Republican voters in the state will soon consider who is to be their candidate in the race to become Oklahoma's next lieutenant governor in the general election.
One of the six candidates in the Republican primary will eventually face the lone Democratic candidate, Kelly Forbes, in the November general election. Below is a round up of the candidates in the primary and their priorities.
H. Victor Flores
Edmond Republican businessman Victor Flores stresses conservative values, Christian faith, and community support on his website.
Raised in Enid, Flores is president of the Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium, a principal at an accounting firm and is a small business investor. Flores is focused on an "Oklahoma First" plan, economic development and community support, according to his website.
This agenda includes keeping dollars in Oklahoma longer, building household generational wealth, improving infrastructure statewide, small business or entrepreneur development, retaining residents and attracting businesses to the state. His website also stresses he supports a united approach to governance.
"We are Better Together and when we put aside our differences, we will see growth in our state like never before," Flores wrote in a social media post.
Brian Hill
Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, has represented parts of southwest Oklahoma City, Mustang and Tuttle since 2018.
Hill is a businessman, former youth pastor and author, according to his candidate website. As a legislator, Hill writes he started economic development hubs and "defended religious liberty in the COVID-19 pandemic, when radicals tried to shut down places of worship."
His listed priorities include creating economic opportunity, eliminating regulations, defending the Second Amendment and working with the Trump Administration to deport people in the country without legal status who have a criminal record. Hill's website also says he is focused on supporting education, protecting women's sports, working with energy companies to cut certain regulations and lower energy costs, and working with law enforcement to curb "CCP-backed (Chinese Communist Party) operations."
Justin "J.J." Humphrey
Since 2017, Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, has represented Pushmataha and Choctaw Counties, and parts of Atoka and Bryan Counties.
He has a background in law enforcement, business administration and ranching, according to his House of Representatives biography.
During Humphery's tenure in the legislature, he has focused on criminal justice as chair of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections and the Public Safety committees. He's also carried bills to lower the state's penalties for cockfighting.
On his candidate website, Humphrey is focused on moving Child Protective Services from the Department of Human Services to local sheriffs, overturning Office of Juvenile Affairs leadership, ending profit-driven probation and requiring independent reviews of wrongful conviction claims.
His priorities also include focusing on broadband infrastructure, building regional state-run jail facilities with mental health pods and making state agencies more accessible.
David Ostrowe
Republican businessman David Ostrowe is a Navy veteran and the chief operating officer and secretary of Gov. Kevin Stitt's office.
His role for the governor's office includes "cutting wasteful bureaucracy, demanding agency performance, and putting Oklahoma's checkbook online for full public transparency," according to his candidate website.
After his service as a Naval aircrewman during the Cold War, Ostrowe worked to expand fast food franchises such as Burger King and Taco Bell.
His priorities include recruiting manufacturers, closing competitive deals and bringing thousands of high-quality jobs to the state.
T.W. Shannon
Banker T.W. Shannon is a former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the first Black and Chickasaw person to hold the position.
Shannon was the national chair of Black Voices for Trump in 2020, a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Trump administration and a former Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Shannon in recent months, saying the lieutenant gubernatorial candidate has supported his campaign from the beginning.
Shannon's priorities include cutting red tape, defending merit and accountability in government, spending tax money wisely and "Stopping radical left policies that raise costs and expand bureaucracy," according to his campaign website.
His website reads that Shannon is running for the position to deliver conservative leadership.
Darrell Weaver
Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, has represented Moore, south Oklahoma City and north Norman since 2018.
Before his time in the Oklahoma Senate, Weaver served in law enforcement and became director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, and is also a Christian author, according to his Senate biography.
"With my common-sense, conservative approach to governing, I have championed legislation addressing various issues, including public safety, victims' rights, small business, and Second Amendment rights," Weaver said in his candidacy announcement. "I have strongly advocated for our growing aerospace industry and the need to enhance economic and workforce development and promote tourism opportunities."
Weaver writes on his candidacy website that he is committed to campaigning in every county to listen and share ideas to make a better future.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
