Danny Stockstill joins 1st Congressional District race

TULSA POLICE CHAPLAIN STOCKSTILL TO RUN FOR US CONGRESS 

Broken Arrow native Danny Stockstill will announce his run for Jim Bridenstine’s Congressional 

seat Saturday morning before the Rooster Days Parade.

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Tulsa police chaplain, small business owner and pastor Danny Stockstill will return to his hometown of Broken Arrow on Saturday morning to make it official: He’s running to represent Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District in Washington, D.C. The district includes Washington, Tulsa and Wagoner counties and parts of Creek and Rogers counties.

“Sarah and I have two kids, Cobin and Brinlee, and they’re the reason I’m running,” Stockstill said. “Oklahoma kids need Oklahoma futures.”

Stockstill is expected to announce his candidacy at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 13 at The Main Place, 1800 S. Main Place in Broken Arrow. There, he’ll invite supporters to join him and his family at 10 a.m. as they march through the Rose District in the annual Rooster Days Parade.

The parade will begin on the south side of the intersection of South College and East Main streets and will continue south down Main Street to the front gates of Rooster Days.

Broken Arrow residents might remember the Stockstill name. Stockstill is the third of four children raised by Broken Arrow educators John and Penny Stockstill. He played football and baseball at Broken Arrow High School in the 1990s and was an All-State wrestler who won a wrestling scholarship to Central Missouri State University.

These days, Stockstill is the lead pastor at Brookside Baptist Church in Tulsa and owns two small Tulsa businesses. Grade Power Learning is a franchised learning center that tutors pre-K through college students. Philosophy: A Modern Academy builds on public and private education and offers flexible scheduling for students with specific educational needs.

Stockstill volunteers as a chaplain to first responders and the public and has been a bellwether in improving local police and race relations. He is vice president of the Brookside Business Association and a member of the Tulsa County Men’s Republican Club.

“There’s one thing I know about Republicans and Democrats, and I learned it from the friends I’ve made in third-world countries,” Stockstill said. “They taught me that people really aren’t that different. When our basic needs are met, peace and mutual respect become the norms. I wonder what we could accomplish if peace and mutual respect were the norms in Congress?”

Stockstill said a vote for him means a step toward overcoming “aisle intolerance” that has led to Capitol Hill standstills.

“I was in the car with my son listening to talk radio one morning, and the host was naming off all the people running for Bridenstine’s seat,” Stockstill said. “Then he said, ‘… and some other guy, but I can’t remember his name.’ I’m pretty sure he was talking about me. Maybe that’s how people can remember my name: “Less standstill, more Stockstill.”

For more information, visit www.stockstillforcongress.com.


Stockstill joins a wide field, with Republicans Andy Coleman, Nathan Dahm, Tim Harris, Kevin Hern, and Scott Pendleton already in the race (update: Pendleton dropped out in April and endorsed Kevin Hern).

Crowded field looks to succeed Jim Bridenstine

With 1st District Congressman Jim Bridenstine keeping his term-limits pledge (*cough*, got that, Congressman Mullin?) and not seeking a fourth term, the race to succeed him is beginning to heat up. Already, four candidates have filed committees with the Federal Election Commission.

Candidates so far as:

• Andy Coleman
• Kevin Hern 
• Scott Pendleton
• Danny Stockstill

Coleman announced his candidacy on January 13th, Pendleton filed with the FEC on January 19th, Stockstill filed with the FEC on February 10th, while Hern made his campaign official on March 9th.

Here's a brief background on the candidates:

Andy Coleman served in the U.S. Air Force (with a tour in Iraq), practiced law, and most recently worked at Voice of the Martyrs, an interdenominational ministry serving persecuted Christians across the globe.

Kevin Hern is a businessman who got his start in Muskogee, buying two McDonald's franchises in the late 90's, which turned into a larger organization of 10 McDonald's restaurants that employ over 450 people in the Tulsa area.

Scott Pendleton is a tech businessman who previously was a journalist, including several years reporting overseas in the Middle East and North Africa.

Danny Stockstill has a very rudimentary website up, with the only information available being a donate page. He is the pastor of Brookside Baptist Church in Tulsa.

Of the candidates so far, Hern is the prohibitive favorite. Coleman and Pendleton might also be considered serious candidates, but since no fundraising reports have been filed yet by the candidates, it's a little hard to get a feel for how competitive they will be able to be.