EDMOND —
Edmond Republican voters will join their fellow 5th District residents in Oklahoma, Pottowatomie and Seminole counties on Tuesday to finalize who will be the GOP nominee for Rep. Mary Fallin’s open congressional seat.
In the initial group of seven Republican candidates, there were four that had varying strengths and rose to the top of this Editorial Board’s radar. Out of those four, James Lankford and Kevin Calvey remain in contention for Tuesday’s balloting.
In evaluating the two remaining candidates, there is a clear winner in our minds as to who will be the true conservative standardbearer in the race toward the Nov. 2 general election.
If voters are looking for someone who can intelligently speak about most federal issues, a candidate who is willing to defend state rights, a person who is interested in reforming the nation’s Byzantine tax code and someone who will examine the issues from a constitutional perspective, then they need look no further than Lankford. He has since earned the endorsement of four of his previous GOP opponents — Harry Johnson, Rick Flanigan, Mike Thompson and Shane Jett.
The Deer Creek resident is making his first run at political office, but he has surprised most in the Republican establishment by his tenacity, his acumen, his ability to fundraise and more importantly, a now proven ability to win the race. None of the top polls prior to the July 27 primary election showed Lankford as the top GOP candidate. Few in the district knew much about Lankford. Through savvy social media networking and good old-fashioned campaigning, he came from behind to beat not only the early frontrunner, but also Calvey in the primary race.
The margin between Lankford and Calvey was quite tight July 27. But as the debate has continued as to who will be the best-positioned candidate for Republicans, we believe Lankford has proven in the past couple of weeks that he has the integrity, strength of character and a true interest in voter needs and interests to be the best nominee.
Please go to the polls Tuesday and cast a ballot representing your conscience.
Our View
Lankford best fit for GOP
- Our View
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OUR VIEW: Feb. 14 vote about ideas
If you read any of the letters to the editor in the past two weeks regarding Tuesday’s District 2 Edmond school board race, then you already know that this election is not about the individual candidates so much as it’s about what type of school board do Edmond residents really want governing their school district?
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OUR VIEW: Bright spots highlight 2011
Last year was mostly marked with grim economic news and continued worries for the future by most individuals and businesses. However, there were several bright spots that highlighted 2011 and they are good examples why Edmond continues to weather the nation’s economic storms better than most.
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City still needs a business navigator
At the outset of her first term in office, then-Mayor Patrice Douglas appointed a task force dedicated to helping the City of Edmond better understand the needs of small businesses in our city. This task force met for several months and released a number of recommendations for how the city could better serve this huge sector of its economy.
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OUR VIEW: It’s time to bring ME’s office to Edmond
The exhumation of Dwite Morgan’s body earlier this month by state and local authorities is a travesty and symbolizes what has been wrong with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office.
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OUR VIEW: HOPE needs your help
Stories like the one shared today by Oneka Parker on page A1 are both troubling and uplifting at the same time. It’s a stark realization that so many Edmond residents find themselves in crisis and in need of basic, everyday supplies. But it’s a blessing to know that someplace like the nonprofit HOPE Center exists to help residents like Parker.
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Our View: Sustainment center good news for Tinker
The Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base will now be a command site for a new Air Force sustainment and logistics center. Other changes include adding a three-star general that oversees operations at Tinker and two other Air Force bases.
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Our View: DHS needs an overhaul
A recent conviction of an Edmond foster mother has added fuel to the angry fire of scorn heaped at Oklahoma’s child welfare system. The system has been rocked by multiple recent failures ending in the loss of very young, innocent lives entrusted to either the state’s care or supervision.
In the case of Amy L. Holder, she was convicted of felony child abuse and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine plus a $10,000 assessment to the victim’s compensation fund with no jail time in the death of 2-year-old Naomi Whitecrow. Family members of the victim seethed with anger at how the system failed their young relative. -
Peters exemplifies service
This Friday is special for more than just a national commemoration of Veterans Day. It also will mark the induction of Edmond resident Oren Lee Peters and eight other military veterans into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame. The annual banquet will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Oklahoma Christian University. The ceremony also will posthumously honor 14 Comanche code talkers who made pivotal contributions to encoding communications during World War II.
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OUR VIEW: Brain gain plan needs to start earlier
Gov. Mary Fallin came to the University of Central Oklahoma campus along with State Superintendent Janet Barresi in September and touted her new “brain gain” initiative. The goal of the new program is to increase the 30,500 college degrees conferred annually now by 67 percent to 50,900 degrees annually by the year 2023.
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Our View: Time to look at what’s next
With voter confidence strongly behind city leaders, the Public Safety Center project can now move to the planning stage.
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OUR VIEW: Feb. 14 vote about ideas
