Primary Wins!
The 2022 primary elections are now complete. The Oklahoma Public Employee Political Action Committee (OPEAPAC) focused on several of these races to help elect or advance candidates that support the needs of state employees. This process is done by examining the voting records of incumbent candidates and a vetting process of new candidates by OPEAPAC Board of Trustee members as well as PAC donors.
One of the biggest factors accounting for several of the OPEAPAC endorsements is that the endorsed incumbents voted to return state employees to the Defined Benefit (OPERS) retirement system. The bill did not pass in the end, but that one vote caught the attention of some wealthy radical organizations that targeted these incumbents due to their vote to return state employees to the DB system. These radical organizations dumped hundred of thousand of dollars from donors outside of Oklahoma to defeat these incumbents. They stuck their neck out for state employees and did what was right for Oklahoma. We will not let billionaires decide what is right for hard-working Oklahoma state employees.
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OPEAPAC endorsed 34 candidates seeking election or re-election during this election cycle and of those, saw 24 candidates either win their seats or move to a run-off election to be held on August 23, 2022. This resulted in a 95% success rate for OPEAPAC endorsed candidates! Below you can find a list of winning candidates endorsed during the primary election.
As a reminder, OPEAPAC is an optional part of your OPEA membership. No membership dues are used for political activity unless a member opts in to donate to OPEAPAC. Additionally, OPEAPAC donors are eligible to review and suggest candidates for endorsement. If you have further questions regarding OPEAPAC, please contact Chancen Flick at the OPEA office
Endorsed Winners
- Ed Dempsey, HD 1
- Josh West, HD 5
- Randy Randleman, HD 15
- David Smith, HD 18
- Kyle Hilbert, HD 29
- Kevin Wallace, HD 32
- John Talley, HD 33
- Ty Burns, Primary Win, HD 35
- Ken Luttrell, HD 37
- Cindy Roe, Primary Win, HD 42
- Tammy Townley, HD 48
- Marcus McEntire, HD 50
- Mark McBride, HD 53
- Anthony Moore, HD 57
- Rhonda Baker, HD 53
- Toni Hasenbeck, HD 65
- Ross Ford, HD 76
- Mauree Turner, HD 87
- Kristen Thompson, Primary Win, SD 22
- John Haste, SD 36
- Brenda Stanley, SD 42
- George Young, SD 48
- Kevin Stitt, Primary Win, Governor
- Gentner Drummond, Primary Win, Attorney General
Runoff Endorsements
Eight OPEAPAC endorsed candidates are headed into the primary run-off election being held on August 23, 2022. These are candidates that did not receive 51% of their political party’s support during the initial primary election and as such, the top two candidates advance to a run-off for one to be selected as their party’s candidate for the general election ballot. All eight candidates either have an approved voting record on OPEA legislation or have a more favorable stance to state employee rights than their opponent. A list of endorsed candidates can be found below.
Endorsed Candidates
- John George, Republican, House District 36
- Gabe Renfrow, Republican, House District 66
- Ally Seifried, Republican, Senate District 2
- Keith Barenberg, Republican, Senate District 4
- Darcy Jech, Republican, Senate District 26
- Clark Jolley, Republican, State Treasurer
- Leslie Osborn, Republican, Labor Commissioner
- Kim David, Republican, Corporation Commissioner
If you have questions about these candidates, OPEAPAC support, or if you reside in a district with a runoff election, please contact Chancen Flick at the OPEA office
