Clip
Dec 2017 Page resized
opinion
20 0002 41%
Cushing Citizen
CORNETT EDMONDSON
R-OKC R-OKC
A way-too-early look at governor
Next November we will vote
for the person to lead our
Z[H[L MYVT [OL NV]LYUVY»Z VѝJL
My Own Opinion
for the next four years. Today,
there are 11 hopefuls in the
hunt. For me, it’s too early for
endorsements but it’s not too
David
LHYS` MVY JVTTLU[Z
Today, I want to do a very
Reid
IYPLM PU[YVK\J[PVU [V LHJO VM
the gubernatorial hopefuls —
PU UV WHY[PJ\SHY VYKLY
Mick Cornett
4PJR ^HZ H WVW\SHY ;=
UL^Z YLWVY[LY HUJOVY HUK
THUHNLY /L SLM[ [LSL]PZPVU [V ZLLR
OPZ WVSP[PJHS JHYLLY HZ TH`VY VM
6RSHOVTH *P[` /L ^HZ [OL VUS`
WLYZVU L]LY [V IL LSLJ[LK [V MV\Y
[LYTZ HZ TH`VY VM 6RSHOVTH *P[`
There is no question he has done
H NVVK QVI MVY 62* ;OLYL PZ UV
doubt he is a strong leader. Should
OL JOVVZL [V [HRL OPZ SLHKLYZOPW
ZRPSSZ HUK W\[ [OLT [V ^VYR MVY [OL
^OVSL Z[H[L VM 6RSHOVTH OL»K SPRLS`
IL HU LќLJ[P]L NV]LYUVY
The question is, how big do we
ULLK 6RSHOVTH *P[` [V IL&
0 HT Z\ZWPJPV\Z OL ^V\SK IL-
JVTL HU 6RSHOVTH *P[` NV]LYUVY
6RSHOVTH *P[` ^V\SK SV]L OPT H[
[OL L_WLUZL VM [OL IHSHUJL VM [OL
state.
6M JV\YZL H[ [OPZ WVPU[ 0 KVU»[
RUV^ ^OH[»Z PU OPZ OLHY[ 0»SS IL VU
EXOTIC FISHER
D-WYNNEWOOD R-YUKON
Publisher
the alert.
He has amassed a rather large
JHTWHPNU ^HY JOLZ[ /L HUK ;VKK
3HTI HYL SPRLS` SLHKPUN [OL WHJR PU
JHTWHPNU JVU[YPI\[PVUZ
+HU -PZOLY 9LW\ISPJHU @\RVU
+HU PZ H JVUZLY]H[P]L PZ WYVSPML
H WHZ[VY HU H\[OVY W\ISPJ ZWLHRLY
HUK [LHJOLY 0 KV\I[ OL OHZ HU`
JOHUJL VM THRPUN H Z[YVUN ZOV^PUN
in the primary.
Gary Jones
Gary is State Auditor and In-
ZWLJ[VY /L HUK OPZ MHTPS` OH]L H
JV^JHSM VWLYH[PVU PU *HJOL >OPSL
H[[LUKPUN *HTLYVU <UP]LYZP[` OL
^VYRLK M\SS [PTL HSZV MVY :V\[O0Z[LYU
Bell.
At 21 years of age, he was one
VM [OL `V\UNLZ[ THUHNLYZ PU 6RSH-
homa history being promoted to
[OL Z[H[L OLHKX\HY[LYZ PU 6RSHOVTH
*P[` /L»Z H MHZ[ I\YULY
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
JOHNSON
D-OKC
/L»Z [OL RPUK VM N\` [OH[
JHSSZ P[ [OL ^H` OL ZLLZ P[
He has a strong leadership
[LHT PU OPZ JHTWHPNU JHTW 0
would not be surprised to see
OPT JVTL VU Z[YVUN PU [OL
ZLJVUK X\HY[LY VM 
Todd Lamb
;VKK PZ HU HJX\HPU[HUJL
HUK 0 YH[OLY SPRL OPT /L»Z H
NVVK N\` H NVVK ZWLHRLY
H NVVK JOLLYSLHKLY MVY [OL
state. He’s a polished fellow.
Normally, I’d be eager to of-
fer Todd at least a preliminary
endorsement but as lieutenant gov-
LYUVY 0 YLHSS` KVU»[ RUV^ ^OH[ OL
stands for.
I was pleased when he withdrew
MYVT .V] -HSSPU»Z YPKPJ\SV\Z [H_
proposal of earlier this year. I’m not
Z\YL ZOL L]LU Z\WWVY[LK P[ 0 [OPUR
this was a strategy move to get the
SLNPZSH[\YL Vќ [OLPY K\ќZ 0»T UV[
Z\YL P[ ^VYRLK
0»]L ZHPK ILMVYL [OH[ [OPZ LSLJ[PVU
is Todd’s game to lose. Today, I’m
UV[ ZV Z\YL ;OLYL PZ ZVTL Z[Pќ
JVTWL[P[PVU
Todd would serve us well. He’d
be a good governor. I’m just not
sure, at this point, he’s the best in
the hunt.
