Educators running for Legislature are going to 'change the bedrock' in Oklahoma, supporters say

A significant number of the 794 people who declared their intent to run for state House and Senate seats last week are career educators. The three-day filing period from Wednesday to Friday recorded the most candidates the state has seen since at least 2000. Nearly 600 registered in 2006.

It’s not yet clear how many in the education field are vying for legislative seats, but initial filings show that elementary school teachers to reading specialists to high school principals are running for the Legislature.

Craig Hoxie is a physics and IB sports, exercise and health science teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. Hoxie, who is running as a Democrat for House District 23, said the influx of educators hoping to legislate shows the teacher walkout made a difference.

"The influx means the movement’s been a success,” Hoxie said. “... That we’ve galvanized teachers to run, that we’re going to change the bedrock in this state and that we are going to start moving forward.”

Legislative campaigns saw a similar “teacher caucus” during the 2016 filing period, although educators say this time around, the walkout and Capitol demonstration spurred a movement unlike any before it.

“I think that there is so much more awareness for the way that the policies are affecting everyday Oklahomans, and people are more engaged and ready for change,” said Jennifer Esau, who is running as a Democrat for Senate District 2.

Esau, who is on the board of the Oklahoma Education Association, is one of many first-time legislative hopefuls challenging a lawmaker who has gone unopposed in recent elections. Senate District 2 is currently represented by Sen. Marty Quinn, who ran without a general election challenger in 2014.

During a meeting earlier this month with a teacher who was explaining her concerns about education, Quinn reportedly told her, “If you’re not satisfied, change your profession.”

Esau said teachers are used to such statements from some members of the Legislature.

“(I’ve) gone to the (teacher) rallies in 2014 and 2015 and just have not had good feedback from our legislators,” Esau said. “So I’ve just felt like I had to do something, to step up.”

Quinn responded to criticism about the statement in a Facebook post, saying that the comment was taken out of context.

“During the course of one conversation (April 2), a teacher shared her specific salary and magnitude of student debt in achieving her doctorate degree. In that vein and in response specifically to her situation I said ‘maybe she should change jobs.’ Never in any of the conversations did I say anything like, ‘if teachers don’t like the pay they need to find another job.’ ”

Many of the educators running emphasized that education will be only one component of their platform. Barbara Crisp, a reading interventionist for Tulsa Public Schools, said she’s concerned about the over-taxing of small businesses and adequate funding for not just teachers, but also firefighters, police forces and mental health services.

“I hope as we go through this process each candidate running ... will be open-minded, not only to education but also to other things that make our state great,” she said.

Crisp, who also has experience in military contract work, is challenging Quinn as a Republican in the upcoming primary.

Hoxie, for his part, said all public works employees in Oklahoma have been ignored by the Legislature and need to be part of state salary discussions.

The Oklahoma Education Association plans to help elect pro-education candidates. Alicia Priest, president of the OEA, said each local teachers union would form an election committee that would campaign for, and potentially recruit, candidates.

Priest framed teachers’ continued electoral advocacy as an imperative for the state’s future.

“We know that when our state invests in education, they are investing in the economic development of our state,” said Priest. “We must continue on. We will be doing other things to make sure that our teachers are staying engaged and involved. They’ll be walking. They’ll be knocking on doors, they’ll be doing postcards for education candidates. They’ll be doing whatever our education candidates need them to do so we can be successful, today tomorrow and well into the future.”

Bixby High School assistant principal Melissa Provenzano is running as a Democrat, and one of six people, for House District 79. She said watching the groundswell of support for the teacher walkout cemented her decision to run.

“It just flipped a switch in me because it struck me: You think you’re all alone in something,” but the walkout showed her the support of not just parents, teachers and students, but also churches, small businesses and everyday folks, she said.

Provenzano said she’s already witnessing the networking power created by so many educators running for office. Teachers are sharing resources to create brands, campaign websites and graphics. She joked that teachers are known “for begging, borrowing and stealing from one another.”

“We definitely have formed a support system.”

Candidate filings

Here is a list of candidates for all Tulsa-area offices who have filed for office: (i denotes incumbent) (from Tulsa unless noted otherwise):

U.S. Rep. District 1: Andy Coleman (R), Owasso; Nathan Dahm (R), Broken Arrow; Amanda Douglas (D), Broken Arrow; Tim Gilpin (D); Tim Harris (R); Kevin Hern (R); David Matthew Hullum (D); Gwendolyn Fields (D), Oklahoma City; Mark Keeter (D); Danny Stockstill (R).

