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OK-Senate Democrats introduce two 2010 candidates
10/27/2009 by Erin Boeckman
(OK) Leaders of the Senate Democratic Caucus introduced two Democrats who will be vying for open Senate seats in 2010 as the senators shared hopes of retaining or gaining Senate seats in the next election.Democratic Leader-elect Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said he was excited this early in the election cycle to have two candidates emerge who will be seeking seats currently held by term-limited Democrats. Janice Aldridge, of Wagoner, will be seeking the Senate District 18 seat currently held by Sen. Mary Easley, D-Tulsa. In Senate District 14, Donna Spring, of Ardmore, will seek to replace Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, D-Ardmore.
Not only is it important to add Democrats to the Senate, but it is also important to add to the number of women in the Senate, Rice said, noting that the five women currently in the Senate are Democrats.
"We are especially proud of the fact that we continue to recruit women to serve in the state Senate because we know women continue to be under represented in local, state and federal elective office," Rice said in a news release. "These candidates bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from their respective professions."
Aldridge is a retired school superintendent who said she hopes to continue the legacy of education that Easley brought to the Senate as a retired educator. She described public education as the foundation of democracy.
Spring said she has a strong business background in technology. She said it is important to bring a strong business background to the Senate because, like any other business owner, she has had to make tough decisions in the current economy. Like Aldridge, Spring said she shared a passion for education, which she said goes hand in hand with creating good jobs and promoting a strong economy.
Rice said he hopes to continue recruiting a field of strong Democratic candidates for the 2010 election cycle.
In the past two election cycles, Senate Democrats have lost seats. They tied with Republicans after the 2006 election, which led to a power-sharing agreement between the two parties. And after the 2008 election, Republicans won a majority. Republicans currently hold a 26-to-22 edge in the Senate.
Rice acknowledged the losses the Democrats in the Legislature have felt over recent election cycles, noting that term limits have seemed to hit Democrats in the Senate and House fairly hard. But, Senate Democrats are serious about regaining a majority in the Senate, he said in a news release. In addition to Aldridge and Spring, Rice indicated that two other Democrats are considering a run for seats that will be vacated by sitting senators, including one in Senate District 30, which is currently held by Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.
While incumbent Democratic senators will be supporting Democratic challengers in Senate races, Rice said that he will be asking his Democratic colleagues to "restore decorum" to the Senate by asking them not to walk against incumbent senators. In so doing, Rice said he hopes to help foster cooperation in the Senate and reduce political payback.
According to Oklahoma Ethics Commission records, Republican Kimberly David, of Wagoner, has also filed campaign organization documents for Senate District 18. Spring is the only candidate to file campaign documents for Senate District 14.
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