Endorsements and Recommendations for the General Election

Tuesday, November 8th, is the Oklahoma General Election, and voters all across the state will be heading to the polls to decide who will hold elected offices for the next two to six years (depending on the position). Below are a few of my voting picks. I know I'm just a lowly blogger, but 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. Early voting is Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, through Friday, Nov. 4th, from 8am to 6pm, and Saturday, Nov. 5th, from 8am to 2pm, at these locations. Election day voting is 7am to 7pm at your polling place.

Before I start, let me explain how I approach voting.

I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican -- in that order. While I am a conservative's conservative, as longtime readers of my blog know well, it is my faith first and foremost that informs and directs my politics. I make no apologies for that.

Usually, the Republican nominee is the best option. The Democratic nominee is never an option, as it is an abomination to lend any support for the party that has made quasi-religious sacraments out of baby murder and the celebration of sexual perversion. 

That said, while I've been a conservative activist since I registered to vote, and served in multiple elected and appointed positions within the Oklahoma Republican Party (from county level to the state executive committee), I have no qualms about casting a protest vote for an Independent or Libertarian candidate.

If a Republican candidate or nominee fails to meet certain character expectations or policy positions, I may not be able to in good conscience lend them my support. In such cases, they must win without my support, while I either undervote (skip) their race or cast a protest vote. 

I owe my vote to no candidate. My loyalty is to God and His Word rather than to a political party. Principles are more important than politics. 

Now that that's out of the way, here are my thoughts on the various races this general election (bold names are candidates I enthusiastically support or feel strongly about): 

STATEWIDE RACES:

Governor: Republican 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. Michael Bates makes a great case here, and I wrote here that Republicans can't sleep on this race and allow Joy Hofmeister (D) to slip in.

Joy Hofmeister would be an absolute disaster. Hofmeister would allow sexual perversion to continue infiltrating our schools at even greater levels. She would not advocate for lower taxes and decreased regulation. Hofmeister would not appoint the type of conservative, originalist judges and justices that Stitt has. She has vowed to fight to "restore" the "right" to murder babies in the womb. On all these issues, and more, Hofmeister is wrong, and Stitt is right (for the most part). 

If Kevin Stitt is not re-elected, Oklahoma will take a huge step backwards. 

Lieutenant Governor: Republican Matt Pinnell. Great guy, personal friend, solid Lieutenant Governor and deserves to be re-elected. 

Attorney General: I don't particularly trust the GOP nominee, Gentner Drummond, so I may cast a protest vote for the Libertarian or simply undervote (skip).

State Treasurer: Republican Todd Russ. He's a man of character, though his voting record is not as conservative as I'd like. He should sail to victory.

State Superintendent: Republican Ryan Walters. While Walters' clickbait-prone candidacy has annoyed me, and his favored flavor of "school choice" merits caution from the homeschooling community, I'm convinced that he truly cares about kids, parental rights, conservative values, and fighting against the Cultural Marxist/CRT rot infecting the education system. 

Public education in Oklahoma will continue its accelerating downward spiral if the Democrat wins this race. It's important that Walters wins this race.

Labor Commissioner: absolutely NOT the "Republican" incumbent Leslie Osborn. I will cast a protest vote here, for the Libertarian candidate Will Daugherty. Read my full post on this race here. 

Liberal Leslie Osborn, touts endorsements from labor unions like the AFL-CIO, and has undergone a hard left shift in her personal politics in the past several years. My Just The Facts post demonstrates that her liberal fiscal record. Additionally, Liberal Leslie has embraced LGBT+ sexual perversion, abortion "rights", and has changed her position on the 2nd Amendment.

No Christian in good conscience should ever vote for Leslie Osborn. 

Corporation Commissioner: I'm doing another protest vote here, for the Independent. Republican Kim David is directly responsible for killing the abortion abolition bill SB13. My Just The Facts post shows her horrible record on tax policy, which does not bode well in a position that directly impacts how much consumers pay in energy prices.

FEDERAL RACES:

U.S. Senate (full term): James Lankford. I don't agree with everything he's done (he's a little too eager to try pleasing everyone), but generally speaking he's been a very solid conservative.

