the others, as rumors are already flying over Hime's entrance (such as 'Hime is Democrat Sandy Garrett's hand-picked successor'). Where these rumors originated may never be known, but Hime may face some difficulty nevertheless once he starts to get on the campaign trail.

Labor Commissioner
I was disappointed to see how little support Jason Reese received in Tulsa County. Reese is a stellar candidate, who fits the office perfectly. His main opponent, establishment pick and outgoing State Rep. Tad Jones, has very few (if any) qualifications for the job that I am aware of, but as the Majority Floor Leader in the State House will be able to raise gobs of money. The wildcard is Mark Costello, who loaned his campaign $104,000 on December 29th.

Senate District 34 will be an interesting race to watch. With Randy Brogdon running for Governor, who will take his place? Coager seems to have a slight lead right now. I know nothing of House District 68, other than the race is to replace term-limited House Speaker Chris Benge. House District 75 is currently held by Dan Kirby. Dennis Adkins opted not to seek reelection in 2008, but still has a campaign account open with $130,000 left. Tulsa County Commission District 3 may be an indication of disgruntlement over Fred Perry's support of the failed River tax.

As a straw poll, these figures have to be taken with a grain of salt (take Ron Paul's presidential campaign, for example; he won many straw polls, but ended up with 5% of the vote), but they are a good indication of grassroots support - very important for campaigns. A loss is by no means shattering, but a win is very helpful, especially for an underdog going up against a much more well-known opponent.

Schwartz Drops Out of Lt. Gov Race

State Rep. Colby Schwartz has dropped out of the race for Lieutenant Governor. The Yukon Republican issued the following statement this morning:

"Over the last 90 days it has become obvious to me that the current economic climate has hindered my ability to raise the needed financial resources to effectively fund a statewide race for Lt. Governor. Therefore, I am removing my name from consideration for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma."

"During my past campaigns for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, my support has always come from everyday, hard-working Oklahomans. It is these same supporters who have felt the pinch of the economic downturn the hardest; and now have less disposable income to contribute to a political campaign."

"I remain as passionate about Oklahoma and its future as I did when I entered this campaign; but I understand the political reality that an effective statewide bid for public office requires sufficient funds to communicate my message to the entire state."

"I will continue to diligently serve the citizens of the Yukon and Mustang communities, as I have throughout my service to the House of Representatives. This is a humbling honor that has always remained my top priority even during the course of exploring a bid for Lt. Governor."

"My wife Brenda and our family would like to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and thoughts throughout this process. I have made many new friends across this great state and will continue to work with them to move Oklahoma forward."

"As a fourteen-year Republican Party activist, I look forward to fully supporting the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, as well as the other slate of Republican candidates."

Schwartz was one of three Republican candidates for the office. The remaining candidates are State Sen. Todd Lamb of Edmond, and State Rep. John Wright of Broken Arrow.

Todd Lamb Announces for Lt. Governor

State Senator Todd Lamb (R, Edmond) announced the launch of his campaign for Lieutenant Governor. The announcement came at the June 'Family Ice Cream Social' in Edmond put on by the Heartland Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women (OFRW) and the Edmond OFRW.

Former U.S. Senator Don Nickles was named Lamb's campaign chairman in a statement that preempted Lamb's official announcement by two weeks.

Lamb joins State Reps. John Wright and Colby Schwartz as the Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor; State Sen. Kenneth Corn is the only announced Democrat in the race.

John Wright Lt. Governor Announcement Video

Here's video from State Rep. John Wright's announcement for the 2010 Lieutenant Governor's race:

State Rep. John Wright to run for Lt. Governor

State Rep. John Wright (R, Broken Arrow) has decided to run for Lieutenant Governor, and will officially announce his candidacy this afternoon at 2:00pm.

His website went live this morning; you can view it here.

He joins State Rep. Colby Schwartz as the Republican candidates for the Lieutenant Governorship. State Senator Kenneth Corn (D, Poteau) is the only officially announced Democrat in the race; State Rep. John Carey (D, Durant) is said to be considering jumping in. The current Lieutenant Governor is Democrat Jari Askins, who is running for Governor.

OKGOP Convention Update

Sorry for the lack of updates since the state convention; I've been away from a computer ever since my last post.

First of all, Gary Jones won the state chair race by an overwhelming percentage. I neglected to write down the exact figures, but Michael Bates put them up on his Twitter account. Gary Jones received 73.5% of the vote (1282.4 - apportioned vote), and Cheryl Williams got 26.5% (461.6 - apportioned vote). I expected Gary Jones to win, but not in such a blowout.

