Yesterday, after weeks of speculation he would mount a primary challenge against Oklahoma’s senior US Senator Jim
Inhofe, former ousted state party chairman and failed Republican nominee for State Auditor Gary Jones has set sights on his old job instead: chairman of the state Republican Party.
According to Jones: “[D]
uring [my] first tenure as GOP State Chairman, Republican registration grew four percent statewide and Republicans picked up 12 legislative seats, numerous courthouse offices and reelected a United States Senator.”
In truth, Jones did not reelect a U.S. Senator. Tom
Coburn was elected for the first time. More interesting, however, Jones focuses his attention in his
press release on
2010, and fails to mention Republicans’ need to re-elect Jim
Inhofe in 2008, despite the possibility of a challenge by Gov. Brad Henry. “If I am elected, I intend to devote my full time and energies to building a party that elects a Governor…” Jones said, apparently dismissing the current election cycle. Could it be that his widely known and long standing feud with Senator
Inhofe is already shining through?
However, we noted with interest that Jones announced his qualifications by copying, nearly verbatim, from Tulsa County Republican Chairman and current
frontrunner for state chairman Jerry Buchanan’s announcement letter. “Republicans have my pledge that I will work tirelessly to make certain we have the people, money and state of the art technology necessary to win,” Jones wrote in his press release.
In the Buchanan announcement, “communications, fundraising, grassroots outreach, and political technology” were the key focal points of his campaign for chairman.
With both Buchanan and Jones in the race, it remains unclear whether current chairman, Tom
Daxon, will seek reelection after what many Republicans considered dismal statewide election results in November.
OKPNS welcomes readers’ reaction to Jones’s announcement, either in the comments section found beneath each article, or through our anonymous
tipline.
Labels: Gary Jones, Sen. Inhofe
Posted at 2/16/2007 03:10:00 PM
