While many are focused on the Presidential Primary Feb. 5, 2008 there are other important elections this year, in fact, county party elections will be held on March 31st followed by District elections on April 28th and State Party elections on May 19th.
The state party does not require any official "filing" for elective office, in fact nominations may be made from the floor of the convention, at all levels. Nor does the party have rules about "slates". Indeed the candidates for party office officially run individually but often campaign together. However, voting is done by the convention delegates and votes are cast for individuals, not for slates of officers.
The ODP Constitution requires the chair and vice chair to be of opposite genders, thus if the chair is female the vice chair must be a male.
At the state level there are currently only two "announced" candidates for state party chair -- Ben Odom and Ivan Holmes.
"Announced" candidates for state party vice chair are Kitti Asberry, Debbie Hogue-Downing and Anastasia Pittman.
Walter Jenny, Jr. is currently the only "announced" candidate for state secretary.
Two names are "out there" as possible candidates for state party treasurer, both are females from OKC. They are Jana Harkins and Linda Gray Murphy.
Of note is the fact that all of the announced candidates for state office are from Oklahoma or Cleveland County.
Party office terms are for two years. Party offices are unpaid.
3 comments:
Yes, I am seriously considering a run for ODP Treasurer. I should make a decision within the next few days. The hard part is over--gaining the support of my husband, Clarence. As a way of introduction to others throughout the state:
I am a lifelong Democrat. I am a former committeeman for Oklahoma County (that dates me) and have been active in the Federation of Democratic Women's Clubs since the early 80s. I am currently a member of Metro Federated Democratic Women's Club. I had the opportunity to chair the 2005 and 2006 Oklahoma County Democratic Party Medallion Dinner fundraisers. I am especially proud to be honored as the 2006 OCDP Volunteer of the Year. At our most recent precinct meetings, I agreed to serve as Co-Chair for HD 82 and will continue to serve as chair of my precinct (550416). I serve on the finance committees for both the ODP and the OCDP.
Thanks to my family, I have been active in the party for over 50 years. I am retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone. I am a former member of CWA Local 6016, where I served as a Steward, Group Vice President, Executive Vice President, Newsletter Editor, and Local President. During my years as a union activist, I was active in the Central Labor Council and the state AFL-CIO. I served as the president for the Oklahoma County A. Philip Randolph Institute for eight years. My husband, Clarence, is a retired Oklahoma City firefighter and member of IAFF Local 157. Although I am no longer active in the labor movement, I remain committed to the ideals of organized labor.
By profession, I am a certified public accountant (CPA) and am currently employed in the manufacturing industry as a Controller. My other affiliations include the Girl Scouts, OSCPA and ACLU. I was president of the ACLU of Oklahoma in the early 80s when Keith Smith first joined the board.
My husband and I have two adult children and five grandchildren. I grew up in Ada, Oklahoma and attended Byng School for 12 years. I earned my accounting degree at Oklahoma City University and an MBA from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. Thanks to the recommendations of Oklahoma City Councilwoman Willa Johnson and former Oklahoma Governor David Walters, I am a member of the current Leadership Oklahoma City class (Class XXV). Along with my good friend, Ronald "Skip" Kelly, I co-host one of the most progressive talk radio programs in Oklahoma, "In the Know".
If you would like to talk to me concerning my possible run for ODP Treasurer, you can reach me by email at jana-harkins@cox.net.
Please email candidate profiles to geezeweb@gmail.com for publishing on www.ccdem.com
I announced today at the OCDP Noon Speaker's Luncheon that I am a candidate for Treasurer of the Oklahoma State Democratic Party (ODP).
What do I bring to the table? I believe in the Democratic Party. I understand the need for a strong state organization. I support implementing policies, programs, and procedures that will increase our presence in rural Oklahoma and utilize our urban organizations more effectively. I believe that it is imperative that we do a better job throughout the state on minority outreach. I believe that to turn Oklahoma BLUE that it is imperative that our state organization implement support mechanisms that will nurture activism and utilize local people--neighbor to neighbor. I am a team player.
In addition to heart, I have proven administrative experiences and leadership abilities. Budgeting, forecasting, cash management--these are all second nature for me. I know that I do not have all the answers. I am not afraid or ashamed to ask for help. I listen and I listen well; I listen for understanding.
For those of you who may not know me, I am a lifelong Democrat. I am a former committeeperson for Oklahoma County and have been active in the Federation of Democratic Women's Clubs since the early 80s. I am currently a member of Metro Federated Democratic Women's Club. I had the opportunity to chair the 2005 and 2006 Oklahoma County Democratic Party Medallion Dinner fundraisers. Last year I was honored as the 2006 OCDP Volunteer of the Year. At our most recent precinct meetings, I agreed to serve as Co-Chair for HD 82 and will continue to serve as chair of my precinct (550416). I serve on the finance committees for both the ODP and the OCDP.
Thanks to my family, I have been active in the party for over 50 years. I am retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone. I am a former member of CWA Local 6016, where I served as a Steward, Group Vice President, Executive Vice President, Newsletter Editor, and Local President. During my years as a union activist, I was active in the Central Labor Council and the state AFL-CIO. As the president of the Oklahoma County A. Philip Randolph Institute for eight years, I have coordinated and implemented many voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote activities.
By profession, I am a certified public accountant (CPA) and am employed in biopharmaceutical manufacturing as a Controller. My other affiliations include the Girl Scouts, OSCPA and ACLU. I was president of the ACLU of Oklahoma when Keith Smith first joined the board.
My husband (a retired firefighter) and I have two adult children and five grandchildren. I grew up in Ada, Oklahoma and attended Byng School for 12 years. I earned my accounting degree at Oklahoma City University and an MBA from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. Thanks to the recommendations of Oklahoma City Councilwoman Willa Johnson and former Oklahoma Governor David Walters, I am a member of the current Leadership Oklahoma City class (Class XXV). Along with my good friend, Ronald "Skip" Kelly, I co-host one of the most progressive talk radio programs in Oklahoma, "In the Know".
If you would like to visit with me concerning my candidacy, you can reach me by email at jana-harkins@cox.net or you may call me: (405) 659-1325.
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