Primary Election June 26

[patric]

..as seen by Gannett:

Oklahoma's biggest contest is the Republican primary for governor, and the unpopularity of Gov. Mary Fallin and the rivalry between Oklahoma City and Tulsa are factors that could lead to an election that only winnows the field and forces a runoff, said Bill Shepard, director of the Sooner Poll.

Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb's bid to move up is being dragged down by Fallin, who Shepard said is "one of the most unpopular governors in Oklahoma history in modern times." Lamb's chief challengers are former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and mortgage banker Kevin Stitt, who is running as a millionaire outsider in the mold of Trump, Shepard said.

Trump, whose approval is close to 80 percent among Republicans in the state, has not gotten involved, but Donald Trump Jr. came into the state to help Lamb in May.

Voters will also be asked if they want the state to legalize issuing licenses to use medicinal marijuana. People who claim to have a medical condition and do not have a license would be subject to a $400 fine if found with marijuana.

There are also contested Republican primaries in four of the state's five districts, one of which, the 1st District, has drawn the attention of the Club for Growth, a low-tax, small government group that has mounted challenges around the country to Republicans who were not seen as conservative enough.

The 1st District seat is open since Rep. Jim Bridenstine became director of NASA, and the Club for Growth is backing Iraq veteran Andy Coleman and running ads accusing competitor Kevin Hern, a McDonald's franchise millionaire, of not being a true conservative. Hern responded on Twitter with a video denouncing the club as a leader of the "never Trump" movement in 2016.

Shepard said there has been no public polling, but he assumes that Hern, who has spent more than $1 million already, has done some.

"Since he's not put out any polling publicly, you can assume it doesn't show him in the lead," Shepard said.

Oklahoma primaries are only open to registered Democrats or Republicans. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/22/primaries-2018-colorado-maryland-ny-oklahoma-utah-south-carolina-vote/719818002/

[Hoss]

..as seen by Gannett:

Oklahoma's biggest contest is the Republican primary for governor, and the unpopularity of Gov. Mary Fallin and the rivalry between Oklahoma City and Tulsa are factors that could lead to an election that only winnows the field and forces a runoff, said Bill Shepard, director of the Sooner Poll.

Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb's bid to move up is being dragged down by Fallin, who Shepard said is "one of the most unpopular governors in Oklahoma history in modern times." Lamb's chief challengers are former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and mortgage banker Kevin Stitt, who is running as a millionaire outsider in the mold of Trump, Shepard said.

Trump, whose approval is close to 80 percent among Republicans in the state, has not gotten involved, but Donald Trump Jr. came into the state to help Lamb in May.

Voters will also be asked if they want the state to legalize issuing licenses to use medicinal marijuana. People who claim to have a medical condition and do not have a license would be subject to a $400 fine if found with marijuana.

There are also contested Republican primaries in four of the state's five districts, one of which, the 1st District, has drawn the attention of the Club for Growth, a low-tax, small government group that has mounted challenges around the country to Republicans who were not seen as conservative enough.

The 1st District seat is open since Rep. Jim Bridenstine became director of NASA, and the Club for Growth is backing Iraq veteran Andy Coleman and running ads accusing competitor Kevin Hern, a McDonald's franchise millionaire, of not being a true conservative. Hern responded on Twitter with a video denouncing the club as a leader of the "never Trump" movement in 2016.

Shepard said there has been no public polling, but he assumes that Hern, who has spent more than $1 million already, has done some.

"Since he's not put out any polling publicly, you can assume it doesn't show him in the lead," Shepard said.

Oklahoma primaries are only open to registered Democrats or Republicans. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/22/primaries-2018-colorado-maryland-ny-oklahoma-utah-south-carolina-vote/719818002/

Was the July 26th a typo or an attempt to be humorous?   

[heironymouspasparagus]

Looking through that I saw that Chelsea Manning is running for Senator in Maryland.  There is a picture - she has bigger fingers than Trump!   That's gotta sting just a little bit...




