Oklahoma political campaign contributions reported – Tulsa World

According to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, the biggest bag of candy belongs to Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who reported just under $1 million — $986,900.81, to be precise — in cash on hand. Pinnell is term-limited and does not seem to be actively fundraising, but he is widely viewed as a potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate.

Another potential Republican gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, is holding just over $500,000.

It should be noted that those are tops only among candidates and/or office holders. The largest stash is the road contractors’ Oklahomans for Better Roads and Bridges, which has more than $1.1 million with the legislative primaries still eight months away.

Of local interest, Bixby Republican Brian Guthrie reported putting $100,000 of his own money into his campaign for state Senate District 25, which figures to be mostly or entirely decided in a hard-fought GOP primary that includes state Rep. Jeff Boatman of Tulsa.

Even more hotly contested is the GOP primary for the SD 15 vacancy. Although filing isn’t until April, six Republicans — and one Democrat — have registered campaign committees for the Norman-area seat. One of those, businessman Robert Keyes, has put up $250,000 of his own money.

Jail time: State Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, introduced legislation to require more jail time of people convicted of accessory to murder.

The bill stems from the 1999 disappearances of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman and the release earlier this year of Ronnie Busick, under the terms of his 2020 guilty plea to accessory to murder in the deaths of Freeman’s parents on the night the girls disappeared.

Two other suspects in the crimes died without being charged.

Bergstrom’s Senate Bill 1199 would require those convicted of accessory to murder to serve at least 85% of their sentences.

Campaigns and elections: Gov. Kevin Stitt, the target of an intense anonymously funded campaign during the last election cycle, created a Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats whose primary mission seems to be finding ways to root out dark money — or, as the executive order puts it, to “get governments’ money and influence out of state elections once and for all.”

Which governments isn’t clear. The governor’s executive order mentions “foreign investment and/or interference,” but the only governments known to be much involved in Oklahoma elections are tribal governments — some of whom were suspected of being involved in the attacks on Stitt.

Nationally, a great deal of attention has been drawn by attempts of foreign nations to influence elections, although rarely at the state and local level — at least to this point.

The executive order creating the nine-member task force specifies that it is to deliver by Jan. 15 recommendations for “a mechanism or process by which the state can detect the covert distribution of propaganda and disinformation.”

At least three candidates are showing interest in succeeding Boatman from Republican-heavy HD 67, which includes southeast Tulsa. Registering campaign accounts are businessman Kane Smith, counselor Bowden McElroy and business owner Ryan Myers.

Former Oklahoma State University football star and Vian coach Kenyatta Wright has registered a campaign committee to challenge HD 2 incumbent Jim Olsen in next year’s Republican primary.

Federal money: The Biden administration announced more than $70 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture loans and grants to Oklahoma telecom companies for extending rural high speed internet, mostly in eastern Oklahoma.

Another $1.2 million for three rural Oklahoma water projects was also announced, including $765,000 to refinance a Rogers County Rural Water District 3 loan.

Meetings and events: Michelle Taylor, director of the master’s degree in counseling program at Rogers State University, is the featured speaker for Heart of the Party, the Tulsa Chapter of the Oklahoma Federation of Democratic Women, at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Baxter’s Interuban Grill, 717 S. Houston Ave.

Taylor will speak on the mental wellness crisis in Oklahoma, particularly as it affects children.

The December holiday meeting also will be discussed.

Third District Congressman Frank Lucas and House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson will speak and answer questions on the farm bill at 10 a.m. Monday at Heritage Place, 2829 S .MacArthur Boulevard, Oklahoma City.

Employment: Oklahoma’s unemployment rate edged up to 3.4% in September, 0.1 point higher than in August, as almost 14,000 more people entered the state’s workforce.

A separate survey of employers recorded a non-farm payroll increase of nearly 17,000, including 11,000 in the Oklahoma City metro.

Tulsa’s unemployment rate was also 3.4% in September, unchanged from a month earlier, but 0.4 points higher than for the same month a year ago. The payroll survey showed a rise of 1,800.

Bottom lines: The Oklahoma Department of Insurance’s Tulsa office has moved to 5100 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 110. … Former Gov. Mary Fallin served on a commission with former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that issued a report critical of college-level U.S. history courses.

— Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World