Brogdon considering switch to Senate race

According to an article in Roll Call,
Former state senator Randy Brogdon may be considering switching from running for governor to running for the Senate seat being vacated by Tom Coburn.

Randy Brogdon, a conservative former state senator currently challenging Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, is considering running in the Senate special election instead.

“He has got a lot of people inside of Oklahoma, probably eight or nine out of 10, that are urging him to run for Senate, and he is listening very intently to those urges,” Brogdon senior adviser Louis Waller said when reached by CQ Roll Call.

Brogdon’s potential entrance comes just after Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a favorite among conservative outside groups, decided against a bid. Groups like the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Madison Project had pushed for Bridenstine to run as a conservative alternative to Rep. James Lankford, who announced his bid for the seat earlier this month.

Brogdon, who lost to Fallin in the 2010 gubernatorial primary, has the kind of tea party profile that could garner support from those groups. If he runs, Brogdon would be the third major Republican in the race, along with state Speaker T.W. Shannon. Candidates have until April 11 to file for the race, which follows the state’s regular election year schedule.

Read the rest of the Roll Call article here.

Some people may not agree with me, but I would consider this to be a mistake on Brogdon's part. He does not have a good chance at beating Mary Fallin in the governor's race, but running for Senate against two very well funded candidates (Lankford and Shannon) poses an even greater difficulty.

Let's face it; Randy Brogdon has not gained in popularity since he lost the gubernatorial primary in 2010. in fact, it could be argued that between his taking a job with the Insurance Commissioner, and with being somewhat out of the public eye, he is significantly less popular. Considering how he only received 39% of the vote four years ago, I think he will struggle to reach 30% against Governor Fallin.

If Randy run for Senate, I think that the odds are even longer. Lankford and Shannon are two excellent candidates who will be well funded. Neither of them will receive less than 30% of the vote. I see Brogdon getting only 12%-20% of the vote, especially if any other candidates jump in. Brogdon has no chance in running for Senate.

The primary purpose I see for Randy is in providing a choice for governor. I for one have not been pleased with Mary Fallin as governor. I did not vote for her in the 2010 primary, and as things stand do not plan on voting for her in the 2914 primary. She has done a poor job at governing in a conservative manner. Spending continues spiraling upward, and taxes have not been cut. Fiscally, Brad Henry did a better job than Fallin has.

I had issues with Brogdon's 2010 campaign (hence why I voted for Hubbard over Brogdon and Fallin). Will 2014 be any different?