The liberal Tulsa World has endorsed long-time member Ruth Ann Fate in the District 6 race for Tulsa School Board and newcomer John Croisant in District 5.

Fate will face Dr. Jerry Griffin in the June 30 election while Croisant will be up against Tulsa businessman Shane Saunders, a Republican. Fate said this is her last race for school board.

The World editorial endorses Fate yet criticizes her for a lack of transparency in board meetings and states she “should do a better job of explaining (her judgments) to her constituents.” Fate was first elected in 1996 and she came in second to Dr. Griffin, a professor at The University of Oklahoma, in the primary.

Dr. Griffin is a certified teacher in middle-school social studies and business education in Oklahoma. He has been an adjunct professor at The University of Oklahoma, Grand Canyon University, Walden University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Southern Nazarene University.

Plus, he spent four years in the United States Marine Corps and two years in the Peace Corps in Botswana.

An endorsement by the Tulsa Beacon on March 12 stated, “Dr. Griffin is so much more qualified than his opponent, Ruth Ann Fate, who symbolizes the mismanagement of TPS that has resulted in a giant budget deficit and declining test scores and enrollment.”

Croisant is a former teacher at Edison Preparatory School and has a political science degree. He has an insurance agency.

Saunders has a bachelor’s in politics and bachelor’s in classics from Washington and Lee University; and a master’s in business administration from University of Tulsa. He is president of Trident Energy, Inc.

The World has endorsed Rep. Monroe Nichols over former city councilor Maria Barnes in the Democrat primary. The Tulsa Beacon has not made an endorsement.

Primary ballot

Tulsa County Court Clerk

Republican

  • Don Newberry, Tulsa
  • Ron Phillips, Tulsa

County Comm. District 2

Republican

  • Eddy Barclay, Tulsa
  • Josh Turley, Sand Springs

State of Oklahoma

U.S. Senator

Republican

  • Jim Inhofe, Tulsa
  • J.J. Stitt, Kingfisher
  • John Tompkins, Oklahoma City
  • Neil Mavis, Tulsa

Democrat

  • Sheila Bilyeu, Freedom
  • Abby Broyles, Oklahoma City
  • Elysabeth Britt, Oklahoma City
  • R.O. Joe Cassity, Jr., Ponca City

U.S. House District 1

Democrat

  • Kojo Asamoa-Caesar, Tulsa
  • Mark A. Keeter, Tulsa

District 2

Republican

  • Markwayne Mullin, Westville
  • Joseph Silk, Watson
  • Rhonda Hopkins, Rose

District 4

Republican

  • James Taylor, Norman
  • Tom Cole, Moore
  • Trevor Sipes, Moore
  • Gilbert Sanders, Choctaw

Democrat

  • Mary Brannon, Washington
  • John D. Argo, Norman
  • David R. Slemmons, Norman

District 5

Republican

  • Janet Barresi, Oklahoma City
  • Charles Tuffy Pringle, McLoud
  • David Hill, Edmond
  • Terry Neese, Oklahoma City
  • Michael Ballard, Tecumseh
  • Miles Rahimi, Edmond
  • Shelli Landon, Tulsa
  • Stephanie Bice, Edmond
  • Jake Merrick, Yukon

Democrat

  • Tom Guild, Edmond
  • Kendra Horn, Oklahoma City

Corporation Commission

Republicans

  • Harold Spradling, Cherokee
  • Todd Hiett, Kellyville

State Senate

District 35

Republican

  • Cheryl Baber, Tulsa
  • Kyden Creekpaum, Tulsa
  • Linda Morrissey, Tulsa

Democrat

  • Carly Hotvedt, Tulsa
  • Jo Anna Dossett, Tulsa
  • Stan Allen Young, Tulsa

District 37

Republican

  • Cody Rogers, Tulsa
  • Chris Emerson, Jenks
  • State Representative

District 11

Republican

  • Derrel Fincher, Bartlesville
  • Wendi Stearman, Collinsville

District 12

Republican

  • Kevin McDugle, Broken Arrow
  • Justin Dine, Broken Arrow

District 14

Republican

  • George Faught, Muskogee
  • Chris Sneed, Fort Gibson

District 30

Republican

  • Mark Lawson, Sapulpa
  • Kate Stromlund, Sapulpa
  • Jake Rowland, Bixby

District 66

Republican

  • Jadine Nollan, Sand Springs
  • Emily DeLozier, Sand Springs

District 69

Republican

  • Sheila Dills, Tulsa
  • Angela Strohm, Jenks
  • Jamie McGuire, Jenks

District 70

Republican

  • Carol Bush, Tulsa
  • Taylor Woodrum, Tulsa

District 71

Republican

  • Beverly A. Atteberry, Tulsa
  • Mike Masters, Tulsa
  • David Matthew Hullum, Tulsa

District 72

Democrat

  • Monroe Nichols, Tulsa
  • Maria Veliz Barnes, Tulsa

District 79

Republican

  • Margie Alfonso, Tulsa
  • Maria Mercedes Seidler, Tulsa
  • Clay Iiams, Tulsa

Tulsa School Board District 5

  • John Croisant faces Shane Saunders.

Tulsa School Board District 6

  • Ruth Ann Fate faces Dr. Jerry Griffin.

State Question 802

This constitutional amendment would expand Medicaid to include Oklahomans 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 more restrictions to make it 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 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.