Battle for Congress
Markwayne Mullin, 36, of the Second District (Eastern Oklahoma, from the Kansas border to the Red River), has a 70% cumulative "Freedom Index" score. While maintaining a generally conservative voting record, his support before the Republican caucus of the Oklahoma House for the National Popular Vote proposal, which would gut the Electoral College, and alter our form of government, has certainly raised some eyebrows. The owner of Mullin Plumbing, Mullin has demonstrated political inexperience at times. When he was running in 2012, he expressed the mistaken view that a single-payer health care system, was health insurance an individual pays for out of his own funds. Actually, it is when the government pays all the bills, with medical personnel technically continuing to be in the private sector.
Mullin has drawn a primary opponent, Darrel Robertson, 64, of Jay. Should Mullin win the primary as expected, he will then face Independent Jon Douthitt, 74, of Claremore and the winner of the Democratic primary in November. Joshua Harris-Till, 24, of Tahlequah, and Earl Everett, 80, of Fort Gibson are the Democrats.
Long-time Third District Congressman Frank Lucas, 54, who was first elected in a special election in 1994, was expected to coast to yet another easy reelection, but his weak 59% cumulative "Freedom Index" score has drawn Republican primary challengers. Lucas received accolades from many conservative Republicans when he was the lone member of the House of Representatives from Oklahoma to vote against the big bank bailout in 2008. But Lucas's Freedom Index score has generally declined over the past several years, dropping from 66% in the 106th Congress, down to a mere 55% in the 113th Congress.
Lucas has certainly made some good votes recently, voting to repeal ObamaCare, voting in favor of prohibiting federal funding for health plans that kill the unborn, and a vote to approve of the Keystone Pipeline.
Sadly, Lucas has cast several votes which are questioned by those who hold civil liberties in high regard. He voted no to an amendment which would have ended blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act, and no to another amendment to eliminate military detentions that should be transferred to civil court. Lucas voted yes to legalize the sharing of private online data with the government, without a warrant.
This leftward drift by Lucas has precipitated a challenge by rancher and small business owner Robert Hubbard, 69, of Yukon."We are at a time when our nation needs consistent, conservative leadership. And frankly, we are not getting that with our current Congressman," Hubbard said in announcing his candidacy. "We are the reddest congressional district in the reddest state in the country, yet Congressman Lucas has one of the most liberal voting records in our state." Hubbard previously ran for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.
A third Republican in the race is Timothy Ray Murray of Moore. Murray ran for the seat in 2012 as a Democrat. He won the primary, but lost to Lucas in the general election.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Frankie Robbins, 68, of Medford in the general election. Robbins lost to Lucas in 2008 and 2010. He also ran in 2012, but lost the primary election to Murray. Robbins is a Civil Engineer, and is retired from the U.S. Forest Service. The third district covers most of the western and northern parts of the state.
Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole has the lowest "Freedom Index" score of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, with a 53% score. Despite this low score, and his tight relationship with House Speaker John Boehner, who is extremely unpopular with the more conservative Republicans, Cole is expected to win another term to the district ( mostly southwestern and south-central Oklahoma) which he has represented since the 2002 election. However, Cole has drawn a primary opponent, Anna Flatt of Ardmore, who is the chairman of the Carter County Republican Party. Flatt is one of the "liberty" Republicans brought into the party by the presidential candidacy of Congressman Ron Paul in 2012.
While serving in the state Senate back in the 1989-90 time period, Tom Cole compiled an 80% Oklahoma Conservative Index score, placing him in our Top Conservatives list. However, his record in Congress has been markedly less conservative. Cole has certainly cast many conservative votes, including votes to repeal and defund ObamaCare, to prohibit the funding of Obama Administration policies which seek to circumvent laws passed by Congress, to build the Keystone Pipeline, and to audit the Federal Reserve System. However, Cole comes down on the side of those who believe the federal government needs more power to "combat terrorism," even at the expense of civil liberties. For example, Cole voted against an amendment to a bill to end blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act, for indefinite military detention for accused terrorists and no recourse to civilian court, and for CISPA or the sharing of private user online data by Internet companies with federal agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA).
Many conservatives still express their disappointment that Cole voted to bail out the big banks in 2008, a vote that led to the rise of the Tea Party movement.
Cole, 64, is considered a very intelligent and capable member of Congress, but he has not been identified with an issue with which he is considered to be passionate about. Many have questioned his public expressions of great concern over the name of a National Football League (NFL) team, when the nation is facing such horrific problems.
Flatt, 46, on the other hand, has no record to compare with Cole's, so readers will need to closely examine her background and her own stand on issues such as federalism, immigration, national defense, and so on. But Anna Flatt is very clear that she is a "libertarian Republican." She charges that Cole has "lost touch with the kind of Republican that highly values limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility." She calls for less government in both social issues and economic issues, including "marriage equality," and the legalization of marijuana, while not approving of its use.
"Supporting an individual's right to make choices does NOT necessarily mean that you approve of those choices," Flatt said. She is non-interventionist in foreign policy, is pro-life, opposed to gun control, and compares her views to those held by Ron Paul, Rand Paul, and Barry Goldwater.
The winner of the primary will face Independent Dennis B. Johnson, 74, of Norman in November, along with the winner of the Democratic primary contest between Tae Si of Norman, and Bert Smith of Moore. Smith, 66, ran for the 5th Congressional District three times (2004, 2006, 2008), then moved to Moore and ran for the 4th District in 2012, losing in the Democrat primary. Tae Si, 27, works as a software engineer.
