Out-of-state political action committees have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in “dark money” to defeat conservative candidates in Oklahoma.

And it’s having an effect.

The dark money PACs succeeded in creating enough negativity to ensure the defeat of some of the most conservative lawmakers in the primary and runoff elections.

State Rep. Chuck Strohm, who has a Conservative Index Rating of 93 (and a lifetime rating of 95), was labeled a “liberal” in radio commercials. Rep. Dr. Mike Ritze, who has a conservative rating of 80 (83 lifetime), lost in a runoff after being peppered with ads calling him a “liberal.” Rep. George Faught suffered a similar fate even though he has a conservative rating of 83 (lifetime 74). Rep. Travis Dunlap was targeted, too. He has a rating of 80 (lifetime 84).

Ritze, Strohm, Faught and Dunlap all voted for the teacher pay raise but did not vote for the highest tax increase in Oklahoma history. Campaign ads against them charged them with being against public education.

And GOP leaders, including House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Chris Kannady, targeted members of the GOP Platform Caucus, a group that fought tax increases. Kannady gave money to Republican candidates running against sitting House members in Tulsa and Broken Arrow.

Here is a review of November 6 House battles.

House District 23

Terry S. O’Donnell, Republican, vs. Craig John Hoxie, Democrat

O’Donnell was first elected in 2013. O’Donnell is chairman of the Special Committee in the House and supported bills for prison reforms.

O’Donnell got a score of 46 out of 100 on the Oklahoma Constitution’s Conservative Index for 2018. He has a cumulative average of 54. He voted for the biggest tax increase in state history and a cap on itemized deductions for taxpayers.

Hoxie has taught and been an administrator in public schools for 18 years. A military veteran, he supported the teacher strike earlier this year. He wants taxpayers to fund universal health care and wants raises for all state workers.

House District 66

Jadine Nollan, Republican, vs. Angela Graham, Democrat

Rep. Jadine Nollan got a 39 rating on the Conservative Index. She has a 50 rating for her career. She voted against a cap on itemized deductions, for the constitutional carry of firearms and for work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients.

Nollan is the assistant majority whip and serves on the common education committee.

Angela Graham teaches pre-kindergarten at Deborah Brown Community School. She disagrees with the recent reforms on workers’ compensation laws. She blames the Republican Legislature for “cuts” to public education.

House District 67

Jeff Boatman, Republican, vs. Carly Hotvedt, Democrat

Jeff Boatman and his family are members of Southwood Baptist Church and have taken mission trips to other nations. With a degree in business administration, he has worked in telecommunications, accounting and information technology. He has a master’s degree in Christian counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is chief technology officer for Global Holdings, a company he co-founded. According to his campaign website, Boatman has been targeted by out-of-state dark money PACs.

Carly Hotvedt previously worked as a “victim witness advocate” for the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. She has a masters’ degree in public administration. She is now the director of agriculture and natural resources for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She wants more taxes and spending for public education.

House District 68

Lonnie Sims, Republican; Michael Ross, Democrat; J. Lee Miller Jr., Libertarian; Heather Chenoweth, Independent

Lonnie Sims is a former mayor of Jenks. He previously served as a councilor for eight years and six years on the Planning Commission.

Sims and his family are members of Victory Christian Center. He is a small business owner. He thinks that Oklahoma’s infrastructure “is being ignored” and that state government should balance its budget.

Michael Ross is a public school teacher. He was Sand Springs Education Association’s Teacher of the Year for 2016-17. He and his family attend Harvard Avenue Christian Church. He wants the state to increase Medicaid funding and to install “automatic voter registration” – similar to the District of Columbia. He wants higher taxes for public education.

House District 69

Sheila Dills, Republican, vs. Andy Richardson, Democrat

Sheila Dills’ family owns a funeral service business in Northeastern Oklahoma. She has a broadcast journalism degree from Oklahoma State University. In 2016, Sheila was appointed by Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum to a steering committee to offer solutions for an area of Tulsa with high concentrations of crime and poverty.

Andy Richardson has a degree from OSU and a law degree from The University of Oklahoma. He is part of the law firm McAfee & Taft. He and his family attend Christ Church. He wants to overhaul Oklahoma’s criminal justice system and emphasize education over incarceration.