U.S. Rep. District 2: Richard Castaldo (L), Grove; John Foreman (I), Park Hill; Brian Jackson (R), Muskogee; Jarrin Jackson (R), Owasso; Virginia Blue Jeans Jenner (D), Wagoner; John McCarty (R), Afton; Elijah McIntosh (D), Tahlequah; Jason Nichols (D), Tahlequah; Markwayne Mullin (i) (R); Clay Padgett (D), Soper;

U.S. Rep. District 3: Frank Lucas (i) (R), Frankie Robbins (D), Medford; Cheyenne; Murray Mark Thibodeaux (D).

Governor: Christopher Barnett (R); Mick Cornett (R), Oklahoma City; Drew Edmondson (D), Oklahoma City; Joe Exotic (L), Wynnewood; Dan Fisher (R), El Reno; Eric Foutch (R), McLoud; Barry Gowdy (R), Elk City; Connie Johnson (D), Forest Park; Gary A. Jones (R), Cache; Todd Lamb (R), Oklahoma City; Rex Lawhorn (L), Broken Arrow; Chris Powell (L), Bethany; Gary Richardson (R); Blake Cowboy Stephens (R), Tahlequah; Kevin Stitt (R).

Lt. Governor: Dominique Damon Block (R), Oklahoma City; Anna Dearmore (D), Okmulgee; Eddie Fields (R), Wynona; Ivan Holmes (I), Oklahoma City; Dana Murphy (R), Edmond; Matt Pinnell (R); Anastasia Pittman (D), Oklahoma City.

Senate District 2: Barbara Crisp (R), Claremore; Jennifer Esau (D), Claremore; Marty Quinn (i) (R), Claremore.

Senate District 8: Marlena Nobles (I), Eufala; Roger Thompson (i) (R), Okemah; Shannan Tucker (D), Okemah.

Senate District 10: Bill Coleman (R), Ponca City; Gary Lanham (R), Hominy; Amber Roberts (R), Hominy

Senate District 12: James Leewright (i) (R), Bristow; Rick Parris (D), Mannford.

Senate District 18: Charles Arnall (D), Tahlequah; Kim David (i) (R), Porter; Eric Tomlinson (R), Broken Arrow.

Senate District 34: J.J. Dossett (i) (D), Sperry.

Senate District 36: Bill Day (R), Broken Arrow; David Dambroso (R), Broken Arrow; John Haste (R), Broken Arrow; Alan R. Leizear (D), Broken Arrow; Bryan O'Brien (D), Broken Arrow; Dana Prieto (R).

House District 2: Tom Stites (D), Sallisaw; Jim Olsen (R), Roland.

House District 3: Tom Brennan (D), Poteau; Lundy Kiger (R), Poteau.

House District 4: Matt Meredith (D) (i), Tahlequah

House District 5: Elizabeth Boney (R), Salina; Tonya Rudick (R), Eucha; Josh Russell (R), Grove; Ed Trumbull (D), Grove; Josh West (R) (i), Grove

House District 6: Rusty Cornwell (R), Vinita; Randy McKinney (D), Bluejacket;  John L. Myers (D), Vinita.

House District 7: William Leonard (R), Miami; Ben Loring (i) (D), Miami

House District 8: Darrell Moore (D), Pryor; Tom Gann (R) (i), Inola; Carl Parson (R), Inola

House District 9: Clay Layton (D), Claremore; Mark Lepak (R) (i), Claremore.

House District 10: Travis Dunlap (R) (i), Bartlesville; Michael McFarland (R), Nowata; Kevin Stacy (D), Delaware; Judd Strom (R), Copan.

House District 11: Derrel Fincher (R), Bartlesville; Martin Garber (R), Bartlesville.

House District 12: Nick Mahoney (R), Broken Arrow; Kevin McDugle (i) (R), Broken Arrow; Cyndi Ralston (D), Broken Arrow; Stan Sanders (D), Wagoner.

House District 13: Jolene Armstrong (D), Muskogee; Avery Carl Frix (i) (R), Muskogee.

House District 14: Joshua M. Casarez (D), Muskogee; George Faught (R) (i), Muskogee; Jack Reavis (D), Muskogee; Jon Shaw (R), Fort Gibson; Chris Sneed (R), Fort Gibson.

House District 15: Pennie Embry (D), Eufaula; Judy Ross Moore (D), Porum; Randy Randleman, (R), Eufaula; Jeremy Warren (R), McCurtain

House District 16: James Delso (I), Henryetta; Scott Fetgatter (i) (R), Okmulgee; Chandler Torbett (D), Morris.

