Rep. Annie Menz, Matt Watson and Robert Murphy are candidates for District 45 of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The election will take place on Tuesday and will determine the state House representative for the next two years.
Rep. Annie Menz, Democrat
Menz was born in Oklahoma City and earned an associate degree from Oklahoma City Community College. Menz is a United States Navy veteran and is seeking reelection as the representative for House District 45.
Menz made history as the first Latina and one of the few openly queer people elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Values
In an interview with OU Daily, Menz said hard work and a willingness to help others are values she holds deeply.
“Like most of the folks in my district, I believe that hard work at the end of the day is what gets us to where we want to go,” Menz said. “And I think when we think about the Oklahoma standard, it's something that is within all of us that we want to relate to each other, we want to help each other, we want to be there for one another.”
Public education
A strong advocate for free and reduced lunches, Menz said her personal values heavily influenced her policy making regarding the free lunch program.
“We have a lot of kids in Norman and east Norman specifically, who go hungry, and there's no need for it, and there's no excuse for it, and especially when at the state level, we can fund programs that we know work and will feed children,” Menz said.
Menz said she would continue to support the free lunch program because “hungry kids can't learn.”
Menz said state government and schools can’t expect high performance out of kids without adequately feeding them and providing them the nutrients they need.
Menz also said, if reelected, she would want to increase teacher pay and incentives like tuition reimbursements, and also a cost of living adjustment increase for retired teachers and retired state employees.
“I just want to make sure that people who are looking into becoming educators will know that we prioritize them throughout their entire career, and then whenever their career is over and they retire, we're still grateful to them for becoming educators,” Menz said.
Human services
Menz said it's the responsibility of the state government to provide mental health services to people in need.
“I mean, mental health doesn't doesn't care about your voter registration or your race or your income,” Menz said. “It's part of the human condition, and it falls under the purview of the government whenever it's something that impacts society as a whole, and mental health care definitely does.”
Menz said she would prioritize fighting the stigma against mental health by being authentic and honest about her own experiences, with the hope of making others feel more open to sharing their stories.
“Part of being a strong leader is being vulnerable and allowing other people to be vulnerable around you and with you and so like just being honest and authentic about my own personal experiences, and you know, my family helping people to understand that they're not alone,” Menz said.
State taxes
Menz said there are ways to create new revenue by electing the right people to create policies that will have a positive impact.
“I think that it's important as lawmakers to remember that politics have a time and place on the campaign trail, but whenever we're in the legislature, it's time to get down to business and help people in our district and be there for the taxpayers,” Menz said.
Menz said addressing concerns about potential tax increases and their impact on middle and low income families means making sure that people pay their fair share, when able to.
ACCESS Oklahoma turnpikes
Menz said she is strongly opposed to the ACCESS Oklahoma turnpike project and believes that if constructed, it will negatively impact the residents of Norman.
ACCESS Oklahoma is a 15-year, $5 billion plan to construct new turnpikes and expand existing highways statewide. It was approved by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in August 2023.
“There's livestock, there's crops, there's beautiful homes, there's wildlife, the lake, there's so much out there that will be absolutely ruined by allowing this turnpike through, because it won't stop at the turnpike,” Menz said. “And so it's going to negatively impact my constituents, not just on the not just in the proposed path, but in Norman proper as well, because Lake Thunderbird is our water supply.”
Menz said she hopes the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority faces public scrutiny to make them communicate with the people of Norman, because they have grown into a culture of not having to report to anyone besides the governor.
“I'm listening to everyone, and this is what they're telling me. They're saying, you know, we don't want this Turnpike, and the OTA is out of control,” Menz said. “They have no guardrails. I'm the only candidate in this race that is publicly against the turnpike and working on putting oversight over the turnpike authority.”
Matt Watson, Republican
Watson attended Oklahoma City Community College and the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. Watson worked as an admissions counselor at USAO before earning a masters degree in public administration at Texas A&M University.
Watson is a Marine Corp veteran and works as a cybersecurity consultant at Guernsey, an Oklahoma City-based architectural and engineering consulting firm. Watson is an active member of the Oklahoma Defense Industry Association and The State Chamber.
Values
In an interview with OU Daily, Watson said his time in the Marines gave him a sense of humility that prepared him for time in office.
“My service in the Marine Corps was not about me. It was about the Marines that I served with, and particularly the young people; the 18, 19 and 20 year olds who had signed their lives to this country,” Watson said. “They agreed to sacrifice their lives for all of us.”
Watson said he believes in trust, empathy and transparency in government, with an emphasis on restoring a sense of honesty between citizens and government officials.
“We've got to restore trust,” Watson said. “We've got to be problem solvers, and we've got to place that power and that influence firmly in the hands of the people.”
Public education
Watson said the state should prioritize a robust teacher recruitment program and high-quality education for every kid, regardless of who they are or where they came from.
“Our public education system has been fully politicized throughout society,” Watson said. “My personal opinion is that the best way to combat that is to make sure that our educators are, once again, the front line. They're the tip of the spear.”