House District 70

Carol M. Bush, Republican, vs. J.J. Burnam, Democrat

Rep. Carol Bush could be the most liberal Republican in the House. Her Conservative Index Rating was 21 and she has a career rating of only 17. Bush missed seven of the 10 votes on the index list and voted the wrong way on the other three. Bush, a pro-abortion Republican, is on the public health committee.

JJ Burnam is a”data architect”at Cimarex Energy. He has a degree from OSU. He wants more funding for public education and Medicaid expansion. He favors rehabilitation over imprisonment

House District 71

Cheryl Baber, Republican, vs. Denise Brewer, Democrat

Cheryl Baber is a Tulsa attorney. Her undergraduate degree is from Midwestern State University and her law degree is from Columbia University School of Law. She has worked for five federal judges. She and her family attend First Baptist Church in Tulsa.

She wants to reform the state’s funding formula for education and put more money into classrooms.

Denise Brewer is a media professional  with a degree from OU. Walter Cronkite is her “hero.” She blames budget cuts for the crisis in public education. She wants to protect Oklahomans from “rising health care costs.” And she wants reform of drug laws.

House District 76

T. J. Marti, Republican; Karen Gaddis, Democrat; Kelli Krebs, Libertarian

Rep. Karen Gaddis has a Conservative Rating of 23 (for only one session). She did vote for the display of the Ten Commandments on public ground and for parental rights. Gaddis was elected in a special election in 2017 and serves on the education committee.

T.J. Marti is a pharmacist and owner of CareFirst Pharmacy. He and his family attend Life Church He is a conservative, pro-life and pro-Second Amendment.

House District 77

Todd Blackburn, Republican, vs. John Waldron, Democrat

Todd Blackburn co-founded CEIS, which later became TECHSICO, LLC. The company expanded to other states. He wants to “properly fund” schools, increase pay for teachers and support staff and increase spending per student. He wants reforms in taxation.

John Waldron is a public school teacher who ran unsuccessfully for the State Senate last year. He wants higher taxes for the wealthy and more money for public schools.

House District 78

Paul Royse, Republican; Meloyde Blancett, Democrat; Gene Bell, Libertarian

Rep. Meloyde Blancett got a Conservative Rating of 23. She did vote for the bill on parental rights. Blancett was elected in 2016 and is on the House Banking and Business Committee. She is a former advisor to ex-Mayor Kathy Taylor. She wants fewer criminals in prisons and more in rehabilitation.

Paul Royse has been a licensed security guard, a licensed private detective and in security management. He started a detective agency and was a police officer. A son of a pastor, he is against abortion. He supports gun rights and wants to be an advocate for veterans. Royce wants an end to tax increases.

House District 79

Dan Hicks, Republican, vs. Melissa Provenzano, Democrat

Dan Hicks and his family are members of Journey Bible Church, where he teaches children’s classes. Hicks is the lead designer at a Tulsa architectural company and he has worked on several projects for public school districts. Hicks has been endorsed by Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel, former Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris, former Tulsa City Councilor John Eagleton and Tulsa County Assessor-elect John Wright. Hicks is against abortion, against higher taxes and wants common sense reforms for public education that puts funding in the classrooms.

Melissa Provenzano is the assistant principal of Bixby High School. She formerly taught biology at Will Rogers High School and was an administrator at Booker T. Washington High School and Hale High School.

She wants higher teacher pay and expansion of Medicaid. According to her website, she advocates “social equity.” “Opinions, lifestyles and backgrounds may differ, but working together to find common ground unites us as one,” she states.

House District 80

Stan May, Republican, vs. Janice J. Graham, Democrat

Stan May has worked for the Tulsa Fire Department for 26 years. He supports the 2nd Amendment and is against abortion.

Janice Graham is a former teacher, a small business owner and a realtor. She had a degree in special education from Oral Roberts University. She was a school psychologist for 35 years. She wants more taxes for public education and for all levels of government. She wants more funding for health care prison reform.

House District 98

Dean F. Davis, Republican; Kilmyn Easley-Graf, Democrat; Sean Parrish, Independent

Dean Davis wants state budget reform. He wants more money for public education and higher academic standards. He supports gun rights and is against abortion.

Kilmyn Easley-Graf has a masters’ degree from OU and is a member of the Cherokee Nation. She is a teacher at Tulsa Central Junior and Senior High School. She thinks that “irresponsible budget practices” by the current Legislature are to blame for problems in public education.