By Constitution Staff

The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party announced in December that he would seek re-election to the post. Dave Weston, who was elected to the state party's top leadership position in 2013, said he would run for a second term. He has since picked up two challengers. Former state Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), who was a candidate last year for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Tom Coburn, announced for the position. Also joining the race is Pam Pollard, the current President of the Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women. The selection will be made by the delegates to the Oklahoma Republican Convention which will be held in Oklahoma City on April 11.

In 2013, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Matt Pinnell did not run for a third term and instead took a position with the Republican National Committee. Weston was the first candidate to announce a campaign to succeed Pinnell, and won the post at the state convention. Weston had been active in a variety of positions in the party, including fundraising. He served as part of the campaign management team which successfully elected Congressman James Lankford in 2010, and from 2011-2012 he played a similar role in the election of Congressman Jim Bridenstine. Weston presided over the 2014 election cycle in which Republicans held on to all federal and statewide offices, maintained the GOP majority in the state House, and expanded their majority in the state Senate. "Our vision for the party is to continue to grow and build upon the momentum that we have," Weston said. He also said the party is busy preparing to host the Southern Republican Leadership Conference scheduled for May in Oklahoma City.

While Weston is acknowledged to have done a credible job of keeping Republicans in office, critics say he has been lacking in other tasks. Some charge that unlike his predecessors, he has not been a visible spokesman for the party in the state and has not pushed to identify the party with the conservative principles represented in the party platform.

Randy Brogdon has the reputation as the most conservative candidate in the race, based on his 93% Oklahoma Conservative Index score while serving in the state Senate. After a long career as a private business owner, Brogdon entered politics. In 2010, Brogdon gave up his seat in the Oklahoma Senate to run for governor, losing to Mary Fallin. Fallin bested Brogdon, with 55% of the vote. This state-wide contest in which he ran a strong race against a long-time officeholder in the Sooner State, gave Brogdon strong name recognition and supporters across the state.

Brogdon regularly scored 100% on the Conservative Index, and was the first to garner a perfect score in the Senate since 1979, the first year of the Index which is published by the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper. During his tenure, Brogdon was known as a champion of the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms, pro-life on abortion, opposed to violations of civil liberties, against the use of foreign law in Oklahoma courts, in favor of the Tenth Amendment and "states' rights," for local control of schools, in opposition to subsidies for big business and other crony capitalism efforts, against reckless government spending, for efforts to reduce taxes (such as repeal of the Death Tax), against efforts to unionize municipal employees, and pushed efforts to control illegal immigration.

Brogdon said he would have two priorities as chairman: "The first is to grow the Republican Party, and the second is to help more conservatives in blue counties get elected to office at all levels of government." Brogdon says the State Republican Party Chairman has a huge responsibility to carry the GOP message to those who believe in our principles but have not yet joined our Party. "The conservative message of limited government and the expansion of freedom can best be shared by someone who truly believes in them and has a track record of working to protect and promote those values," says Brogdon. He also says the party structure is designed to be led by the people rather than the political consultants, lobbyists, and special interest groups.

Pam Pollard said she entered the race to bring her nearly 20 years of experience to the position. "The Republican Party is dealing with an identity crisis in today's political environment. We must bring in groups who vote Republican yet are not part of our party. It's about adding and multiplying not subtracting and dividing. We must get organized and give voters a reason and opportunity to be a part of the Republican Party."

Pollard has been elected 12 times to Republican Party positions. She has moved the state Republican Women's organization for the past year to reach out to younger women through their online club and brought in nationally recognized speaker Star Parker to help engage more minorities in the Republican Party. "I am running for State Chairman to bring my leadership and experience to the GOP. I will be a strong voice for the grassroots at our Capitol, supporting our elected officials -- both financially and on the doorstep -- but always be a strong reminder of the principles and platform of the Republican Party."

The delegate selection process for the State Republican Convention begins with Precinct Meetings which must be held no later than January 31, as determined by the party in each county. County Conventions must be scheduled no later than Saturday, March 14. The State Convention will be held Saturday, April 11, at Crossroads Church in Oklahoma City.