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November 17, 2009

Jolley considers run for Attorney General

James Coburn

EDMOND — An Oklahoman by birth and by choice, state Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond wants to bring his pro-growth job record for promoting a healthy Oklahoma economy to the Office of Attorney General.

Jolley, 38, announced Tuesday that he has filed paperwork with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission to begin soliciting support for the Republican nomination.

Oklahoma City Attorney Ryan Leonard is the only other Republican running for attorney general. Attorney General Drew Edmondson is vacating his office as a 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Oklahoma City attorney Jim Priest is the sole Democrat yet to announce his candidacy for state attorney general.

“We desperately are in need of a pro-jobs, pro-growth attorney general in Oklahoma,” Jolley stated in a news release Tuesday. “People in or state have lost their jobs because of an attorney general’s decision to sue companies in our state. As a senator who has a proven record of supporting job creation and reducing needless litigation in Oklahoma, I believe those qualities are needed in the next attorney general.”

Jolley said he would vigorously prosecute criminals who harm the state’s most vulnerable population, children and the elderly.

“Oklahoma’s senior citizens have been the targets of crime through identity theft and fraud,” said Jolley, an attorney. “Our children are being hunted on the Internet and abused by those they trust.”

Jolley said he has worked to protect victims’ rights as a state senator.

“I will stand for their rights in courthouses as well,” he said.

As attorney general, Jolley would work against “greedy bureaucrats” wanting to tax Internet bandwidth usage and services, Jolley said.

“We can’t afford to allow the economic downturn we face turn into an opportunity for bureaucrats to invent taxes on vital services such as Internet use,” he said. “With other countries blowing past the United States in broadband speeds and access, we can’t let government discourage growth, especially for rural areas of our state.”

Clark and Verlyne Jolley have a son and daughter attending grade school in Edmond. He earned his juris doctorate at the University of Oklahoma in 1995. Jolley was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2004 where he has a 100-percent pro-life voting record.

During the GOP sweep of 2008, Jolley was re-elected to Senate District 41 by defeating Democrat David Taylor with 72 percent of the vote. His campaign had pushed for state tax reductions.

Edmond is covered by two state Senate districts. Jolley now joins Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, in an effort to win a statewide office, which potentially could leave both Edmond Senate seats open in 2010. Lamb is seeking the lieutenant governor’s office.

Jolley has named Edmond CPA James Hale as his campaign treasurer.

The official filing period for candidates is set for June 7-9, said Paul Ziriax, Oklahoma State Election Board secretary. The statewide primary will be July 27, with a run-off election on Aug. 24. The general statewide election will be Nov. 2.



jcoburn@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 114

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