Group switches from Lamb to Cornett, running new TV ad

The Foundation for Economic Prosperity is running a new ad in support of Mick Cornett in the GOP gubernatorial primary runoff. FEP had supported Todd Lamb in the June primary, and in the past supported James Lankford's 2014 Senate run.

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.

Runoffs Galore!

Well, primary election day contained a lot of surprises, but relatively few races were resolved. There is a glut of runoffs that will now occur on August 28th to settle the party nominees for many races.

There's a lot to process from the primary. The GOP gubernatorial race left Todd Lamb standing outside of the runoff, and no candidate in a statewide race with three or more people running was able to reach 50%. The 1st Congressional District race ended with former DA Tim Harris surprising most people with a first place finish, while Kevin Hern held off Andy Coleman and Nathan Dahm for the other runoff spot.

Of the conservative legislators that opposed the recent tax hikes and who drew primary challengers, only Sen. Mark Allen won his race without a runoff. Reps. Chuck Strohm and Scott McEachin are gone, trounced in their reelection efforts, receiving 36% to 38% of the vote. Reps. Bobby Cleveland, Jeff Coody, Travis Dunlap, George Faught, Sean Roberts, and Tess Teague all came in first, but under the 50% mark, ranging from a 26.42% lead (Cleveland) to 0.63% lead (Coody). Rep. Mike Ritze is the only legislator to enter a runoff in second place, trailing by 2.92%.

Other Republican legislators in runoffs who voted for the tax hikes are Mark Lawson, John Pfeiffer, and Jadine Nollan, ranging from a 24.99% lead (Lawson) to 9.08% (Nollan). Also of note, Rep. Kevin McDugle currently leads by 3 votes over his challenger, with 10 provisional ballots to be reviewed on Friday.

Three incumbent Republican House members who voted for all of the tax hikes were defeated. Rep. Greg Babinec was crushed by one of his challengers 61% to 28%. Rep. Steve Vaughan lost to Ken Luttrell, who was the Democrat incumbent Vaughan beat back in 2010. Rep. Scooter Park lost to Toni Hassenbeck, who was a Democrat in 2014 when Park beat her by the same exact percentage that she beat him by on Tuesday.

In one of the few bright spots, RINO Sen. Ervin Yen lost his primary in a 60% to 40% thumping.

The State Senate is now guaranteed to have at least 12 freshmen out of 48 members (25%), while the State House is guaranteed to have at least 37 freshmen out of 101 members (37%). At least one-third of the legislature will be brand new.

Republicans have 34 runoffs -- 7 statewide races, one congressional, 4 state senate races, and 22 state house races. The Libertarian gubernatorial primary barely went to a runoff. Democrats have 13 runoffs -- one statewide race, four congressional, 1 state senate race, and 7 state house races.

Here are the runoffs for the statewide, congressional, and legislative races:

