08/29/2025
What Missouri can teach Oklahoma
I recently met Russ Carnahan, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, during a road trip through St. Louis. He comes from a famous political family with deep roots in the state. We talked about what's going on in our two states, which aren't so very different. Each has two metro areas, relatively blue, and rural counties that are predominantly red. Missouri, though, sends two Democrats to Congress, from districts built around their cities. Oklahoma's entire federal delegation is red.
Russ explained to me that President Trump is calling for a redrawing of districts to turn one of these districts red. A new map would crack Kansas City by redistributing voters into the surrounding red areas, so that they would be a minority. A simple redrawing would change no one’s political views but would dramatically change Missouri’s representation in Washington. It would effectively disenfranchise urban Democrats, many of them from minority backgrounds, in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Russ is determined to prevent that from happening.
In Oklahoma, this has already happened. Our districts, drawn by politicians, have favored Republicans who now control all five seats. This matters to ordinary people, because all five of these Republicans, plus our two senators, voted for the Big Bad Billionaire Bill, which cuts our Soonercare program, reduces farm subsidies and SNAP benefits, eliminates supports for storm warning systems and makes other cuts to services we rely on, all to pay for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. Rep. Josh Brecheen has been getting some tough questions from constituents during his town hall series, including one for a pediatrician who keeps seeing her reimbursements cut as Soonercare cuts back on services. At least he's talking to voters. Congresswoman Stephanie Bice has consistently canceled public events to avoid questions.
When members of Congress vote against the interests of ordinary Oklahomans, they should face consequences, whether in the form of tough questions from the public or tough challenges on the campaign trail. I recently attended the campaign kickoff of Jena Nelson, running for Congressional District Five. She's mounting a challenge in a district that was altered after the last census to crack the Democratic population by placing some of them in CD3, which goes all the way to the panhandle.
Missouri still has Democrats in Congress, which means they can have a livelier debate on federal policy than we get in Oklahoma. Republicans are trying to stop that by gerrymandering districts to disenfranchise voters. When you can't win the argument, you use force to achieve your goal, I guess. Here in Oklahoma, where the gerrymandering has already occurred, Democrats have to fight even harder to get representation. But it's a fight with having, because when we don't have representation, Oklahomans suffer. That's because the politicians governing in a supermajority can take their positions - and the voters - for granted.
Until they can't. Looking forward to a spirited race by Jena Nelson. Maybe it's our chance to send the powers that be a message…
