Candidates file to run for governor of Oklahoma
Some of the candidates hoping to win the 2022 governor's race spoke after filing at the Oklahoma state Capitol.
Addison Kliewer, Oklahoman
Four years ago, a relatively unknown Tulsa businessman with no political experience jumped into the governor's race with little fanfare and an unlikelypathto victory.
Now, Gov. Kevin Stitt, 49,must fend off sevenchallengers to win a second term in office.
With the political playing field set after last week's candidate filing period, threeRepublicans,twoDemocrats, one Libertarian and one independentare vying to unseat the first-term Republican governor.
Most of Stitt'schallengers have come out swinging with criticism of the incumbent.
More:Trump-era EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt joins race to replace Jim Inhofe in U.S. Senate
But in an interview Wednesday, Stitt seemedunperturbed by his field of challengers.
Four years ago, there were 10 Republicans in the gubernatorial primary, he said.
"The more the merrier," Stitt said. "Let's have honest conversations about our past experience and how we want to lead the state."
In the June 28 Republican primary, Stitt will face Joel Kintsel, 46, Mark Sherwood, 57, and Moira McCabe, 40.
The winner of the primary will face either Democratic state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, 57, or former Democratic Sen. Connie Johnson, 69, in the November general election. Former state Sen. Ervin Yen, 67, an independent,and Libertarian Natalie Bruno, 37, also will be on the general election ballot.
The director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, Kintsel recently took a leave of absence to launch his first bid for public office. He also is a a lieutenant colonel in the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
Kintsel said he first started contemplating running for governor after seeing Stitt's "abuse" toward Oklahoma's Native American tribes.
"We're all Oklahomans, we're all part of the same family," Kintsel said."I'm not from a tribal background, but I will treat all Oklahomans with civility, and respect."
Kintsel has alleged the Stitt administration is rife with corruption and cronyism. In a recent interview, he alleged the Office of Management and Enterprise Services is steering state contracts to specific contractors.
He also saidthe Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department's contracts with Swadley'sBar-B-Q to operate restaurants at some state parks are suspect. The contracts have come under scrutiny from state lawmakers and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
More: Was Swadley's state parks deal with Oklahoma too lucrative? We dive into records
In response, Stitt, who referred to Kintsel as a career bureaucrat, said he's not a fan ofname calling.
Stitt said he's not afraid to fight bureaucracy and special interest groups. He also touted his calls for audits of various state agencies, including the State Department of Education.
"A good CEO welcomes transparency," Stitt said. "That's why I've been asking for audits all over state government. We're trying to expose anything that's going on that'snot right forall fourmillion Oklahomans."
If elected, Kintsel said he would focus on public safety and improving the state's roads and bridges, although he expressed opposition toa controversial turnpike expansion in Norman that's part of the $5 billion ACCESS Oklahoma plan backed by Stitt.
Kintsel also said he plans to focus on courting support from veterans and their families.
"I have a different vision for Oklahoma," he said."It's one that's based on values, integrityfirst, service before self, excellence inall we do. Those are the values that I've lived under in the military."
Sherwood, a minister, retired police officer and naturopathic doctorwho owns a Tulsa wellness-based medical practice, is challenging Stitt from the far right.
He has criticized the governor for closing"nonessential" businesses at the start of the pandemic and said Stitt, who just signed a near-total abortion ban into law, hasn't gone far enough to abolish abortion.
McCabe is a stay-at-home mom who supports the Second Amendment, opposes abortion and has vowed to stand against federal overreach.
Although Hofmeister was a registeredRepublican up until early October, she's already the likely frontrunner in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. She's been highly critical of Stitt since launching her campaign.
Like millions of our neighbors, I am guided by faith, family, and the commonsense Oklahoma values Ive taught my four kids," she said in a statement. "But there doesnt seem to be much common sense guiding our state right now.
"Instead of working together, our governor stirs up division, pitting neighbor against neighbor. He prizes politics over people and his own self-interest over the public good."
The first Democrat to jump into the governor's race, Johnson has touted her progressive bona fides on the campaign trail. She is a longtime proponent of legalizing cannabis and has pushed for Oklahoma to abolish the death penalty.
Johnsonran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 and for U.S. Senate in 2014.