REPUBLICAN RUNOFFS
Governor: Mick Cornett (29.35%) vs. Kevin Stitt (24.41%)
Lieutenant Governor: Dana Murphy (45.85%) vs. Matt Pinnell (35.7%)
State Auditor: Cindy Byrd (49.45%) vs. Charlie Prater (42.08%)
Attorney General: Mike Hunter (44.46%) vs. Gentner Drummond (38.46%)
State Superintendent: Joy Hofmeister (46.84%) vs. Linda Murphy (31.05%)
Labor Commissioner: Cathy Costello (43.26%) vs. Leslie Osborn (35.92%)
Corporation Commissioner: Bob Anthony (47.17%) vs. Brian Bingman (38.42%)
Congressional District 1: Tim Harris (27.48%) vs. Kevin Hern (22.67%)
Senate District 10: Bill Coleman (48.47%) vs. Amber Roberts (27.46%)
SD16: Ed Crocker (44.41%) vs. Becky Maldonado (39.44%)
SD30: Lori Callahan (20.07%) vs. John Symcox (19.96%)
SD36: John Haste (34.71%) vs. Bill Day (25.6%)
House District 10: Rep. Travis Dunlap (46.11%) vs. Judd Strom (41.93%)
HD14: Rep. George Faught (44.61%) vs. Chris Sneed (28.48%)
HD17: John Hass (34.88%) vs. Jim Grego (29.02%)
HD20: Rep. Bobby Cleveland (43.04%) vs. Sherrie Conley (16.62%)
HD27: Danny Sterling (37.8%) vs. Dave Spaulding (37.45%)
HD30: Rep. Mark Lawson (47.48%) vs. Kent Glessner (22.49%)
HD36: Rep. Sean Roberts (33.04%) vs. Louise Redcorn (32.13%)
HD38: Rep. John Pfeiffer (42.55%) vs. Brian Hobbs (31.32%)
HD41: Roxanne Pollard (36.89%) vs. Denise Hader (29.83%)
HD43: Jay Steagall (33.73%) vs. Crystal Duncan (30.12%)
HD47: Brian Hill (40.18%) vs. Beverly Adams (32.8%)
HD61: Kenton Patzkowsky (42.07%) vs. Brad Raven (31.73%)
HD63: Rep. Jeff Coody (39.71%) vs. Trey Caldwell (39.08%)
HD66: Rep. Jadine Nollan (45.71%) vs. Brian Jackson (36.63%)
HD68: Lonnie Sims (33.4%) vs. Nicole Nixon (27.97%)
HD71: Cheryl Baber (43.44%) vs. Beverly Atteberry (24.29%)
HD79: Karen Gilbert (48.37%) vs. Dan Hicks (44.9%)
HD80: Stan May (39.48%) vs. Rep. Mike Ritze (36.56%)
HD82: Nicole Miller (33.87%) vs. Brad Martin (17.44%)
HD98: Laura Steele (29.32%) vs. Dean Davis (27.35%)
HD100: Julie Roach (41.55%) vs. Marilyn Stark (38.18%)
HD101: Rep. Tess Teague (37.99%) vs. Robert Manger (26.55%)

LIBERTARIAN RUNOFF
Governor: Chris Powell (48.92%) vs. Rex Lawhorn (32.4%)

DEMOCRATIC RUNOFFS
Corporation Commissioner: Ashley McCray (48.79%) vs. Blake Cummings (22.17%)
Congressional District 1: Tim Gilpin (34.5%) vs. Amanda Douglas (32.41%)
Congressional District 2: Jason Nichols (37.9%) vs. Clay Padgett (24.21%)
Congressional District 4: Mary Brannon (34.36%) vs. Fred Gipson (30.37%)
Congressional District 5: Kendra Horn (43.84%) vs. Tom Guild (17.91%)
Senate District 16: Mary Boren (34.59%) vs. Rep. Claudia Griffith (32.81%)
House District 26: Terry Hopkins (38.72%) vs. Bruce Bushong (31.76%)
HD41: Sara Peterson (39.11%) vs. Jennie Scott (37.75%)
HD53: Leslie Bonebreak (39.34%) vs. Cyndy Sutherland (36.14%)
HD68: Angela Statum (49.36%) vs. Michael Ross (32.94%)
HD91: Amanda Jeffers (45.08%) vs. Sonya Fergeson (30.49%)
HD99: Ajay Pittman (38.14%) vs. Nkem House (32.1%)
HD101: Madeline Scott (32.51%) vs. John Carpenter (28.81%)

You can view the statewide results here, or county-by-county results here.

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.

Todd Lamb 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.

Todd Lamb was the fifth candidate to send in his survey, so he gets this fifth post.

2018 MuskogeePolitico.com GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

Jamison Faught: How has your experience prepared you to serve as Governor?
Todd Lamb: My entire professional life has prepared me to serve as governor. From my tenure as a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent to my private sector experience as a petroleum landman and telecommunications’ industry professional to my public service as a state senator and Lt. Governor. I have an in-depth understanding of policy issues. I have real world experience in detailed planning and preparation. Oklahoma is in much of the mire we are because our state has no plan. My background as a proven conservative leader is documented and is not rhetoric. I am the only leading proven conservative candidate in the primary. See my RENEW Oklahoma plan at VoteToddLamb.com.

