My Picks for the 2022 Oklahoma GOP Primary

 

Tuesday is the Oklahoma Primary Election, and voters all across the state will be heading to the polls to decide nominees in many different races. Hopefully the information in this post will be helpful with your voting plans.

If you don't know where to vote, or want to see your sample ballot, use this helpful link from the Oklahoma State Election Board to find out.

Below are a few of my voting picks. Work and other commitments prevented me from getting into more detail on most of these races, but here are some basic thoughts.

Statewide races:

Governor: Kevin Stitt. While I don't agree with everything he's done, and I feel he's made some unforced errors in office, Kevin Stitt has been the most conservative governor in Oklahoma history, holding the legislature to fiscal responsibility, and advancing constitutional liberties. He's endeavored to protect the sovereignty of the State of Oklahoma in the aftermath of the disastrous McGirt decision, where others would simply have rolled over.

State Auditor: Cindy Byrd. This is one of the most important offices for the taxpayer, and Byrd has continued the excellent performance started by her predecessor Gary Jones. She deserves to be re-elected in her own right. She's being challenged by a straw candidate who is unqualified but well-funded.

Attorney General: John O'Connor. A strong conservative, O'Connor has been endorsed by numerous conservative groups. His opponent is a longtime donor to liberal Democrats, infamously including a donation to Joe Biden (that Drummond blames on his wife being mad) and the Democrat who Tom Coburn defeated in 2004.

Labor Commissioner: Sean Roberts. Roberts has been a conservative champion in the State House, and is galaxies more conservative than the "Republican" incumbent, Liberal Leslie Osborn, who touts endorsements from labor unions like the AFL-CIO. My Just The Facts post demonstrates that there is no contest between the two candidates when it comes to a conservative fiscal record.

State Treasurer: Todd Russ. Of the options running, Russ seems to be the best choice for conservatives.

State Superintendent: Ryan Walters. I'm not enthused about this race, to be honest. I find Walters to be very unprofessional and very focused on political fads (something of a "clickbait" candidate, which is unfortunately a popular thing to be these days), and I'm hesitant about his enthusiasm for "school choice" (which I think merits caution from the homeschooling community). However, April Grace is the liberal in the race, and John Cox (who some conservatives are supporting) was twice a Democratic candidate for this office. Walters is probably the best option.

Corporation Commissioner: Todd Thomsen. Of the options running, Thomsen seems to be the least worst choice for conservatives. My Just The Facts post shows a comparison of the two; both did horribly, but I give the edge to Thomsen.

Federal races:

U.S. Senate (full term): James Lankford. I have been disappointed by many things Lankford has done over the past few years, some of which are related to his apparent need to be liked by everyone. However, I cannot lend my support to Jackson Lahmeyer, who has prostituted his church and faith for political power and internet cred.

Lahmeyer's abuse of biblical ecclesiology, including the actual sale of church membership and rights for nothing more than media notoriety and votes, is offensive and disqualifying in and of itself to me, much less the close association Lahmeyer has with some of the worst grifters and cranks in today's Republican politics. I might not like some of what Lankford has done, but I won't put Lahmeyer anywhere near elected office.

U.S. Senate (special election): Nathan Dahm - absolutely not Markwayne Mullin. As I've pointed out numerous times, Mullin is not worth voting for dog-catcher, much less U.S. Senate. He's a liar, and the man's word means nothing to him. Mullin is the clear frontrunner, and conservatives may need to vote strategically to place a strong candidate in the runoff (assuming Mullin doesn't sneak over 50%). 

Nathan Dahm has a stellar voting record as one of the most conservative legislators in state history, and has some money backing from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul helping him. T.W. Shannon may have a narrow lead over him, but I don't like Shannon's agreement with the disastrous McGirt decision. I'm sympathetic to Pruitt's platform, but he's far too damaged from his EPA scandals (right or wrong) to be an effective candidate.

2nd Congressional District: Josh Brecheen or Marty Quinn - absolutely not Avery Frix. There are several decent candidates that I think I'd be happy with, but I personally know both Brecheen and Quinn and trust their character, judgment, and motivation. Brecheen has an excellent voting record, but Quinn might be better positioned to beat Frix (who is by far the worst candidate in the race) into the inevitable runoff. Both Quinn and Brecheen have fought against bad legislation in the Legislature and demonstrated a willingness to oppose leadership where needed, a valuable quality in Washington. It's going to be a very close race among the top five candidates. As with the special election for U.S. Senate, this may be a race where "strategic voting" is needed to keep a bad candidate (i.e. Frix) out. 

As for the other candidates, Teehee, Nofire, and Barker are interesting and I think may merit consideration. I'm less interested in Schiller. I don't trust Bennett due to him lying about his voting record on taxes and his close association (like Lahmeyer) with some of the worst grifters and cranks in today's Republican politics. The rest either don't have a shot, or have bad voting records.

Overall, I think conservatives would be best served by voting for Josh Brecheen or Marty Quinn. 

3rd Congressional District: Wade Burleson. Frank Lucas is a nice man, but he's a mediocre conservative. Burleson would be a much more conservative congressman.

Other races:

Muskogee County District Attorney: Matt Price. I met with the incumbent, who was appointed to fill the vacant office back in October, and I simply was not impressed. 

Muskogee County Commissioner, District 1: Ken Doke. He has done a fantastic job and deserves re-election.

Oklahoma County District Attorney: Kevin Calvey. Calvey was one of the most conservative members of the legislature, with a stellar record, especially on taxes. He will make a fantastic leader in the most important district attorney office in the state.

State Senate District 2: Jarrin Jackson. He would be a great, conservative addition to the State Senate. Highly recommend.

State Senate District 22: Jake Merrick. Solid conservative member of the State Senate. Needs to be returned for continued excellence in office.

State Senate District 26: Brady Butler. Have heard good things, indicating that he would be a great conservative voice in the State Senate.

State House District 11: Wendi Stearman. Solid conservative member of the State House. Needs to be returned for continued excellence in office.

State House District 13: Brian Jackson. I know Brian, and used to go to church with him. I wholeheartedly support him for HD13.

State House District 33: Brice Chaffin. Have heard good things, indicating that he would be a great conservative voice in the State House.

Other resources:

• Michael Bates' picks at BatesLine.com (highly recommend)
• iVoterGuide (I'm really impressed with this voter guide, for what it's worth)
• David Van Risseghem's picks at SoonerPolitics.org
• Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) Voter Guide
• Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association (OK2A) endorsements
• Oklahomans for Health & Parental Rights endorsements
• Tulsa Beacon endorsements
• Oklahomans for Life candidate surveys
• National Rifle Association (NRA) endorsements