Ok,...I know...I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help myself...it's Friday afternoon... I will try to do better in the future!   That was just too unfair to Trump!

[patric]

Was the July 26th a typo or an attempt to be humorous?  

Ummm, what typo?  Lies spread by my detractors no doubt. Sad!

/fixed

[Conan71]

..as seen by Gannett:

Oklahoma's biggest contest is the Republican primary for governor, and the unpopularity of Gov. Mary Fallin and the rivalry between Oklahoma City and Tulsa are factors that could lead to an election that only winnows the field and forces a runoff, said Bill Shepard, director of the Sooner Poll.

Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb's bid to move up is being dragged down by Fallin, who Shepard said is "one of the most unpopular governors in Oklahoma history in modern times." Lamb's chief challengers are former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and mortgage banker Kevin Stitt, who is running as a millionaire outsider in the mold of Trump, Shepard said.

Trump, whose approval is close to 80 percent among Republicans in the state, has not gotten involved, but Donald Trump Jr. came into the state to help Lamb in May.

Voters will also be asked if they want the state to legalize issuing licenses to use medicinal marijuana. People who claim to have a medical condition and do not have a license would be subject to a $400 fine if found with marijuana.

There are also contested Republican primaries in four of the state's five districts, one of which, the 1st District, has drawn the attention of the Club for Growth, a low-tax, small government group that has mounted challenges around the country to Republicans who were not seen as conservative enough.

The 1st District seat is open since Rep. Jim Bridenstine became director of NASA, and the Club for Growth is backing Iraq veteran Andy Coleman and running ads accusing competitor Kevin Hern, a McDonald's franchise millionaire, of not being a true conservative. Hern responded on Twitter with a video denouncing the club as a leader of the "never Trump" movement in 2016.

Shepard said there has been no public polling, but he assumes that Hern, who has spent more than $1 million already, has done some.

"Since he's not put out any polling publicly, you can assume it doesn't show him in the lead," Shepard said.

Oklahoma primaries are only open to registered Democrats or Republicans. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/22/primaries-2018-colorado-maryland-ny-oklahoma-utah-south-carolina-vote/719818002/

Are the Dims allowing Inds to vote in their primaries this year?  I might have to hang around a few extra days before heading back to NM. 

[Hoss]

Are the Dims allowing Inds to vote in their primaries this year?  I might have to hang around a few extra days before heading back to NM. 

Dems always have.  Repubs do closed primaries in Oklahoma.  At least that's how my memory recalls it.

[Conan71]

Dems always have.  Repubs do closed primaries in Oklahoma.  At least that's how my memory recalls it.

I was able to vote in the 2016 Democrat primaries, that was the first I was aware of open primaries in Ok.   I figured NM would be open primaries but they are not.  That means I may have to register in a party just to have a say in the state house and senate races.

[Gold]

You should support Byron Burke for county assessor.  40+ years in ad valorem tax. Has a plan to raise revenue without necessarily raising or cutting taxes. Wants that office to be much more transparent.  And he's my dad.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Are the Dims allowing Inds to vote in their primaries this year?  I might have to hang around a few extra days before heading back to NM. 

Yes they are. 


We voted Saturday, and cancelled out at least 5 of the right wing extremists on SQ788...!

[heironymouspasparagus]

You should support Byron Burke for county assessor.  40+ years in ad valorem tax. Has a plan to raise revenue without necessarily raising or cutting taxes. Wants that office to be much more transparent.  And he's my dad.

How??



And "getting rid of waste in government" doesn't count.  We are way past that point....

[Gold]

How??



And "getting rid of waste in government" doesn't count.  We are way past that point....

Agreed. The assessor's office just isn't run well at the moment. Yazel is rarely there and John Wright claims to be running the show. They have missed numerous properties, like the sale of the shopping center at 91st and Memorial (which cost Jenks public schools a lot of money) and Imperial Coffee (which just wasn't ever assessed until this year). So let's change that for starters. They have the staff to do their job, but something isn't getting done.