JF: What needs to be done to fix Oklahoma’s budget process?
TL: As governor, I have a detailed plan to restructure the antiquated legislative budget process. The four month legislative session should be divided into one month of policy and the last three months budget. This change will bring the budget process out in the open and hold unelected bureaucrats accountable for how they spend taxpayer money. This reform also includes zero-based budgeting. Zero-based budgeting is long overdue at the state Capitol. This is detailed reform that will save taxpayers millions, and ultimately, billions of dollars.

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?
TL: Oklahoma’s economy is showing signs of a healthy rebound across the private sector, yet the legislature still passed and the governor signed the largest tax increase (HB 1010XX) in the history of Oklahoma this spring. I would not have signed the bill if I was governor. I would have found the funds to provide a teacher pay raise and additional classroom funding by aggressively reducing the billions of dollars in tax credits, incentives and exemptions Oklahoma pushes out the door every year. As for surpluses they should first and foremost be deposited into the Rainy Day fund in order to replenish it for when true emergencies occur.

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?
TL: The second component of my RENEW plan is education reform. As a husband of a public school teacher, no candidate is more supportive of common education than I am. I have advocated for a teacher pay raise and more classroom funding far more than any of my opponents. Oklahoma must provide more money into the classroom where the two most important people are; students and teachers. This past session, after a pay raise was passed and signed, I was interviewed on FOX News and stated the tax package gets an ‘F’ in reform, both academically and fiscally. Last year, 46% of high school graduates that went to college had to be remediated. We must increase academic rigor such as requiring third graders read, and do math, at grade level before advancing to fourth grade, and we must address administrative bloat statewide within common education. I support proper funding for higher education. For Oklahoma to advance economically, we must produce more college graduates, especially in STEM disciplines. It has been reported there are 9,000 STEM jobs currently vacant because the work force is not prepared. Increasing classroom funding and rigor will address this issue. Oklahoma must ensure a quality education is accessible to all Oklahoma students, including those interested in higher education, and like any large public entity, higher education must have accountability and continually look for savings so that our universities and colleges are always striving to advance the mission of advancing students toward graduation.

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?
TL: The 5th Amendment protects American citizens from unreasonable search and seizure. As governor, I will make certain our constitutional rights are protected.

JF: How do you plan to hold state government accountable for spending, in light of the scandals we’ve seen over the past year?
TL: More transparency must occur with regards to state spending. As I stated in my answer to question #2, I have a detailed plan to hold unelected bureaucrats accountable. If my legislative budget reform plan had been in place the State Department of Health scandal could have been prevented or at least discovered much earlier.

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?
TL: As governor I will have a fiduciary duty as I represent the state in compact negotiations, and I will take that duty seriously. The state of Oklahoma and our Native American tribal partners have worked together for many years for the betterment of Oklahoma. A component of our partnership returns a portion of Native American gaming revenues to the state which I support, and as governor I will work with tribal leaders to also ensure our citizens are protected from social ills that can stem from excessive gambling. I will work to keep our partnership strong in the many other areas the tribes and state work together such as health care, economic development, education, public safety and transportation to name a few.

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?
TL: For seven years I served as Oklahoma’s Small Business Advocate. No candidate comes close to my record in recruiting, cultivating and supporting small businesses across Oklahoma. One opportunity Oklahoma must take advantage of is increasing exports of goods manufactured here to global markets. When elected governor, I will appoint the state’s first Secretary of International Trade whose sole responsibility will be to advance and advocate for the exportation of Oklahoma made products overseas. I am a proven leader on small business issues, and will continue to be as governor.

JF: 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?
TL: I could not disagree more. Nobody in this race is as proven as I am, and nobody is as willing to take tough stances as I am. It is not rhetoric. It is fact. In 2017, I led the charge against Governor Fallin’s call for millions of dollars annually in new service taxes, and I publicly resigned from her cabinet due to my opposition. Secondly, I oppose all tax increases, and I adamantly and publicly opposed tax increases that were passed this past session. When constitutional carry legislation, SB 1212, was being debated, I publicly urged Oklahomans to contact the governor and request that she sign the bill. As Lt. Governor, I cast the tie-breaking vote to prevent the gross production tax from increasing from 1% to 7%. This is a fact. As a state senator, I led the override of former Governor Henry’s veto of pro-life legislation. This is a fact. I am a proven conservative with a record to back it up, and I will lead Oklahoma from day one as governor.