According to Watson, increased strategic funding is needed to make sure that teachers are paid better and incentivized to come and teach in Oklahoma.
“What we have to do is make sure that we're competing with Texas, with Arkansas, with our neighboring states, making sure that we've got a really robust recruitment package and that we're letting teachers teach,” Watson said. “And as the quality of teachers goes up, my belief is that politicization and education will go down.”
Human services
Watson said that if elected, he would prioritize funding for the State Department of Human Services grant programs to combat mistreatment of patients in nursing homes around the state.
“We've got to do a better job of making sure that we're serving Oklahomans, the least among us, who, through no fault of their own, need these services,” Watson said.
State taxes
Watson said he is in favor of reducing the state income tax if he can be convinced it will not negatively impact other industries.
“My concern is that the farmers and ranchers on the east side of the district are going to see their property taxes increase as a result of the income tax cut,” Watson said.
Watson said the state government has to make sure reducing income taxes won’t have disparate impacts on groups because of reasons that are no fault of their own.
“If we have a reduction in the income tax, I'm fine, in principle, with putting money back in the pockets of our residents, not keeping it for ourselves as a government, but we gotta make sure that everybody knows there's no such thing as a free lunch,” Watson said.
ACCESS Oklahoma turnpikes
Watson said he is not opposed to infrastructure, but does not agree with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s current proposal.
“My constituents tell me, the vast majority of them that are opposed to the turnpike. If it's strictly necessary for the growth of the state, they're open to it and it's okay,” Watson said. “All they ask is to be treated fairly and transparently throughout the entire process, and that's not happening right now.”
According to Watson, the OTA has not been clear in communicating with Norman residents whose homes and businesses are in the direct path of the proposed turnpike. Watson said he does not agree with the OTA’s current strategies.
“We need to slow down,” Watson said. “I am not in favor of what's going on right now and I don't like what I'm seeing.”
Robert Murphy, Libertarian
Robert Murphy was born in Detroit and attended both OU and the San Diego State University College of Engineering. Murphy served in the Marine Corps from 1965 to 1968 and worked as a telecommunications and data technician at OU.
Murphy was a member of the OU Hourly Employees Council and OU Staff Senate. Murphy has run for U.S. Senate in 2016, 2020 and 2022.
Values
In an interview with OU Daily, Murphy said that as a Libertarian, he is dedicated to individual liberty. According to Murphy, to join the Libertarian Party and be a voting member at any Libertarian convention, you have to sign a pledge that says you do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force to solve social and political problems.
Aligning with Libertarian Party ideas, Murphy said he wants social and economic liberty, and would use those principles to guide his decisions in office.
Public education
Murphy said he believes the free market should be providing education rather than the state. The free market system refers to an economic system by which prices are unregulated by the government and based on competition among private businesses.
“I would look to dismantle, to a great extent, the idea of government supplied education, and move toward a system where parents and educators work together to educate children,” Murphy said.
According to Murphy, the public education system is flawed because it is based on the use of force rather than the libertarian ideal that parents should be responsible for educating their children.
Murphy said if the system was funded by a free market, there would be no trouble in making education accessible for everyone.
“I think that the free market should be providing education rather than the state,” Murphy said. “state schools are very heavily politicized, and they use force throughout the system. Children are forced to go to school. Parents are forced to pay for those schools. Teachers are forced to follow the politicians' guidelines as far as curriculum.”
Human services
Murphy said that if elected, he would work at the state level to try to change the banking system and the corporate structure so that competition is allowed and corporations are banned from using government favors to compete.
“All of the safety net features that the state could and should provide have to be paid for with the surplus of the economy,” Murphy said. “I mean, you can't give people money or give people help if you don't have the money to help them.”
Murphy said he believes mental health services are something that should be provided by the free market. According to Murphy, doctors and mental health practitioners should be living in a world where the cost of living is cheap enough so that people can obtain their services at a low cost.
State taxes
Murphy said he would like to get rid of the income tax and institute a business tax that enforces taxes only on people who own or operate businesses.
“I think a sales tax on business, on all business transactions, would be a much more effective and efficient way to provide for the very minimal government services that we need,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the government should consist mainly of military forces to protect us from foreign criminals, police forces to protect us from domestic criminals and a court system to adjudicate disputes and provide an orderly method for prosecuting criminals.
“Those are the three basic functions of government, all the other stuff: education, agriculture, is just gravy,” Murphy said.
ACCESS Oklahoma turnpikes
Murphy said he is opposed to the turnpike, and that he believes it would affect the entire watershed area and the drinking water of Norman.
“It stinks. The proposals for the turnpike are ludicrous,” Murphy said.
According to Murphy, enabling legislation; the idea that the OTA must get the permission of the cities and the local citizens before building any turnpikes, should be a top priority.
“The idea of using authorities to do this kind of thing should be curtailed,” Murphy said.
The general election is Tuesday. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.
This story was edited by Ismael Lele, Ana Barboza and Anusha Fathepure. Kylie Caldwell, Ryan Little and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
