A Tulsa Democrat will no longer seek reelection following reports he used artificial intelligence to fabricate images of him kissing a woman.
Rep. John Waldron said after “careful reflection coupled with consultation with some of my dearest friends” he will end his campaign for reelection to House District 77, which represents a portion of northeast Tulsa.
Waldron did not say in his statement Monday why he was not seeking reelection just days after filing for reelection, but online news outlet NonDoc reported Friday that Waldron had sent a potential candidate for public office an AI-generated GIF of the two of them kissing.
He was also serving as chair of the state Democratic Party at the time. He resigned in December from that post, but continues to serve in the state House.
Waldron told the outlet that he was under “enormous personal stress” and made a mistake when he asked an AI tool to use photos of the woman to generate the video image of them kissing. NonDoc reported that he also sent the female candidate the image.
Waldron did not return a message left by Oklahoma Voice on Monday afternoon, but sent a written statement saying that “stepping aside is the right thing to do” for the people of his district. He said he will be continuing therapy and counseling to “become a better person.”
Waldron said he sacrificed his integrity “in an instant” and understands that what he did was wrong.
“To the person I wronged, to my constituents, and to those who’ve supported me along the way, I want you to know the depth and breadth of the sorrow and remorse in my heart,” Waldron said in a statement. “Some have said it was because I was caught, but it sincerely is because I know what I did was wrong and I have let many of you down. I don’t offer this as an excuse, only an explanation and in hope for eventual forgiveness, if possible.”
House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, told NonDoc last week that Waldron was told by the Democratic Caucus to step down and not seek reelection, and that he would not have their support if he opted to do so.
Because Waldron suspended his campaign after election filing, his name will remain on the June 16 primary ballot. Waldron will face Kristina Gabriel in the June 16 Democratic primary.
As no Republican filed for the post, the winner of the primary will become the district’s next state representative.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