JF: As the primary approaches, what one thing do you want voters to remember about you as they go into the voting booth?
TL: I am a man of integrity with a deep faith who has a plan and is prepared to lead Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Enid. My wife, Monica, a public school teacher, and I have been married nearly 23 years and we have two wonderful children. I am a proven conservative who is ready to advance Oklahoma across many vital issues from my first day in office. I will not require on-the-job-training and I have the vital experience to lead Oklahoma as its next chief executive officer. Oklahoma must not gamble on hiring a CEO with no experience. A vote for Todd Lamb is a vote for true conservative leadership.

          *          *          *          *          *

I'd like to thank Todd 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 Todd Lamb and his campaign for Governor by visiting VoteToddLamb.com.

ADDITIONAL SURVEY POSTS:

Gary Jones 

Dan Fisher

Gary Richardson

Kevin Stitt

Todd Lamb 

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

Lamb releases 6th TV ad

Lamb Campaign Releases Sixth Television Ad; 

Primary Election - June 26 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, June 20, 2018 – Oklahomans for Lamb unveiled its sixth television advertisement today in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb. The 30-second commercial features a testimonial from volunteer supporters as to Lamb’s proven conservative credentials, including his “heroic pro-life leadership” and ‘A’ rating from the National Rifle Association. In February, the campaign released its first television ad highlighting Lamb’s career as a United States Secret Service Agent, and in April unveiled its second ad featuring Lamb’s daughter, Lauren, talking about her father. Last month, the campaigns’ third ad, showcasing Lamb’s detailed action plan, began airing in statewide markets. Earlier this month the campaign’s fourth ad featuring Lamb’s plan to reform education aired. Last week the campaign’s fifth ad hit the airwaves featuring Oklahoma resident and retired United States Army General Tommy Franks speaking of Lamb’s leadership ability and endorsing his campaign. 

“With the primary election just one week away, I continue to be humbled by the outpouring of support from Oklahomans across the state, many of which have chosen to endorse me through public advertisements,” Lamb said. “I am beyond grateful for their support and vow, that as governor, I will work with determination and focus to execute my RENEW Oklahoma plan that will advance Oklahoma forward across a broad spectrum of important issues. That is a promise.”

Lamb’s RENEW Oklahoma plan outlines five primary initiatives:

• Reform Government 
• Education
• Neighborhoods
• Economic Growth
• Work 

View the ad below:


Oklahomans interested in learning more about the RENEW Oklahoma plan and the Lamb campaign may visit VoteToddLamb.com, telephone the campaign headquarters at 405.252.4289 or email info@VoteToddLamb.com. 

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.

Lamb has more pre-primary cash than entire GOP field combined

Lamb Campaign Tops $3.67 Million Raised; 

 Over $771,000 Cash-on-Hand

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, June 18, 2018 – Oklahomans for Lamb announced today its fundraising for Todd Lamb remains in a strong position among the ten candidates seeking the Republican nomination. Lamb completed the pre-primary fundraising period with a total raised of over $3.67 million and is the only candidate that has raised more than $2 million (over $2.67 million) this election cycle from actual donations. The campaign added over $220,000 in contributions during the April 1 – June 11 reporting period and still has over $771,000 on hand with over 2,300 donors, and donations received from all 77 counties.

“Despite numerous Republican candidates raising campaign funds for an abundance of races across Oklahoma, I am very pleased with the strong financial support my RENEW Oklahoma campaign has received from citizens across Oklahoma since beginning my campaign last year,” Lamb said. “We have over 2,300 donors and contributions from all 77 counties which is evidence that I am the only Republican gubernatorial candidate running a genuine 77-county statewide campaign. The final week of the primary campaign will continue to be very expensive which is no surprise, and I am so thankful to my supporters across Oklahoma who have invested their financial resources in my proven experience, and my action plan for Oklahoma.”

“Todd Lamb’s fundraising has allowed our campaign to execute a statewide grassroots campaign at an extremely active pace right through election day,” said Keith Beall, Oklahomans for Lamb campaign manager. “We raised a significant amount of our total early in the campaign process which let us put our plan into motion statewide while allowing Todd the time to personally visit with voters in all 77 counties. The feedback our campaign has received from Republican voters at every turn is that Todd Lamb is the proven conservative statesman they want to be Oklahoma’s next chief executive officer. Serving as governor is not a position for those needing on-the-job-training in state government, and that is why our supporters have entrusted their financial and personal support in Todd Lamb.”