My policy positions are clear, and I've been transparent about them my entire career," Johnson said."My entire life basically is built on Democratic values that that I hold dear."
Former state Sen. Ervin Yen, who is challenging Stitt as an independent, continued lastweek his criticism of the governor's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.An anesthesiologist and former Republican, Yen used to represent Oklahoma Cityin the state Senate.
He said Oklahoma is a top 10 state for COVID-19 cases because "our terrible vaccination rate and our state governments lack of proclaiming a statewide maskmandate ever."
'We never made that investment': Oklahoma mass release report prompts call for program funding
While most governors imposed temporary mask mandates when COVID-19 cases spiked, Stitt never imposed a statewide mask requirement.
Bruno said it's important for Oklahomans to have a third-party option this election cycle.
She also criticized the governor's rocky relationship with the tribes, and said she would have vetoed legislation to make it a felony to perform most abortions.
"I really feel like the current establishment, the current parties aren't putting forth good quality candidates that we can vote for," said the Edmond Libertarian. "We need more options."
Staff writers Ben Felder and Chris Casteel contributed to this report.
See original here:
'The more the merrier': Who looks to unseat Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2022 election? - Oklahoman.com
- Serfdom Reform vs. Liberty The Future of Freedom Foundation - The Future of Freedom Foundation - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- N.Y. Libertarian Party launches petition drive for ballot - Spectrum News - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- Arizona voters question petition for Libertarian candidate: Not even close to my signature - Washington Examiner - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- Understanding Freedom and Faith in Freedom The Future of Freedom Foundation - The Future of Freedom Foundation - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- Henry Simons And The Libertarian Night Watchman As Tax Collector - ProMarket - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Why libertarians don't trust RFK Jr. - UnHerd - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Learn from Libertarians | Commentary | thestatehousefile.com - The Statehouse File - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Review: Sheriff in 'Fargo' Gives Libertarians a Bad Name - Reason - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Why Libertarianism Is Not Mainstream (But Should Be) | Henry Gardella - Foundation for Economic Education - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Donald Rainwater to lead Indiana Libertarian ticket as party chooses its 2024 nominees - WFYI - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Could the Libertarian Party nominate RKF Jr.? - NewsNation Now - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- 2024 election: These Libertarians will be on Indiana's ballot - IndyStar - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Why Do All These Homosexuals Keep Sucking My Cock? - The Onion - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Russell Kirk - Wikipedia - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Maj Toure: Why Black Gunsand LibertarianismMatter - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Georgia's 'blank ballot' voters | Who are they? And why did they do it? - 11Alive.com WXIA - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Exclusive: No official records of personal meeting between Institute of Economic Affairs and Jacob Rees-Mogg - NationalWorld - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Markets Fail. . .And Libertarianism Still Works, 10/16 - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- The Bill of Rights: A Transcription | National Archives - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- 'Centre, states need to work together for a developed India': FM Sitharaman on 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' - The Economic Times - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- Libertarianism: Definition & Examples | StudySmarter - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- In N.H., its live Free State or leave thats libertarianism? - The Boston Globe - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Cryptos Libertarianism Is Running Headfirst Into Reality - The Atlantic - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- The 'red wave' was such a sure thing, of course Republicans are blowing it The Nevada Independent - The Nevada Independent - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Jim, Sigal, and Michele just living their best lives - Nevada Current - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Long Live the King (My President)! - Econlib - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- How Housing Is Captive to Investment Demands - Santa Barbara Independent - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Arkansas governor candidates hitting the campaign trail - 4029tv - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Aaron Rodgers Sounds Off On Government: NFL World Reacts - The Spun - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- David Boaz - Wikipedia - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Arlington Heights board gets petition from Koch brothers-backed group calling for law that may impact Chicago Bears' stadium plans - Chicago Tribune - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Georgias Senate Race Is Much Closer Than The Governor Election. Will That Hold Until November? - FiveThirtyEight - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Letter: The threat against democracy | Letters To Editor | berkshireeagle.com - Berkshire Eagle - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Vote in the State Primary - mysouthborough - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Group catering to nonpartisan voters launches ahead of the election The Nevada Independent - The Nevada Independent - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Libertarian Party of Wisconsin: Wisconsin Libertarians