High stakes: More than $5.9 million in independent expenditures on the 2nd Congressional District Republican runoff had been reported by Friday evening, making the race one of the most unexpectedly expensive in the country.
More than half of that, $3.4 million, has been spent by Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass through his political action committee, School Freedom Fund. Yass is connected to Club for Growth, an anti-tax, limited-government organization that helped elect the late Tom Coburn to the U.S. Senate in 2004.
This time, its money is going to help former state Sen. Josh Brecheen, a former Coburn staffer, who is up against state Rep. Avery Frix in Tuesday’s runoff.
Frix is also getting outside help — more than $2.4 million in independent expenditures, mostly from unknown sources.
More IEs: State races are seeing some independent expenditures, too, much of it so-called dark money funneled through 501(c)4 organizations.
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State Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, a candidate in Tuesday’s GOP runoff for corporation commissioner, was the beneficiary of a $152,500 television buy courtesy of one such outfit, American Advantage Inc.
As reported earlier, the Koch network anchor Americans for Prosperity has put around $300,000 into the state superintendent for public instruction race supporting Ryan Walters.
Parents and Students First, which is registered with the Federal Election Commission but apparently not with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, has spent $260,000 for Walters.
A 501(c)4 that’s been around awhile, Oklahoma’s Children, Our Future, has spent $250,000 opposing Walters; Parents in Action Inc., a Washington-based PAC, spent $84,000 opposing Walters and supporting his runoff opponent, April Grace.
A PAC called the Conservative Policy Network, which doesn’t have to file campaign finance reports until the end of September, has spent $115,000 opposing Christian nationalist legislative candidates Jarrin Jackson, Brady Butler and Karmin Grider.
Conservative Voice of America, a dark money PAC, spent $100,000 for labor commissioner.
Campaigns and elections: Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama is campaigning with Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Kendra Horn this weekend.
Jones, who was known for prosecuting several high-profile civil rights cases before his election to the Senate, is meeting with a group at the Greenwood Cultural Center and touring Greenwood Rising on Sunday before going to Oklahoma City for events there honoring the late Clara Luper.
The Tulsa Press Club, 415 S. Boston Ave., is hosting an election night watch party beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The event is open to the public.
Third District Congressman Frank Lucas has scheduled the following town halls in area communities:
10 a.m. Monday, Mannford Community Center, 100 Cimarron Drive, Mannford.
1:30 p.m. Monday, Pawhuska Community Center, 520 Lynn Ave., Pawhuska.
9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Standing Bear Museum, 601 Standing Bear Parkway, Ponca City.
1 p.m. Tuesday, Pawnee City Hall, 510 Illinois St., Pawnee.
3 p.m. Tuesday, Central Rural Electric Cooperative, 3305 S. Boomer Road, Stillwater.
Sally’s List, which supports Democratic women candidates, is holding a fundraiser Sept. 21 at Mother Road Market. Tickets start at $25. See sallyslist.salsalab.org for reservations.
Union labeling: Stitt issued an executive order on Friday that a press release said protects “teachers’ First Amendment rights” but that reads more like a threat to unions and school administrators.
The order reiterates that union dues may be deducted from teachers’ pay only at the request of individual teachers and that union membership is voluntary. It “urges” the Oklahoma State Board of Education “to take action to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law that employee organization payroll deductions meet the requirements of state and federal law.”
Stitt, who has signed into law and endorsed several policies restricting what educators can say and teach, said in the accompanying press release, “It is time we fight back against the liberal unions that have been keeping a stranglehold on their cut of teacher pay, and stand up for Oklahoma educators’ first amendment rights.”
The Oklahoma Education Association called the order a political ploy ahead of next Tuesday’s runoff elections, which include the hard-fought battle for the Republican state superintendent of public instruction’s nominee.
“We have always been an opt-in organization since our first meeting in 1889,” said OEA President Kathrine Bishop in a written statement. “We follow all state and federal laws and always have.
“The Executive Order … is a baseless attack on the voices of educators ahead of an important election,” Bishop said. “This only distracts from real issues like the educator shortage crisis and Oklahoma ranking 49th in education funding.”
Meanwhile, the labor-friendly Economic Policy Institute reported Oklahoma teachers have the nation’s second-highest “weekly wage gap” — the difference between teacher pay and earnings for non-teachers with comparable college degrees — at 32%.
Bottom lines: State Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, says he wants the Legislature to use its ongoing special session to OK assistance to stock producers hard hit by drought. … The joint state/federal disaster relief center in Okmulgee closed last week.
— Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World
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Ginnie Graham and Bob Doucette preview the upcoming city and state elections, including editorial endorsements; endorsement letters to the editor; and more.