With the decision of Fifth District Congressman James Lankford to run for the open U.S. Senate post, the seat he won in 2010 is now open, as well, and has drawn many candidates. There are twelve candidates running for the open seat, including six Republicans, three Democrats, and three Independents.
Republicans hoping to win a spot in Congress from the Fifth District include Corporation Commissioner Patrice Douglas, the former Mayor of Edmond. Douglas, 51, was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin as an interim replacement for Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud who resigned before the end of his term. Since Cloud's term was not up until 2014, there was an election scheduled in 2012 to fill the remaining two years of his term. Douglas was the only candidate to file so she was automatically elected. She decided to make the race for Congress this year rather than run for reelection for a full term on the Commission. Douglas has led in campaign contributions to her campaign, raising over $400,000 during the first reporting period. Serving as Mayor and a Corporation Commissioner, Douglas has not established a record on many of the issues that she would face in Congress.
Former State Senator Steve Russell earned a 74% cumulative Conservative Index score during his tenure in the Legislature and has won the endorsement of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC) in his run for Congress. Russell, 50, of Oklahoma City has been a staunch defender of the Second Amendment and the protection of the unborn. An issue that has raised the concern of some conservatives is that Russell is a supporter of a national constitutional convention to consider amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Many well-known conservatives such as Phyllis Schlafly fear that such a convention could turn into a "run-away" convention, and upend our present republican form of government. Russell argued at OCPAC that conservatives should read the book by Mark Levin (The Liberty Amendments), which argues that a convention would be a good thing for the country.
In 2009, Russell voted to allow judgments issued in the courts of foreign nations to be recognized in and enforced by Oklahoma courts. He also voted to allow energy tax credits for the purchase of electric cars.
Russell, a military officer during the Iraq War, was in charge of the unit that found dictator Saddam Hussein, and that publicity propelled Russell to election to the Senate.
Former State Representative Shane Jett, who held a cumulative Conservative Index score of just 49%, is in the race. He was also a candidate for the GOP nomination in 2010 when Lankford was elected. While serving in the Legislature, Jett strongly supported the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and was strong in protecting a citizen's right to privacy. He also voted to nullify ObamaCare (although the bill had no enforcement mechanism). Jett, 39, has voted pro-life on the abortion issue, for tax reductions, and Tort Reform.
On the other hand, Jett was known as an opponent of tougher laws against illegal immigration, choosing to not vote on Oklahoma's HB 1804 in 2007. He told OCPAC that he did not believe Oklahoma was able to secure our borders, but that it would have to be done at the federal level. In response to a question about Speaker John Boehner, Jett suggested Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole as a good replacement. In other comments at OCPAC, Jett opposed a Convention of the States, saying, "I can't think of anything that would be scarier," and worried about the freedoms that might be lost at such an event. He dismissed the federal "Patriot Act" as an act in which we "gave up essential liberties."
Jett voted to fund more bonded debt, and to expand the reasons that local governments could take private property for a private use. On a related issue, he voted to subsidize private business with taxpayer funds. He is from Tecumseh.
State Senator Clark Jolley, with a 69% cumulative Conservative Index score, is making a bid. Jolley, 43, of Edmond has voted to uphold the Second Amendment, but has tended to favor subsidies to private enterprise, and the taking on of more debt through the sale of government bonds. Jolley has been good on the protection of the unborn.
Harvey Sparks, a former aide to staunchly conservative Congressman Jim Bridenstine, is in the race. Bridenstine has the highest Freedom Index score of any member of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, and Sparks promises more of the same. Sparks, 37, of Oklahoma City joined the race late and is struggling to catch up.
Finishing up his first term in the Oklahoma House is State Representative Mike Turner, 27, of Edmond. He has been ranked on the Conservative Index at 69% Conservative, which is based on his only year in the Legislature. He is largely self-financing his campaign, donating $500,000 to the effort during the first reporting period. He says that by not having to rely on contributions from special interests he can represent the people.
Democrats are hoping to take back the central Oklahoma district that has been Republican since John Jarman switched from Democrat back in 1975. Three Democrats are vying for the seat. All are considered liberals.
Tom Guild, 59, of Edmond was the only Democrat to file for the seat in 2012. He ran for the seat two years earlier, losing in the primary. Guild taught political science and legal studies at the University of Central Oklahoma for 27 years and for three years at Oklahoma City University. Years ago, when he was a registered Republican, Guild made three races for a seat on the Corporation Commission, but lost in the Republican primary the last two times. He even went so far as to put the word "Reagan" on his campaign signs, and claimed to be a conservative Republican. He now calls himself a Progressive Democrat.
State Senator Al McAffrey, 65, of Oklahoma City was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2006, and reelected in 2008 and 2010. He won a special election to the state Senate in 2012. McAffrey has a cumulative average score of 13% on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. The third Democrat in the race is Leona Leonard, 43, of Seminole.
There will also be three Independents in the general election, Buddy Ray , 70, of Edmond; Tom Boggs, 51, of Thailand; and Robert Murphy, a perennial candidate from Norman (you don't have to live in the district). Murphy, 66, also ran for the seat in 2012 and has run for various offices in the past. He has previously run as a Libertarian and as an Independent.
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