Medicaid up for vote
Tulsans will go to the polls on June 30 to vote for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
There are several national, state, county and school votes. And there is a State Questions 802, which would expand Medicaid in Oklahoma.
Here is information on ballot choice in Tulsa and Tulsa County.
Tulsa Board of Education, District 6
Ruth Ann Fate, Democrat
Fate was first elected in 1996. She was board president from 1999 through 2002 and 2013 from 2014. She is a member of Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). According to the Bethany Christian Church Facebook page, the church is “open and affirming church.” According to the church website, “Bethany Christian Church is recognized by PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and by GLAD Alliance (Gay and Lesbian Affirming Disciples) as an Open and Affirming congregation. We are also recognized locally by “Oklahomans for Equality.”
The schools in that district are Bell, Hoover, Jones, MacArthur and Salk elementary schools; Zarrow International School; Hale Junior High and High schools; Memorial Junior High; and Street School.
Jerry Griffin, Republican
Griffin has a doctorate in education and teaches online business and criminal justices classes at The University of Oklahoma and The University of Phoenix. He holds an MBA from SMU and an undergraduate degree in business from TU.
He also taught a Wichita State University, Southwest Texas State University and Eastern Kentucky University.
He was a major in the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office from 1990 to 1998. Griffin was a Tulsa police officer from 1966-1970. Griffin has been an early settlement mediator and court-appointed special advocate for children. He was a Peace Corps volunteer from 1988-1990.
Tulsa County Court Clerk
Republican
Tulsa County Court Clerk Don Newberry is a third generation Tulsa and an active member of LifeChurch. He served in the United States Air Force as an explosive ordinance disposal specialist. He holds degrees from Tulsa Community College, Liberty University, and the University of Tulsa. He was elected as the Tulsa County Court Clerk in 2016.
Newberry has been involved in the managing, directing, and budgeting of Tulsa County as a member of the Tulsa County Budget Board. Prior to that he worked in the mortgage industry. In his spare time, and on the weekends, Newberry serves as a volunteer in many areas. He has taught Sunday School in, mentoring teens, working with troubled youth at the Tulsa County Juvenile Justice Center, and helping the elderly in his community. He has been endorsed by the Tulsa Beacon.
Ron Phillips, Tulsa, Ron Phillips, is in real estate sales. He was the Special Projects Director for the Tulsa County Court Clerk’s Office.
He has held management positions with major corporate companies in the private business sector.
Phillips has a degree in business administration and has held management positions with Williams Energy, Vyvx, Williams Communications, Cinergy, Altegrity and Colburn Electric.
County Commission District 2
Republican
Eddy Barclay, Tulsa, grew up in West Tulsa. His mother, Maryann Barclay, was a teacher for 32 years at Robertson Elementary. His father, Bill Barclay, worked for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for 35 years.
Eddy Barclay is director of road operations for Tulsa County Eddy and he works on road projects including budgeting and future funds for maintenance.
Barclay was former Commissioner John Smaligo’s stand-in representative at the Board of County Commissioner meetings for a year.
Dr. Josh Turley, Sand Springs, is a from a third generation law enforcement family and he is a 25 year veteran of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. He started with Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in 1991. After various positions and nine years of crime scene investigations, he created the first Risk Management program for Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. Turley owns Everything Behind the Badge, a shop for law enforcement.
State of Oklahoma
U.S. Senator
Republican
Sen. Jim Inhofe, Tulsa, is a former state legislator, a U.S. representative and mayor of Tulsa. In 1994, Inhofe was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Inhofe, 85, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Supporters say Inhofe laid to rest questions about his age when he aired a commercial showing him deliberately piloting upside down. Inhofe was voted the most conservative senator in the national in 2017 and 2018 and was fifth in 2019 (by GovTrack).
J.J. Stitt, Kingfisher, owns a retail firearms business owner who has a federal Firearms License. Stitt is a 17 year veteran of law enforcement and is commissioned and an active member in his local community. His background also includes multiple years assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Federal Task Force. He has testified as a digital forensic expert in court and has numerous commendations in his work rescuing abused children. Stitt manages Stitt Farms, where he raises crops of rye and wheat every year and is a registered breeder of black hereford cattle. J.J. and Gov. Kevin Stitt are distant cousins tied together on their great grandfather’s bloodline.
John Tompkins, Oklahoma City, is a semi-retired orthopedic surgery specialist. He has over 39 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from University of Oklahoma College of Medicine medical school in 1981.
Neil Mavis, Tulsa, is a conservative who thinks the core responsibilities for a senator is to defend freedom, liberty and the U.S. Constitution. Mavis is a Christian engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University and a graduate degree from Mercer University. He previously ran for Tulsa City Council and was part of a group that tried to bring the Olympic Games to Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma.
Mavis, a Wi-Fi architect, twice ran for Congress two decades ago.