U.S. Senate (special election): I will cast a protest vote here, probably for the Independent. As I've pointed out numerous times, Markwayne Mullin is not worth voting for as dog-catcher, much less the U.S. Senate. He generally votes right, but he's a liar, and the man's word means nothing to him. Such a man is untrustworthy and undeserving of this office (which he'll handily win, but without my vote).

2nd Congressional District: Republican Josh Brecheen. I personally know Josh and trust his character, judgment, and motivation. Brecheen has an excellent voting record. He fought against bad legislation in the Legislature and demonstrated a willingness to oppose leadership where needed, a valuable quality in Washington.

Josh Brecheen is a hard-working, blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth guy. He loves God, and loves people. He's one of the most honest and respectful individuals you'll ever meet.

I had a conversation with him a year or so ago where he told me one of his greatest regrets from his time in the State Senate was that he felt he could have done more to lovingly deal with his political opponents and share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with them. That's the kind of man Josh Brecheen is. He's better than what we deserve in a Congressman, and he's what we absolutely need. 

Josh Brecheen has more honesty, integrity, and character than anyone else I know in elected office or running for office. I wholeheartedly endorse Josh Brecheen for Congress.

1st/3rd/4th/5th Congressional Districts: the incumbent Republicans vary in the level of conservatism (with 1st District Congressman Kevin Hern being the best), and should all coast to victory.

Judicial Retention ballot (statewide):

For more detail, see my post - Here's what you need to know about the judges on the ballot.

• Supreme Court - Dustin P. Rowe (Yes - Retain)
• Supreme Court - James R. Winchester (No - Do Not Retain)
• Supreme Court - Dana Kuehn (Yes - Retain)
• Supreme Court - Douglas L. Combs (No - Do Not Retain)
• Court of Civil Appeals - Stacie L. Hixon (Yes - Retain)
• Court of Civil Appeals - Gregory C. Blackwell (Yes - Retain)
• Court of Civil Appeals - John F. Fischer (No - Do Not Retain)
• Court of Civil Appeals - Barbara G. Swinton (No - Do Not Retain)
• Court of Civil Appeals -  Thomas E. Prince (Yes - Retain)

Other races:

Generally speaking, as mentioned toward the top of this post, I recommend the Republican nominee for your local legislative or county races. Here are a few specific races I'd highlight:

Associate District Judge, Muskogee County: Chad Locke. I know almost nothing about Locke, but his opponent, former District Attorney Orvil Loge, was a wannabe COVID tyrant, and sought to place absurd regulations and restrictions on Muskogee County businesses and residents during the height of the COVID panic. As head of the Muskogee City-County Joint Task Force on COVID-19, Loge vocally wanted Governor Stitt to issue a stay-at-home order for all Oklahoma residents in April 2020. Loge resigned from the DA office in September 2021 to take a Special Judge position.

Additionally, as District Attorney, Loge play a disgraceful role in a civil asset forfeiture case that he dropped after media attention. A Burmese Christian band traveling through Muskogee was stopped and had $53,000 confiscated from them, which Loge and the Sheriff's office intended to keep despite no evidence - or crime! From the Institute for Justice: "[Loge] filed a formal Notice of Seizure and Forfeiture seeking to keep the funds for good and issued a bogus arrest warrant for Eh Wah based on a five-sentence affidavit that failed to identify any crime." The day that IJ took up the case for the band, attracting media attention, Loge dropped the case and agreed to return the cash his office had stolen.

Oklahoma County District Attorney: Kevin Calvey (R). 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.

Osage County Commissioner District 1: Everett Piper (R).

Tulsa County Assessor: John Wright (R).

Adair County Assessor: Teresa Turner (R).

Other resources:

• Michael Bates' picks at BatesLine.com (highly recommend)  
• iVoterGuide (I'm really impressed with this voter guide put out by the American Family Association)
• Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) Voter Guide
• Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association (OK2A) endorsements
• Oklahomans for Health & Parental Rights endorsements
• Oklahomans for Life candidate surveys
• National Rifle Association (NRA) endorsements 
• JudgeVoterGuide.com (retention ballot ratings)

Don't forget to vote, and vote right!