In deep-red Oklahoma, Republican primaries garner the bulk of political spending and advertising attention. But battles are also brewing among Democratic candidates for a variety of statewide and legislative offices.
Oklahoma Democrats will select their preferred candidate for governor and state superintendent during the June 16 primary election. There are also noteworthy Democratic primaries in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District and a handful of state legislative districts.
Voter turnout in these races is likely to be lower than previous primary elections, as the Democratic party did not complete the necessary paperwork to allow independents to vote in their primaries.
Here’s a quick look at the races:
Governor:
House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson will face off against former state Sen. Connie Johnson for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. A third candidate with a protest platform, Arya, also filed for the position.
Munson’s platform centers on increasing education funding and teacher pay, lowering healthcare costs and repealing Oklahoma’s abortion ban enacted in 2022. Johnson, who unsuccessfully ran for the party’s nomination in 2018 and 2022, says she would advocate to abolish capital punishment in Oklahoma and protect the rights of medical cannabis users.
State Superintendent:
Craig McVay, former superintendent of El Reno Public Schools, and Jennettie Marshall, a former Tulsa Public Schools board member, are vying for the party’s nomination.
To improve Oklahoma’s lackluster public education ranking, McVay says he would adopt systematic literacy programs and phonics-based curriculum. Marshall says she would review curriculum standards to ensure they’re preparing students for the workforce and attempt to tackle the issue of chronic absenteeism.
Legislative Races:
The Democratic primary in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District, where former U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn pulled off an unexpected victory in 2018, is one to watch.
Jena Nelson, an educator who was the party’s nominee for state superintendent in 2022, is facing Trey Martin, an ironworker from Edmond.
If elected, Nelson says she would work to cap the price of essential drugs like insulin and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Martin says he would focus on affordability and fighting corruption, such as members of Congress buying and trading stocks with classified information.
Democratic primaries are also set in three House districts: HD81, HD96 and HD99.
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