Democrat
Sheila Bilyeu, Freedom (Oklahoma), wrote on her website, “My views are much like Bernie Sanders.” She wants a $15 an hour minimum wage, all student loans forgiven and free tuition at all state colleges. She is a school counselor. She has a degree from OSU.
Abby Broyles, Oklahoma City, was a journalist, working mostly with the NBC-TV affiliate in Oklahoma City. She got a law degree and opened her own practice. Her mother has been a professor at Southern Nazarene University for 40 years. She wants women to make the same pay as men. She believes that climate change is manmade and wants America to switch to electric cars.
Elysabeth Britt, Oklahoma City, has a sociology degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and she served in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2018, she lost a bid for the U.S. House in Oklahoma District 5. She works in human resources for The Oklahoman and Gannett Media. According to her website, one of her priorities is “advancing a more equitable global community.”
R.O. Joe Cassity, Jr., lives in Ponca City. Cassity, 76, is a Ponca City lawyer and a retired college professor and Army reservist who ran for state corporation commissioner all the way back in 1966.
He spent 21 years teaching at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan.
U.S. House District 1
Democrat
Kojo Asamoa-Caesar, Tulsa, is a first-generation American, the son of a certified nursing assistant and taxi driver from Ghana. He has a degree in communications from Old Dominion University and a law degree from College of William & Mary. He joined Teach for America and came to Tulsa as a kindergarten teacher in 2013.
He was the founding principal of Greenwood Leadership Academy and he was interim executive director of 36 Degrees North, a group that helps entrepreneurs. He advocates universal childcare, universal pre-kindergarten, free college tuition and cancelation of all student loans. He is pro-abortion.
Mark A. Keeter, Tulsa, is a businessman who is an electrical engineer and lawyer. He is a self-described “man of faith.” He wants to rebuild America’s infrastructure and stop converting public streets to toll roads.
Corporation Commission
Republicans
Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, Kellyville, was elected to the Oklahoma House in 1994. Hiett was chosen as the first Republican House Speaker in more than eight decades in Oklahoma. He was elected chairman of the OCC in 2019.
Harold Spradling, Cherokee, is a 85-year-old retiree. He has been a pastor, teacher and counselor. He had previously had an unsuccessful run to defeat Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony.
State Senate District 35
Republican
Cheryl Baber, Tulsa, is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney. She has a law degree from Columbia University of Law in New York. She started in private practice with Crowe & Dunlevy but left to work as a law clerk for federal judges. She was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2016. She and her family attend First Baptist Church of Tulsa.
Kyden Creekpaum, Tulsa, is an international anti-corruption attorney. Previously, he was an acclaimed pianist. He grew up attending Tulsa Baptist Temple. He has performed as a soloist with the ORU Symphony, the Missouri State University Symphony and the Tulsa Youth Symphony. Creekpaum’s parents were both teachers.
Creekpaum has degrees in piano and political science from OU and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Linda Morrissey, Tulsa, was a District Court Judge for 25 years in Tulsa County. She and her family are members of Boston Avenue Methodist Church. She has a degree in education from OSU and a law degree from OU. She supports the Second Amendment and is a trained, concealed carrier. She is opposed to abortion except in cases of the health of the mother and cases of rape and incest.
Democrat
Carly Hotvedt, Tulsa, is an attorney and director of Tribal Enterprise for The University of Arkansas Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative). A member of the Cherokee Tribe, she has a degree from OSU and a law degree from OU. After college, she opened a private practice. In 2018, she lost a House race in District 67.
Jo Anna Dossett, Tulsa, She attended William Jewell College and Oklahoma State University at Tulsa. Her professional experience includes teaching English as a second language. Dossett’s professional credentials include being named Owasso Public Schools Teacher of the Year and the Masonic Foundation of Oklahoma Teacher of Today. She has been affiliated with St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Owasso Education Foundation, and the Oklahoma Education Association.
Stan Allen Young, Tulsa, has a degree from the OU College of Nursing. He is a registered respiratory therapist, a registered nurse and a certified registered nurse anesthetist. He was in the U.S. Navy. He is a Unitarian Universalist.
State Senate District 37
Republican
Cody Rogers, Tulsa, founded his paving company in 2015 and now he employs dozens of Oklahomans and manages million-dollar projects.
Rogers says he is a conservative Republican who is pro-life, pro-education, pro-Constitution and for fiscal responsibility.
Rogers supports President Trump and the Second Amendment and he said he will work with Gov. Stitt to make Oklahoma “a Top 10 state for education.”
Chris Emerson, Jenks, is an anesthesiologist and father of nine children. His family are members of the Church at Jenks. He has a degree from the OU Medical School. An avid hunter, he supports gun rights and opposes abortion.
As a doctor, he wants to make Oklahoma a healthier state.
