Republican and former state Sen. Josh Brecheen, Democrat Naomi Andrews and Independent Ben “Bulldog” Robinson will compete in the election for Oklahoma’s Congressional District 2 on Nov. 8.
The seat was left open after current Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) decided to run for Sen. Jim Inhofe’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, following his retirement announcement.
Josh Brecheen (R)
Brecheen advanced to a runoff election with state representative Avery Frix following the June primary, which consisted of 14 candidates seeking the Republican Party’s nomination. Before this race, Breechen served two terms in the Oklahoma State Senate representing Senate District 6 from 2010-18, adding his decision not to run again was based on his commitment to term limits.
In a video titled “Josh on President Trump” uploaded to his YouTube account, Brecheen said he supports the former president’s policies, adding that he believes the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was overturned due to the “prayers of the people.”
Brecheen also supports upholding the electoral college, decreasing the federal government’s role in education, building a wall on the U.S.’ southern border and strongly supporting the right to bear arms, according to his campaign website.
Upon his election, Brecheen promises to serve no more than four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Brecheen’s campaign did not respond to OU Daily’s interview requests in time for the article’s publication.
Naomi Andrews (D)
Andrews is a mother of four who won the Democratic Party’s nomination after facing an uncontested race. One of her main focuses is building relationships, according to her campaign website, adding in an interview that no legislation could be passed without collaboration between parties.
Andrews is passionate about infrastructure, specifically the protection of watersheds — land area that drains into a body of water that provides drinking water — in smaller communities, noting that she feels access to water shouldn’t be political.
“Everybody needs clean water,” Andrews said. “That’s one of the biggest casualties of political polarization, something that is so essential, so vital to every living thing on the planet, to our crops, to our economy.”
Andrews noted her support for women’s rights and abortion access, calling it a “fundamental freedom.” She said she thought the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, had consequences like privacy concerns that weren’t well thought out.
“Never in my life did I think a woman in Connecticut would have more rights than my kids do here in Oklahoma, more than I do here in Oklahoma,” Andrews said. “How are we going to call ourselves the United States of America if our rights are not equal across the states?”
On tribal rights, Andrews believes that sovereignty and treaties should be respected and aims to work alongside the tribes.
Andrews also wants to focus on improving healthcare for all Americans, specifically for people with disabilities and elderly people. She also aims to help veterans by increasing funding for mental health and other support programs, adding the recent death of a close friend as one of the reasons behind these measures.
Andrews plans to communicate with her constituents through town halls every quarter in several locations across the district if elected. She also aims to have monthly communication through platforms like Zoom.
“I am the only person in this race who is committed to listening to the will of all the people in the district, and finding reasonable and practical solutions that’s going to protect their kids,” Andrews said. “It’s going to protect their communities, it’s going to protect their families and it’s going to ensure the economic stability of Oklahoma.”
Ben “Bulldog” Robinson (I)
Ben “Bulldog” Robinson is the only Independent who filed for this race. He is a former Democratic state senator, who represented Muskogee. Robinson does not have a campaign website, and attempts by OU Daily to schedule an interview with Robinson were unsuccessful.
Robinson served 16 years as the Oklahoma District 9 senator beginning in 1989. He was not able to run for reelection again due to the passing of State Question 632 which limited terms to 12 years. He was honored with a senate resolution expressing gratitude for his service in 2004. For seven years, Robinson also served as district director for Dan Boren, the Chickasaw Nation’s secretary of commerce and former U.S. representative for Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District.
The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 8. To check your voter registration, visit the OK Voter Portal.