Gary Richardson
.HY` PZ H SH^`LY PU 4\ZRVNLL
/L OHZ ZLY]LK HZ HZZPZ[HU[ KPZ[YPJ[
POWELL
L-BETHANY
LAMB LAWHORN
R-OKC I-B. ARROW
H[[VYUL` MVY 4\ZRVNLL *V\U[` :LU
+VU 5PJRSLZ LUJV\YHNLK .HY` [V
HJJLW[ 7YLZPKLU[ 9VUHSK 9LHNHU»Z
HWWVPU[TLU[ HZ <: ([[VYUL` MVY
[OL ,HZ[LYU +PZ[YPJ[
/L OHZ Y\U MVY W\ISPJ VѝJLZ IL-
MVYL IV[O HZ +LTVJYH[ HUK HZ 9L- STITT
R-TULSA
W\ISPJHU /L ^HZ UL]LY LSLJ[LK
.HY` PZ Z[PSS WYHJ[PJPUN PU 4\ZR-
ogee and still has — many may
remember — heartburn over the
6RSHOVTH ;\YUWPRL (\[OVYP[` /L»Z
ILLU VWWVZLK [V [\YUWPRLZ MVY H
generation.
;OV\NO OL OHZ SP[[SL JOHUJL VM
ILJVTPUN LSLJ[LK P[ JLY[HPUS` ^V\SK
be interesting — entertaining, even
— to see how he fared with the
6;( HM[LY ILJVTPUN NV]LYUVY RICHARDSON
Kevin Stitt R-MUSKOGEE
2L]PU PZ YH[OLY UL^ [V [OL YHJL
Keep an eye on him. He may just
be your next governor. He grew
\W PU 5VYTHU H[[LUKLK 6RSHOVTH
:[H[L <UP]LYZP[` HUK ^VYRLK OPZ
^H` [OYV\NO JVSSLNL I` ZLSSPUN
IVVRZ <WVU NYHK\H[PVU PU 
OL OHK  HUK H JVTW\[LY
and started Gateway Mortgage
.YV\W ^OPJO UV^ OHZ  VѝJLZ
UH[PVU^PKL HUK  LTWSV`LLZ
He says his faith drives him and
OPZ ^PML HUK ZP_ JOPSKYLU PUZWPYL OPT
If I were to vote today, it would
be for Kevin Stitt. Stitt is the only
JONES
R-CACHE
See REID page 3
 Cushing Citizen

Reid ... B
continued from page 2
conservative businessman
running for governor — so
far. y
From this point, we s
have three Democrats and
Dec three Libertarians seeking a
[OL NV]LYUVY»Z VѝJL 5VUL 3
20 have a chance at being
elected. Drew Edmondson
has the best change of
2017 the six but no chance to
become elected.
Connie Johnson
Page Too liberal for a lib-
eral state. She has zero
0003 chance in Oklahoma.
She strongly opposes V
Clip the death penalty, works t
resized against measures that put C
34% restrictions on abortion
and supports the legaliza- a
tion of marijuana. I’m not
From y
sure she’s all wrong on
0002 her positions; they just
won’t get her elected in o
Oklahoma. t
Rex Lawhorn
Libertarian is a small
businessman. He owns
Wholesale Auto Paints of
Tulsa, the largest indepen-
dently owned auto paints
supplier in Tulsa. This is
OPZ ÄYZ[ H[[LTW[ H[ W\ISPJ
VѝJL /L V]LYLZ[PTH[LZ
the number and impact of
libertarians in Oklahoma
and counts on that group
to get behind his candida-
cy. He says he wants to,
“Minimize government and
maximize freedom.” Great
idea. How?
Joseph Maldonado
Libertarian, from Wyn-
newood, better known as
“Joe Exotic” was a write-in
for president last elec-
tion. His photo is the one
with a Seth Wadley auto
dealership hat. I’m not real
sure that’s good advertis-
ing for the dealership. He
is gay, pro-choice, sup-
ports LGBT rights and
is against reform of gun
laws. Interesting combina-
tion. If Michigan can elect
Jessie Ventura, why can’t
we have Joe Exotic?
No chance.
Chris Powell
A Libertarian from
Bethany, basically has no
experience. He’s worked
for the Libertarians party
in Oklahoma and was
evidence specialist for
the Oklahoma City Police
Department. He hopes
the public’s negative
perception of lawmakers
will bring him the victory.
Gotta have a better plan
than that.
Norman J. Brown was a
candidate but dropped out
in July.
The above is a very
brief introduction to the
gubernatorial hopefuls. As
we have nearly a year to
decide on who we will
support, I urge readers to
research these candidates.
I will be watching, too,
and will be curious to see
whose campaigns rise to
the top.

City
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.