State Representative
District 11
Republican
Rep. Derrel Fincher, Bartlesville, has a degree from Oklahoma State University and a career in industry, education, technology and politics. He is vice chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education and Career Tech.
Wendi Stearman, Collinsville, has been endorsed by the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association. She is pro-life and supports President Trump.
District 12
Republican
Rep. Kevin McDugle, Broken Arrow, has an MBA from Phoenix University and he has been an adjunct professor for Wesleyan University. He served in the Marine Corps in combat in Somalia, Bosnia and Saudi Arabia. He is chairman of the House Wildlife Committee.
Justin Dine, Broken Arrow, went to college at College of the Ozarks (“Hard Work U”) in Branson, Missouri. Involved in Christian ministry, he worked as a mechanic and electrician. Later, he worked for Gary McSpadden Ministries and attended Rhema Bible College. He has worked for DirectTV/AT&T for nine years. He and his wife own a music school in Broken Arrow.
District 30
Republican
Rep. Mark Lawson, Sapulpa, is chairman of the A&B Human Services Committee. He was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2018.
Kate Stromlund, Sapulpa, is against illegal immigration and approves the use of the “morning after” abortion pill.
Jake Rowland, Bixby, is a small business owners. He ran unsuccessfully in 2018.
District 66
Republican
Rep. Jadine Nollan, Sand Springs, is an adhoc member of the Tulsa Chamber and a board member of the Sand Springs Chamber. She is the former president of the Sand Springs School Board. She has a degree from OSU.
Emily DeLozier, Sand Springs, describes herself as “a Christian, great, great grandmother who like to travel and shop.”
District 69
Republican
Rep. Sheila Dills, Tulsa, was first elected in 2018. She attends Asbury United Methodist Church. She has been endorsed by the liberal Tulsa World. Dills scored 65 out of 100 on an economic conservative index and only 43 on the Oklahoma Constitution (newspaper) Conservative Index.
Angela Strohm, Jenks, is the wife of former Rep. Chuck Strohm. She is self-employed. She studied at Oral Roberts University and Baptist Christian College. She is a former school teacher and is a political conservative. She has been endorsed by the Tulsa Beacon.
Jamie McGuire, Jenks, is an author.
District 70
Republican
Rep. Carol Bush, Tulsa, has been endorsed (2018) by the Tulsa World. She is the former executive director of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network. She has a degree in business marketing from ORU. She voted for tax increases. She had a 17 rating in 2018 from the Oklahoma Constitution’s Conservative Index.
Taylor Woodrum, Tulsa, is a political science major at OSU-Tulsa. At TU, he started a club called Young Americans for Liberty and now he is the state recruitment director. He supports the Second Amendment and he wants prison reforms.
District 71
Republican
Beverly A. Atteberry, Tulsa, is an attorney. She has a law degree from TU and has worked on wills, probate and criminal law. She is a Christian.
Mike Masters, Tulsa, is a public school teacher and a licensed real estate agent. Masters us on the boards of the Brookside neighborhood and business associations.
David Matthew Hullum, Tulsa, was a Democrat candidate for Oklahoma’s First Congressional District in 2018 and an Independent candidate in 2016.
District 72
Democrat
Rep. Monroe Nichols, Tulsa, got a zero (out of 100) on the Conservative Index by the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper. He has been in office since 2016.
Maria Veliz Barnes, Tulsa, is a former Tulsa city councilor in District 4 (2006-2008 and 2009-2011). She is a member of Christ the King Church.
District 79
Republican
Margie Alfonso, Tulsa, has a degree from Michigan State University in bacteriology and public health. She is a former president of the Tulsa Eagle Forum, a First District Congressional District Woman, a two-time Oklahoma Republican delegate to the national convention. Alfonso is a registered ASCAP member whose songs and poetry were aired on Armed Forces Radio and soldiersradio.com, and performed at venues including churches, Bob Hope Hollywood USO, Skelly Stadium, Orlando Convention Center, and numerous literacy events across the country, including the Library of Congress.
Maria Mercedes Seidler, Tulsa, is an attorney with Seidler Consulting. She has a master’s degree in environmental managements from Yale University and a law degree from TU. She has a Ph.D. in letters/English from TU.
Clay Iiams, Tulsa, is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who served in Afghanistan, Japan and South Korea.
State Question 802
This is a constitutional amendment that would expand Medicaid coverage to include Oklahomans who are over 18 but under 65 and whose annual income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty line (which was $17,236 in 2019 for a single adult and $35,535 for a family of four). The State could not create additional restrictions to make it more difficult to qualify for expanded Medicaid coverage than it is to qualify for the Medicaid program currently in place. Medicaid is funded by the federal government and the state. This would require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to try to maximize federal funding for Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma. If approved, OHCA has 90 days to submit documents necessary to get federal approval for implementing Medicaid expansion by July 1, 2021.