oppose student loan forgiveness ideas as theft - WisPolitics.com - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- Guardrails of Democracy, Extended: Comparing Notes On The Team Libertarian Report - Reason - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- Attempted Murder Arrest; Libertarians On The 2022 Ballot? PM Patch NH - Patch - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- Chase Oliver could send Georgia's Senate race to a runoff - he's OK with that - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- Rep. Stephen Handy, ousted at GOP convention, to wage write-in bid - Standard-Examiner - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- J. R. R. Tolkien among the Illiberals Catholic World Report - Catholic World Report - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- We Made It Through The Primary. Now It's On To The November General Election - Honolulu Civil Beat - September 2nd, 2022 [September 2nd, 2022]
- The Great Separation: Why American Politics Is Coming Apart at the Seams | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Palfrey eyes the exits- POLITICO - POLITICO - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Armstrong: Behind those misleading headlines on Colorado teacher pay - Complete Colorado - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- What is a Libertarian? Beliefs & Examples | Study.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Libertarian Vs. Liberal (Whats The Difference?) - The Cold Wire - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Libertarianism Philosophy and History - Study.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Republican effort to remove Libertarians from November ballot rejected by Texas Supreme Court - The Texas Tribune - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Media organizations and civil libertarians sue to stop a law that restricts recording videos of cops - Arizona Mirror - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- How a Tiny Minority Can Lead the World Toward Liberty | Dan Sanchez - Foundation for Economic Education - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- GOP Candidate Saying it's 'Totally Just' to Kill Gay People Resurfaces - Newsweek - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Third Party Candidates: Alabama Libertarians to appear on general election ballot - WHNT News 19 - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Sick and tired of the two-party system: Pa. Libertarian Party sees surge in interest | Today in Pa. - PennLive - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Voter registrations in North Carolina continue to trend mostly unaffiliated and slightly Republican - The Mountaineer - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- After Koch's Kinder, Gentler Rebrand Attempt, He Spent Over $1 Billion On 2020 Elections - Daily Kos - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Libertarian, Green, and Independent Candidates not Invited to Gubernatorial Debate The Amarillo Pioneer - The Amarillo Pioneer - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Runoffs to decide final nominations begins with early voting next week - Yahoo News - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Podcast: Muddling Through the Mar-a-Lago Mess - Reason - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- The Story Behind the Wrenching Finale of 'The Anarchists' - WIRED - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- The Search of Trumps House + the 5th Amendment - Econlib - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Libertarians see opening to gain ground in Georgia 2022 elections - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- State Libertarian Party asks for 'relief from oppressive ballot laws' - The Albany Herald - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Election 2022: Primaries clear Michigan fields; more will come at conventions - The Center Square - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- The Industrial Revolution and the Colonial Conundrum - Econlib - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- School choice is the free market solution to failing public schools - Washington Examiner - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- The primary is over Here's who you can expect to see on JoCo ballots in November - Shawnee Mission Post - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Climate change and the Supreme Courts version of police abolitionism - The Hill - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Discontent Is Never Enough - by Jonah Goldberg - The G-File - The Dispatch - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Progressive Conservatism: How Republicans Will Become America's Natural Governing Party - The Ripon Society - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Local News: Donnie Brown elected as 149th representative (8/2/22) | Standard Democrat - Standard-Democrat - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Former TV anchorman wins GOP nomination in Missouris 4th Congressional District - Missouri Independent - August 4th, 2022 [August 4th, 2022]
- Penn Jillette: Did His Libertarianism Survive Trump and COVID? - Reason - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Libertarian and Anti-functionalist: What Is the Memphis Design Movement? - ArchDaily - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- 11 Pick Up Lines For Libertarians To Use If They Ever Meet A Girl - The Babylon Bee - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Nudged into the oncoming lane - Econlib - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Quebec's Conservative party surges in the polls as some of its candidates spread conspiracy theories - CBC News - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Accusations of racism and abortion politics- POLITICO - POLITICO - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Zeldin's Fraudulent Independence Party Signatures Show How Difficult it is to get on Ballot in NY - Yonkers Times - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- How Republicans can build on Trumpism and become the party of progressive conservatism - The Hill - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]