Blogger's note: for reference, the rest of the GOP field has a combined $625k in cash-on-hand in the same pre-primary ethics reports. Lamb tops that by $146k.

Lamb releases endorsement list of faith leaders

FAITH LEADERS FOR TODD LAMB NAMED

Oklahoma Faith Leaders Support Todd Lamb for Governor 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – June 18, 2018 – Faith Leaders for Lamb, a group of statewide faith leaders representing numerous denominations, have announced their support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb.  The group will also advise Lamb’s campaign on faith-based issues to help strengthen Oklahoma.

“I am honored to have such a diverse coalition of Oklahoma faith leaders join my RENEW Oklahoma campaign, and offer their wisdom and advice to me personally,” Lamb said. “This fine group of Oklahomans reaches all corners of the state, and their support will serve as an inspiration to me each day as our campaign nears election day and beyond.”

Faith Leaders for Todd Lamb members include:

Mike Keahbone, Oklahoma City
Robert Jacobson, Snyder
Steve Dennis, Checotah
Bill Hulse, Oklahoma City
Shawn Caldwell, Alva
Kent Wooster, Bethel Acres
Marvin Kehl, Washington
Mike Lehew, Sapulpa
Bill Oldham, Sapulpa
Shonn Keels, Oklahoma City
Clayton Griggs, Tulsa
Steve Williams, Enid
Lonnie Hoelscher, Bartlesville
Mike Murray, Muskogee
Floyd McKee, Oklahoma City
David Coffey, Tulsa
Stan Stafford, Oklahoma City
Rick Longcrier, Miami
Brett Hay, Oklahoma City
Justin Gammon, Oklahoma City
Brian Weaver, Oklahoma City
Brian Lohrey, Edmond
Paul Blankenship, Edmond
Wendell Lang, Yukon
Lance Lang, Oklahoma City
Jon Stem, Claremore
Jen Stem, Claremore
Harold McKeehan, Sallisaw
Don Barnes, Lawton
David Mewbourne, Claremore
Kelly Goins, Tulsa
Randy Jackson, Kiefer
Jim McNabb, Mustang
Paul Abner, Oklahoma City
Mark Purkey, Mustang
Mike Bunch, Panama
Jay Hawpe, Oklahoma City
Marquise Miller, Oklahoma City
Gene Anoatubby, Tulsa
Tracy Fitzgerald, Pawhuska
Kacy Lee, Lawton
Donna Emberton, Kiefer
Gwen Rutz, Clinton
Kurtis Ivey, Okarche
Raymond Frizzelle, Miami
Doug Jackson, Watonga
Mark LeMarr, Crescent
Anthony Roe, Jones
Eddie Brewer, Oklahoma City
John Johnston, Bethany
Gary Pratt, Lawton
Debbie Pratt, Lawton
Gene Allen, Nicoma Park
Ron Bruner, Kingfisher
Barbara Bruner, Kingfisher
Becky Watkins, Henryetta
Greg Whitlow, Edmond
Shery Whitlow, Edmond
David Oxley, Oklahoma City
Frank Wiley, Del City
Peg Gardner, Oklahoma City
Walter Sledge, Oklahoma City
Ken Wood, Oklahoma City
Cole Phillips, Oklahoma City
Ashton Owens, Oklahoma City
Chad Thompson, Inola
David Player, Guymon
Mark McAdow, Enid

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.

Lamb releases 4th TV ad

Lieutenant Governor and GOP gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb is out with another TV commercial, this time focusing on his education reform plan:

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.

OK Farm Bureau's PAC endorses candidates, including Lamb and Hunter

OKAgFund endorses, funds candidates in state elections

The OKAgFund, Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s political action committee, has endorsed 22 candidates and donated to 71 candidates running for election in statewide, state Senate and state House races.

The OKAgFund board met Friday, May 18, to donate a total of $63,000 to candidates and to choose candidates for endorsement based on input from farmers and ranchers across Oklahoma.