There are thousands of properties that aren't being re-assessed and as a consequence, people pay disproportionate taxes. If you buy a home in south Tulsa right now, you will pay a higher rate than a neighbor who hasn't been re-assessed in years. Frankly, that is illegal because state law requires it gets done.

There are a lot of other things my dad would like to change. He has represented taxpayers across the country in ad valorem tax cases and to him, the best assessor offices want to get the right number and will share with you what they used to come up with their number. Tulsa County is completely adversarial until you get an attorney involved (I can speak from experience, because I'm a lawyer and have sued them a few times). The training needs to be better. There needs to be a change in management, including the structure -- right now, the office is ruled by a handful of overpaid or underperforming individuals. There needs to be more oversight and checks and balances on the commercial property division. He also wants to make some changes through the budget board process.

This is a really important position, especially in Tulsa and OKC. Yazel was fine the first few years, but has mailed it in for some time. We just can't entrust it to the status quo (John Wright) or someone who has no clue what they are doing (Darren Gantz). I'm obviously biased, but this is a unique opportunity to put someone in place who has a deep knowledge of these issues and wants to make it better.

[Dspike]

Dems always have.  Repubs do closed primaries in Oklahoma.  At least that's how my memory recalls it.

No, Democrats had closed primaries for the 100 years they controlled the state. They opened them about a decade after losing control of the legislature and all statewide offices.

Republicans have always had closed primaries and still do.

Of course, Independents were a minuscule portion of the population until the past 10-20 years.

[Conan71]

No, Democrats had closed primaries for the 100 years they controlled the state. They opened them about a decade after losing control of the legislature and all statewide offices.

Republicans have always had closed primaries and still do.

Of course, Independents were a minuscule portion of the population until the past 10-20 years.

A development state GOP leaders should take a long look at.  Unfortunately, they don't care about their moderates anymore, they only seem to care about the far right element and those concerned with creating a theocracy.  The GOP party I grew up in believed in smaller government and minimal government intervention, it resembles nothing of the party I joined in 1984 and was a member of until about 8 or so years ago.

[Hoss]

A development state GOP leaders should take a long look at.  Unfortunately, they don't care about their moderates anymore, they only seem to care about the far right element and those concerned with creating a theocracy.  The GOP party I grew up in believed in smaller government and minimal government intervention, it resembles nothing of the party I joined in 1984 and was a member of until about 8 or so years ago.

I signed up recently for the OK.gov website's emails regarding voting, and they compiled a result by party of how many people statewide voted comparing it to that same data from the last two (2016, 2014):

Republicans first:

2018 Primary votes cast: 452,194
2016 Primary votes cast: 459,922
2014 Primary votes cast: 264,894

Now the Democrats:

2018 Primary votes cast: 395.038
2016 Primary votes cast: 335,843
2014 Primary votes cast: 167,863

[DTowner]

A development state GOP leaders should take a long look at.  Unfortunately, they don't care about their moderates anymore, they only seem to care about the far right element and those concerned with creating a theocracy.  The GOP party I grew up in believed in smaller government and minimal government intervention, it resembles nothing of the party I joined in 1984 and was a member of until about 8 or so years ago.

Based on most of the studies to date, open primaries have had little to no effect of moderating the parties' candidates.  In some ways, that makes sense.  If a more "independent minded" voter has to actually join a party to vote in its primary, then that persona actually acts as a moderating force on the party.  Leadership of the parties is often an equal and potentially greater force on the type of candidates that get recruited to run and supported by the party structure.  As independents abandon the parties, the parties become captured by more rigid ideologues, who then recruit and finance more extreme candidates.   In the reverse, independents tend to be less engaged and therefore less likely to vote, which means they end up having less moderating influence in open primaries.

Then there's that old  Margaret Thatcher quote:  "Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides."