Perhaps nothing illustrates the differences in the fundraising profiles of Gov. Kevin Stitt and Democratic challenger Joy Hofmeister than this: Stitt raised twice as much as Hofmeister from June 14 to Aug. 8 but needed only half as many lines to report it.
That means Stitt has far more donors giving the maximum amount allowed under state law — $2,900 per person per election, which in this case (primary plus general) is a total of $5,800 per person.
More than four times as many, based on a rough estimate using the most recent Oklahoma Ethics Commission filings.
Most of Stitt’s cash comes from inside Oklahoma, but supporters from Las Vegas to Florida have hosted fundraisers for the incumbent governor, or at least paid for them, according to the reports.
Hofmeister, meanwhile, has relied on more donors giving less money, at least in the June 14-Aug. 8 report. Her contributions tend to come in $50 or $100 at a time, sometimes more, often in multiple installments.
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The result is a huge advantage for Stitt’s campaign going into the final three months before the Nov. 8 general election. Stitt has not only raised far more money — more than $6.3 million, all told — but he’s spent more money — about $5.3 million — on everything from high-production television advertising to digital campaigns to polling.
The campaign has spent more than $100,000 just to process credit card contributions. Just one printing and postage tab is almost $330,000.
Hofmeister has raised a little under $1.6 million and spent about $1.1 million. At this rate, she has to get five times as many votes per dollar to have a chance to win.
Two other candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot, Libertarian Natalie Bruno and independent Ervin Yen, have raised even less.
Stitt’s campaign has particularly mined oil and gas, as well as other business sectors, for big donors. Notable donors during the last reporting period include Coal Alliance; Aaon executive Scott Bjornson; the Atwood’s retail store family of Enid; former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi; Tulsa real estate developers Mike and Pat Case; Oklahoma Health Care Authority Chief Executive Officer Kevin Corbett and his wife, Peggy Corbett; Oklahoma Opportunity Scholarship Fund President Charlie Daniels and state Sen. Julie Daniels; the Freymiller trucking family of Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City civic leader Tricia Everest; former University of Oklahoma President James Gallogly and his wife, Janet Gallogly; prominent Tulsan Hans Helmerich and his wife, Lea Helmerich; and Bixby banker and former Stitt Cabinet official Sean Kouplen.
Also: Bama Cos. CEO Paula Marshall; the Mabrey banking family of Tulsa and Okmulgee; Tulsa Realtor Sam Rader and his wife, Barbara Rader; Saint Francis CEO Cliff Robertson; Tyson Foods CEO John Tyson; and Webco CEO Dana Weber.
Hofmeister’s notable donors during the last reporting period include Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby; the Citizen Potawatomi Nation; Tulsa businessman Burt Holmes; former Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson and his wife, Leslie Hudson; Tulsa oil and gas investor George Krumme; Chickasaw official Jay Keel; BancFirst founder H.E. Rainbolt; former Gov. Brad Henry advisors Rick Sund and Gerald Adams; former Cherokee Chief Ross Swimmer; and Tulsa attorney Kalyn Free.
Tulsa World's election coverage: Get prepared for Aug. 23 primary runoffs
2nd Congressional District candidates offer GOP voters fairly distinct choice in the runoff
Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District race became much clearer on June 28, when the blur of names and faces in the Republican primary shrank from 14 to two.
Those two, state Rep. Avery Frix of Muskogee (left) and former state Sen. Josh Brecheen of Coalgate, offer GOP voters a fairly distinct choice in the Aug. 23 runoff election.
The political action committee of a billionaire options trader from Pennsylvania has put another $1.17 million into Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
The 2nd Congressional District Republican runoff may boil down to who has the longer coattails, former President Donald Trump or the late U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn.
Republican Senate candidates defend Trump, endorse federal abortion ban
The two Republican U.S. Senate runoff candidates repeated debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election, discounted the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, supported a national abortion ban with few if any exceptions, and agreed that the answer to gun violence is not making it harder to get guns.
About the only things on which 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin (right) and former Oklahoma Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon disagreed were whether the United States should have sent $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and which of them is best suited to replace U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe when he retires early next year.
T.W. Shannon hits restart button on Senate campaign
Former Oklahoma Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon likes to say runoff elections in Oklahoma are a “complete reset.”
As a U.S. Senate candidate, he certainly hopes so.
Republican Corporation Commission hopefuls try to get voters' attention for runoff
State Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, says corporation commissioner is “the most important job nobody knows about.”
Former State Rep. Todd Thomsen, who opposes David in the Aug. 23 Republican runoff for the position, says people frequently think he’s running for county commissioner.
But anyone who has ever made a phone call in Oklahoma, paid a gas or electric bill to an investor-owned utility, had their house shaken by an earthquake or cashed a royalty check should know about the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Its regulatory reach stretches from cotton gins to pipeline networks to common carriers to telecommunications.
The commission is headed by three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms. Term limits for the commissioners were enacted in 2010, and this year Dana Murphy — originally elected in 2008 — becomes the first commissioner ineligible for reelection.
State superintendent candidate April Grace says experience matters
Republican state superintendent of public instruction candidate April Grace, when asked about the federal government seeking to recoup COVID-related education funds from the state over allegations a private vendor allowed noneducational purchases.
“No. 1, you don’t give a no-bid contract,” said Grace, whose Aug. 23 runoff opponent, Ryan Walters, was largely responsible for the program.
HD 66 candidates try to put daylight between them in advance of runoff
House District 66 doesn’t have an incumbent this year for the first time in more than a decade, and the result was a four-man Republican primary that whittled the slate to two candidates for the Aug. 23 runoff.
Republican voters will decide Aug. 23 whether Gabe Renfrow of Sand Springs (left) or Clay Staires of Skiatook will move on to the November general election against the lone Democrat to file for the seat, James Rankin of Sand Springs.
Democrats square off in Democratic U.S. Senate runoff
Jason Bollinger and Madison Horn don’t have the money for the TV ads or blizzards of mail pieces that Republican candidates in Oklahoma do. No mysterious benefactors are swooping in to underwrite million-dollar media campaigns.
Mostly, they have gas money, shoe leather and energy.
“A lot more of it is grassroots. A lot more direct voter contact. Things that don’t cost as much money,” Bollinger said.
Horn, 34, and Bollinger, 30, are the Aug. 23 Democratic U.S. Senate runoff contestants. The winner figures to be a heavy underdog to Republican incumbent James Lankford, with Libertarian Kenneth Blevins and independent Michael Delaney also on the ballot.
Tulsa City Council race and proposed City Charter amendments
Click here to learn more about the Tulsa City Council candidates.
Proposition 1: The City Charter language dating back to 1990 refers to the mayor’s annual salary as $70,000. It’s actually $105,000, and it is set by the City Council by ordinance. The proposed charter amendment is a housekeeping measure to remove the obsolete reference to the mayor’s salary as being $70,000. It would not change the mayor’s salary.
Proposition 2: This would require candidates for mayor, City Council and city auditor to have been city residents of the city or City Council district for at least 365 days at the time of filing for office.
