District 44: By the Numbers
Historically, voter turnout has been quite low for District 44, floating around 13% between the 2010 to 2014 state elections, and nearly half that in the 2003 election.
Oklahoma State Senate District 44
The 2014 race also saw the entry of an Independent candidate, Constance Fawcett (I), who garnered 6.5% of votes, with retention of Republican-leaning voters supporting Senator Ralph Shortey falling -5.64% and Democrat-leaning voters supporting Michael Brooks-Jimenez falling -.86% compared to 2010 results. All said, Shortey got 51.7% of votes, Brooks-Jimenez got 41.8% of votes, and Oklahomans re-elected Shortey. On the positIve side, Democratic voter retention was pretty good.
Yet, there are more than 79,000 residents in District 44, but only 10,000 or so voted in 2014. The difference between winning and losing in this district comes down to just a few hundred votes, so voter turnout matters ‘bigly’. I have more friends than that on Facebook. And, yes, that bit of comparison does make my brain cry. Especially because of Democrats, albeit centrist, once enjoyed top positions in Oklahoma until recently.
This year, there are no Independent candidates running, so it will be Democrat versus Republican, no spoiler candidates to contend with.
The Republican Opponent - Joe Griffin
Republican Joe Griffin, a former loser in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 92, 2016 General Election, is a former communications director for two Oklahoma Speakers of the House. Griffin runs on a “pro-business” platform, including fewer regulations that protect consumers and workers, and he is in favor of reducing taxes for the rich. Sound familiar? It’s called trickle-down economics, which we have yet to see success with.
He also wants to curtail citizens’ rights by eliminating channels to hold government and law enforcement officials accountable, he thinks social programs are “handouts,” and according to Griffin, “[t]axpayer benefits like government welfare programs for illegals must stop, and our laws must be enforced.”
What Winning This Seat Will Mean for Democrats
We urge Oklahomans to vote for Michael Brooks-Jimenez! Why? Because he’s honestly the only sensible choice. Plus, he loves exclamation points, and he’s not afraid to use them...in tweets.