Comprised of OKFB members from across the state, the OKAgFund identifies candidates who demonstrate beliefs and actions that are consistent with OKFB’s policies, regardless of political affiliation. While the OKAgFund contributes financially to several state campaigns, an endorsement is the highest level of support the committee gives to chosen candidates.

“With so few people involved in agriculture, we must elect state leaders who value the needs of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers,” said Coy Farmer, OKAgFund chairman. “After careful consideration of all candidates by Farm Bureau members across the state, the OKAgFund is proud to support candidates who we believe will stand for agriculture and rural Oklahoma.”

The OKAgFund endorsed Todd Lamb in the 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election along with Mike Hunter for Oklahoma attorney general, Randy McDaniel for state treasurer and Glen Mulready for state insurance commissioner.

Oklahoma Senate candidates receiving an endorsement from the OKAgFund include Roger Thompson, SD 8; Frank Simpson, SD 14; Kim David, SD 18; and Brent Howard, SD 38.

Oklahoma House candidates endorsed by the OKAgFund included Jim Grego, HD 17; Justin Humphrey, HD 19; Charles McCall, HD 22; Kevin Wallace, HD 32; Greg Babinec, HD 33; Sean Roberts, HD 36; John Pfeiffer, HD 38; Todd Russ, HD 55; Harold Wright, HD 57; Rhonda Baker, HD 60; Scooter Park, HD 65; John Echols, HD 90; Lewis Moore, HD 96; and Tess Teague, HD 101.

The OKAgFund is supported by voluntary contributions from OKFB members across the state as an option portion of their membership dues.

Lamb launches third TV ad

Lamb Campaign Releases Third Television Ad

Primary Election - June 26 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, May 22, 2018 – Oklahomans for Lamb unveiled its third television advertisement today in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb. The 30-second ad features excerpts from Lamb’s RENEW Oklahoma plan. In February, the campaign released its first television ad highlighting Lamb’s career as a United States Secret Service Agent, and last month unveiled its second ad featuring Lamb’s daughter, Lauren, talking about her father.

“As I have stated repeatedly on the campaign trail, I have a detailed action plan to address Oklahoma’s many challenges, and I will be ready from my first day in office to execute it,” Lamb said. “As a proven conservative, my RENEW Oklahoma plan outlines what Oklahoma must do in order to prosper. We must restructure the budget process, implement real education reform such as ensuring 65% of every education dollar to the classroom for teachers and students, and diversifying the economy, to name just a few. My plan does not increase taxes and is not based on rhetoric or the topic of the day. It is based in fact. Oklahoma is in the situation it is because of a lack of leadership, and because it has no plan. That will end when I am elected governor.”

Lamb’s RENEW Oklahoma plan outlines five primary initiatives:

• Reform Government
• Education
• Neighborhoods
• Economic Growth
• Work

View the ad below:


Oklahomans interested in learning more about the RENEW Oklahoma plan and the Lamb campaign may visit VoteToddLamb.com, telephone the campaign headquarters at 405.252.4289 or email info@VoteToddLamb.com. 

Lamb launches new TV ad

GOP gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb released a new TV ad today, noting his endorsement by Donald Trump, Jr.:

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.

Donald Trump Jr headlining Lamb fundraiser next week

Donald Trump, Jr. to Appear at Lamb Campaign Event

President’s Oldest Son to Offer Support

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, April 25, 2018 – President Donald Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., will appear at a campaign rally and fundraiser May 2 on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb. The event will be held at the Renaissance Waterford Hotel in Oklahoma City. Trump, Jr. and Lamb developed a friendship in 2016 when Trump, Jr. was a special guest at the Lt. Governor’s Turkey Hunt, an annual economic development and business networking event hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

“Donald Trump, Jr. and I forged a relationship two years ago when he attended the turkey hunt,” Lamb said. “I was impressed with his deep knowledge of both federal and state issues, particularly issues related to commerce and the economy. Like his father, our nation’s 45th President, he understands what it takes to grow an economy and create jobs. I very much enjoyed our time together then, and I am honored he is taking time from his family and busy schedule to attend my campaign event and offer his support.”