What I was especially surprised with was the outcome of the caucus resolution. Coming into the convention, I thought that it might pass, but after Sen. Coburn ripped the caucus, things went downhill in a hurry for it.

Questions asked were not sufficiently answered by the Pro-Caucus folks, and some were blatantly ignored. The crowd sentiment against the caucus began to grow, and culminated when the debate started. Tom Roach spoke for the caucus, and focused not on defending or arguing for the resolution, but on slamming the opponents of the caucus (and calling out specific names). Very unprofessional, and his speaking hurt his cause, and sealed the deal.

The pro-caucus caucus (had to say that) saw the fiery crash coming, and tried to table the amendment indefinitely, thereby saving it for a future convention. However, convention chairman State Rep. John Wright ruled that the convention now 'owned' the resolution, and a tabling motion was out of order. The caucus then proceeded to fail miserably.

State Sen. Randy Brogdon officially announced his intention to run for governor just before the chair vote, and the convention hall erupted (especially when compared to the warm reception Mary Fallin received).

On a different note, the convention chair was superb. I heard many people say that they've never been to a convention that was handled as well as John Wright did. I have tremendous respect for Wright, and this merely confirmed why I do. Jon Wright follows the rules to the T, and is fair to all sides, as was evident at the convention. A better convention chair could not have been found.

All in all, it was a good convention. Over 1200 delegates attended, and the future looks bright for the Republican Party in Oklahoma.

Homosexual Pastor Prays for House Session

Yesterday, State Rep. Al McAffrey (the only openly homosexual member of the legislature) sponsored the 'Pastor of the Day', the Reverend Dr. E. Scott Jones, Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ, Oklahoma City.

Before praying, Dr. Jones made the following comments:

Mr. Speaker and esteemed representatives, I thank you for the opportunity to be present with you today as chaplain for the day. I want to thank my representative and good friend, the Honorable Al McAffrey for the invitation. I would also like to acknowledge guests who are present in the gallery – members of my congregation, the Cathedral of Hope, United Church of Christ. Joining them are dear friends, my wonderful parents, and my loving partner, Michael Cich.

Dr. Jones is openly homosexual. And to my knowledge, he is the first openly homosexual pastor to become Pastor of the Day at the State House.

Later in the session, Rep. McAffrey moved to place Jones' prayer in the House Journal, a common practice, but State Rep. John Wright (R, Broken Arrow) objected. In my observations of the state legislature, I have never seen a legislator object to placing a prayer in the Journal, but then again, I have never heard of a homosexual pastor become Pastor of the Day.

A vote then ensued, and the prayer was placed in the Journal by a vote of 64-20, with 17 excused. The vote was as follows, with Republicans italicized:

• Aye: Armes, Auffet, Bailey, Banz, Billy, Brannon, Brown, Cannaday, Carey, Collins, Cooksey, Cox, Denney, Derby, DeWitt, Dorman, Fields, Glenn, Hamilton, Harrison, Hilliard, Holland, Hoskin, Inman, Jones, Jordan, Joyner, Kiesel, Kirby, Lamons, Luttrell, Martin (Scott), Martin (Steve), McAffrey, McDaniel (Jeannie), McMullen, McNiel, McPeak, Miller, Morgan, Morrissette, Nelson, Peters, Peterson, Pittman, Pruett, Renegar, Richardson, Roan, Rousselot, Schwartz, Scott, Sears, Shannon, Shelton, Sherrer, Shoemake, Shumate, Smithson, Steele, Thompson, Watson, Williams, Mr. Speaker. -- 64
• Nay: Blackwell, Christian, Coody, Duncan, Enns, Faught, Johnson, Kern, Key, Liebmann, Moore, Murphey, Osborn, Ownbey, Reynolds, Ritze, Sanders, Terrill, Thomsen, Wright (John). -- 20
• Excused: Buck, Dank, Hickman, Jackson, Jett, Kouplen, McCullough, McDaniel (Randy), Nations, Ortega, Proctor, Sullivan, Tibbs, Trebilcock, Walker, Wesselhoft, Wright (Harold). -- 17

Dr. Jones has a blog, and posted about the incident here, here, and here. The Daily Oklahoman had an article here. The House Journal is here (the vote occurs at the end).

I am very disappointed at how some of the Republican legislators voted; however, we are glad that among the brave few voting against it was Rep. George Faught (R, Muskogee).