Where the Oklahoma gubernatorial candidates stand on Medicaid expansion, teacher pay and more issues
Oklahoma candidates for governor share their opinions with The Oklahoman's Chris Casteel and on the Pat Campbell podcast leading up to the June 26 primary races.
Read more gubernatorial campaign coverage at NewsOK.com.
Get to know 14 of the candidates campaigning for Oklahoma governor in 2018
Dan Fisher - Republican
Dan Fisher: Former state House member, Baptist pastor
On Medicaid expansion (about $100 million per year in additional state costs; federal government would pick up the rest of the $1 billion cost): Opposing expansion, he says, “Certainly, no one objects to helping those who truly need a hand up, but the welfare state we have created is unsustainable. To help correct this crisis, I believe we should review and tighten the qualifications for receiving state health care benefits to ensure that those receiving them are actually qualified to do so. Additionally, by making modest adjustments to our Medicaid program, we could save the state millions.”
On medical marijuana: He supports marijuana for medical purposes but not for recreational use.
On school shootings: He said students had guns when he was in high school but didn't use them to shoot their classmates. He blamed "a decaying moral culture."
On constitutional carry: Supports. "The right to own and carry a firearm for defense is an inalienable right that our founders recognized in the 18th century."
Connie Johnson - Democrat
Connie Johnson: Former state senator
On Medicaid expansion (about $100 million per year in additional state costs; federal government would pick up the rest of the $1 billion cost): “I support Medicaid expansion to help rural hospitals and clinics remain open. The lack of care these past few years under our present leadership has caused major decline in our health status. Expanding Medicaid will also relieve dangerous overcrowding in urban hospitals.”
On State Question 788: She has campaigned for years for the legalization of medical marijuana and for adult recreational use of the drug. “I think people know my advocacy. I am not ashamed for advocating for a policy change on this.”
On constitutional carry: "As governor, I would take no action on the proposal, and instead would send it back to the Legislature for more thorough vetting of its overall impact on public safety, with input from those who may potentially be most adversely affected.”
On adoption/religious freedom bill: “Like all fair-minded citizens, I am very concerned about SB 1140, which is essentially state-sponsored discrimination against people who are different. As a former foster mother and a person who supports all people regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender or preference, I oppose this bill. It interferes with our state's ability to help those most in need.”
On incentives to lure businesses to Oklahoma: “I think business incentives work, but I think they should have to have some additional requirements.”
Gary Jones - Republican
Gary Jones: Oklahoma state auditor
On Medicaid expansion (about $100 million per year in additional state costs; federal government would pick up the rest of the $1 billion cost): “I am not for Medicaid expansion. The requirements will add additional cost and red tape to an already costly system.”
On State Question 788: "I'm personally not for it. I think it's probably going to pass. ... It is written very loosely, which says that the Legislature needs to make sure that there are administrative rules in place that will keep this from creeping in to recreational use of marijuana. ... If it's written correctly, I have no problem with it."
On constitutional carry: "Yes I would sign the bill. I am a Second Amendment supporter."
On adoption/religious freedom bill: “I believe people ought to be able to practice their faith, but I also believe we need to make sure that we don't limit the good parents out there that might be willing to adopt a child. A lot of children are not adopted. We've got to open it up to more people who are willing to do that. I think because of that, we need to be careful to start restricting those because we're going to end up hurting the kids.”
On revenue package that funds teacher raises: "Not only would I have signed it, I'm the one who came up with the plan."
On abortion: He says he is pro-life. "We've got to get more money into the foster care system. ... We need to make sure that we don't just take care of the kids that are unborn, that we take care of the kids once they're born so that they have a life and have a good life."
Todd Lamb - Republican
Todd Lamb: Lieutenant governor
On Medicaid expansion (about $100 million per year in additional state costs; federal government would pick up the rest of the $1 billion cost): “With the Trump administration still working to transition away from Obamacare and toward a more robust private health insurance world, I believe it is wrong to expand Medicaid at this point."
On State Question 788 (medical marijuana): "I think there's problems with the language. ... I'll be voting no on State Question 788."
On school shootings: He cited decaying morals as a cause and said he had written legislation and created a commission to make schools safer. "From that commission, in 2014, we created the Oklahoma school security institute within the Oklahoma Department of Homeland Security. That offers free security assessments for any school that wants it. We have revisited that since the Parkland, Florida, tragedy months ago. And now we're talking to families and law enforcement entities in Newtown, Connecticut, at that school, Sandy Hook, about what they've done, post Sandy Hook tragedy."
On constitutional carry: "Throughout my career I have proven I am an unabashed supporter of the Second Amendment. I am a life member of the NRA, I support constitutional carry and encourage Governor Fallin to sign SB1212 into law.”
On adoption/religious freedom bill: “As lieutenant governor, I've stood firm in defense of religious liberties. So this is a simple, simple answer. As it was explained … I would support the legislation and defend our faith communities.”
On revenue package funding teacher raises: "We continue to kick the reform can down the road. ... I'm very frustrated and very disappointed in how this teacher pay raise was signed and how it was passed."
On abortion: "As a believer, I've always defended the unborn. As governor, I always will."
Libertarian candidates
AT&T technician Rex Lawhorn (left), former reserve Marine Chris Powell and zoo owner Joe "Exotic" Maldonado
Lawhorn on the revenue package funding teacher raises: He called it a $400 million tax on the poor and said, "Is that small government? I don't think so."
Lawhorn on constitutional carry: "Yes please. In (the case of the Lake Hefner shooting), a gun-free zone, though voluntary, has a very good probability of putting bullets in a mother and a daughter instead of just in a perp. Calling for gun control, as Rep. (Cyndi) Munson did, calls for more death."
Lawhorn on incentives/tax breaks to lure businesses: "I advocate for ensuring that the tax burden is equally shared among all the corporate interests. In that vein, the (gross production tax) should be increased up to 5 percent to 7 percent depending on who you ask, and the subsidies for all energy should be eliminated."
Powell on incentives/tax breaks to lure businesses: "So-called economic development tax policies, such as Tax Increment Financing, should also be eliminated as they do little but steal economic activity from neighboring areas while simultaneously reducing revenue to municipal, county, and state government and to our local schools."
Powell on medical marijuana: "Not just the fact that people are suffering and need that medical aspect of it, but it's the overall thrust of the fact that we are too busy chasing around people over a plant when it's not as harmful as alcohol, which is perfectly legal. We need to put those resources that were are putting on that into other things."
Powell on constitutional carry adoption/religious freedom bill: “In both cases the governor acted against the interests of individual liberty. With the (constitutional carry) veto Gov. Fallin demonstrated that she views the Second Amendment as a grant of privilege to be restricted as the state chooses. By signing SB1140, which will allow public money to be used to refuse services to certain members of the public over matters of faith, she acted against the principle of equality before the law and undermined freedom of religion.”
Maldonado on medical marijuana: "Marijuana decriminalization is on the top of my agenda."
Maldonado on incentives/tax breaks to lure businesses: "The state should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the private sector, nor should it engage in corporate welfare. For too long, the oil industry has had a monopoly on the economy of this state. Economic success is directly tied to the oil industry; under my leadership, we would move Oklahoma to a more modern and diversified economy."