Former State Sen. Dr. Ervin Yen, M.D., has announced that he will run for governor after switching from being a registered Republican to an Independent.

“The Oklahoma GOP has left me,” Yen said. “Seemingly, every other day, I receive a communication from the party being rabidly opposed to mask mandates as well as Covid-19 vaccine mandates.  The majority of the Republican Party also seems to believe that the Presidential election was stolen from our former President.  I vehemently disagree with these views and that is why I have withdrawn my Republican voter registration.  I have not changed, the Party has,” said Dr. Yen.

Yen announced one year ago he was running.

“Most Oklahomans did wear masks in December of 2020 through April of 2021.  Most masks came off in May and our Covid cases started to again rise significantly in June of 2021.  That is when I again called for a state-wide mask mandate, which we all know did not happen.  Masks (not gaiters or scarves) work and are only temporary until we get this virus under control,” said Yen.

“Some areas of the U.S. have very high Covid vaccination rates.  They do not need a vaccine mandate.  In Oklahoma, where our vaccination rate is about 50%, we do.”

Yen said there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Yen served as the State Senator for District 40 from 2014 to 2018. During that time he served as Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee and Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

Yen opposed legislation to deter abortion in the Senate.