House District 17: Bobby Cox (R), McAlester; Peggy DeFrange (D), Krebs; Don Faulker (D), Talihina; Jim Grego (R), Wilburton; Josh Hass (R), Wilburton; Paul Marean (R), Hartshorne; Marilyn Welton (R), McAlester

House District 18: Donnie Condit (i) (D), McAlester; Jessica Cates Janes (R), Atwood; David Smith (R), McAlester.

House District 23: Craig Hoxie (D), Stephen Frazier (D), Terry S. O'Donnell (i) (R), Catoosa.

House District 24: Steve Kouplen (D) (i), Beggs; Logan J. Phillips (R), Mounds

House District 29: Jesse Goodwin (D), Kellyville; Kyle Hilbert (i) (R), Depew; Jeremiah Ross (D), Bristow.

House District 30: Kent Glesener (R), Sapulpa; Mark Lawson (R) (i), Sapulpa; Jake Rowland (R), Bixby; Chuck Threadgill (R).

House District 33: Gregory Babinec (R) (i), Cushing; Brandon Phillips (D), Stillwater; Jason Shilling (R), Perkins; John Talley (R), Stillwater.

House District 34: Aaron Means (R), Stillwater; Trish Ranson (D), Stillwater.

House District 35: Ty Burns (R), Morrison; Jasha Lyons Echo-Hawk (D), Pawnee; James Winn (R), Mannford.

House District 36: J. Paul Ganzel (R), Hominy; Jordan Lauffer (R), Skiatook; Jared Lemmons (R), Pawhuska; Louise Red Corn (R), Pawhuska; Sean Roberts (i) (R), Hominy.

House District 66: Emily DeLozier (R), Sand Springs; Angela Graham (D), Sand Springs; Brian Jackson (R), Sand Springs; Jadine Nollan (i) (R), Sand Springs; Rusty Rowe, (D).

House District 67: Jeff Boatman (R), Carly Hotvedt (D); Scott William McEachin (i) (R).

House District 68: Christopher Brobst (R), Glenpool; Heather Chenoweth (I); Kyle Ellis (D), Jenks; J. Lee Miller (L); Nicole Nixon (R); Michael Ross (D); Lonnie Sims (R), Jenks; Angela Statum (D); Karen Wright (R);

House District 69: Sheila Dills (R); Michael Mitrik (D), Jenks; Andy Richardson (D), Jenks; Randall Scott Padek (D), Jenks; Chuck Strohm (i) (R), Jenks.

House District 70: J.J. Burnam (D); Carol Bush (i) (R), Josh Martin (D).

House District 71: Denise Brewer (D); Cheryl Baber (R), Mark Kosinski (R), Ben Croff (R), Beverly Atteberry (R), Eric McCray (R).

House District 72: A.C. Forst (D), Owasso; Monroe Nichols (i) (D).

House District 73: Regina Goodwin (i) (D)

House District 74: Bradley Peixotto (R), Owasso; Mark VanCuren (R), Owasso

House District 75: Seneca Collins (D), Karen Gaddis (D) (i), Kelli Krebs (L), Broken Arrow; T.J. Marti (R).

House District 76: Shelley Brumbaugh (R), Broken Arrow; Ross Ford (R) (i), Broken Arrow; Dean Howe (R), Broken Arrow; Forrest Mayer (D), Broken Arrow.

House District 77: Todd Blackburn (R); John Waldron (D), Shay White (D).

House District 78: Gene Bell (L), Melodye Blancett (i) (D); Cindy Gaete (D), Paul Royse (R),

House District 79: Karen Gilbert (R), Dan Hicks (R), Matthew Lee (R), Teresa Marler (I), Brian Pingleton (D).Melissa Provenzano (D).

House District 80: Cody Coonce (R), Bixby; Helen Beth Davis (D), Broken Arrow; Janice Graham (D), Broken Arrow; Broken Arrow; Stan May (R), Broken Arrow; Mackie Moore (D), Mike Ritze (i) (R), Broken Arrow; Jennifer Youngberg (D), Broken Arrow.

House District 98: Scott Crane (R), Broken Arrow; Dean F. Davis (R), Broken Arrow; Kilmyn Easley-Graf (D), Broken Arrow; Jeremiah Herbert (R), Broken Arrow; Matt Hobbs (D), Broken Arrow; Bryan A. Howard (R), Broken Arrow; Sean Parrish (I), Broken Arrow; Wesley Pratt (R), Broken Arrow; Laura Steele (R), Broken Arrow.