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City Council Elections

Municipal Elections See Mixed Results as Holt Prevails; Heikkila Shows Strength in Norman

OKLAHOMA CITY

Urbanic (L) and Hefner (R) fall short in holding off Holt.

What began as a night full of hope with area conservatives that OKC Mayor Holt would go down in defeat turned into a night of defeat as Holt easily won re-election, winning 59% percent of the vote to win outright.

The responses of the two conservative candidates echoed the temperature of the end of the campaign. Carol Hefner was gracious, positive, and upbeat, encouraging her voters to stay engaged and work even harder to get more conservative voters engaged in the process.

Frank Urbanic, seemingly confused about the true focus of the election, instead chose to continue his bitter raging against Hefner. When contacted by The Oklahoman for a comment, Urbanic said, “all citizens of Oklahoma City should rest easy knowing that Carol Hefner will never be mayor.”

It likely wouldn’t have mattered even if Hefner hadn’t gotten in the race, as Holt’s vote total easily exceeded Hefner and Urbanic combined. That fact didn’t stop a few Urbanic supporters from blaming the loss on a crowded field, which is understandable given their disappointment, albeit misguided.

Holt’s formidable political machine, that seemed to lose momentum towards the end of the race when Hefner outraised him by over 300% in the month of January alone, raced out to a lead of over 3,400 votes in absentee voting alone and only increased his lead throughout the night, winning by over 24,000 votes in one of the largest municipal election turnouts in recent history.

Conservatives Show Up Strong in Norman, Edmond

Larry Heikilla, Candidate for Norman Mayor, advances to runoff against Mayor Breea Clark.

The night wasn’t a complete bust, however, as the conservative candidates for the two Edmond School Board races as well as the Norman Mayoral race all made it to the runoff election.

Michael Grande nearly won the EPS Place 5 position outright last night, beating Marcus Jones by only 71 votes. Grande missed winning the election outright by only 40 votes. Given that the third candidate in the race, Deonna Maxfield, only garnered 79 total votes, the runoff is likely to be as close of a race as the primary.

Cheryl Williams came in first in the EPS Place 2 race by well over 400 votes over the next closest candidate. The crowded race was seemingly the only thing that kept Williams from securing the outright victory. She now heads to the runoff against Courtney Hobgood.

The biggest moment of the night came in the Norman Mayor race, where Larry Heikkila finished just over 1,000 votes behind Marxist Mayor Breea Clark. Heikkila easily outdistanced conservative challenger, Dr. Nicole Kish, by over 4,400 votes. While Kish being in the race didn’t necessarily keep Heikkila from beating Clark outright last night, it did keep him from coming in first place.

With Midway Bob Thompson finishing third in the race with 4,292 votes (good for 18.9% of the vote), Norman conservatives must unite behind Heikkila in force in order to give him the victory over Clark in the runoff.

When contacted by Ignite Liberty Tuesday evening, Heikkila beamed with optimism, saying that his campaign was “looking forward to staying in the fight.”

OKC Conservatives Must Regroup

If the conservatives in Oklahoma City are ever going to rid themselves of Mayor Holt, they are going to have to develop united front much earlier in the campaign. Hefner’s campaign proved that it had the force to out-fundraise Holt if given the time to do it, something Urbanic struggled with the entire time. Unfortunately, two months simply wasn’t enough time to saturate the electorate with her message.

Given that, Hefner is the only one on the political landscape right now that could conceivably challenge Holt in 2026 – assuming Holt doesn’t run for a higher office before then. However, doing so will require a much longer campaign in order to remove the rose-colored glasses from the eyes of their fellow citizens who seem as if they are in a perpetual MAPS-induced daze.

This fact alone causes Alexis de Tocqueville’s quote to hit a little too close to home:

“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”

Endorsement Season Continues with Norman Mayor

Larry Heikkila, Candidate for Norman Mayor.

Of all of our endorsements this municipal election season, this by far was our toughest to make. So before we announce who we have selected to endorse for Norman mayor, we want to address the citizens of Norman as a whole.

First, you should be commended for having two outstanding conservative mayoral candidates to take on the Marxist Mayor Clark. We thoroughly enjoyed the time we got to spend getting to know both Larry Heikkila and Dr. Nicole Kish. Both are outstanding Normanites, with a passion and love for making Norman a better city than it currently is.

One of the frequent concerns mentioned by conservatives in Norman is that having two strong conservative candidates would split the vote and guarantee Mayor Clark wins re-election. However, Norman’s city charter is similar to Oklahoma City in that it requires candidates to get at least 51% of the vote during primary elections in order to win outright. Given the overly crowded field in this year’s primary, it is highly likely that the race will go to a runoff.

The reality is that whichever candidate ends up facing Mayor Clark deserves the full support and backing of every conservative in Norman, and every conservative organization in the metro area.

The absolute worst thing that could happen next Tuesday is for conservatives to not show up to the polls. The best thing that could happen, assuming there is a runoff, or for Mayor Clark to be eliminated in the primaries. That could only happen if conservatives show up and vote like their life depended on it…because given Clark’s anti-police agenda and neglect for the Norman Fire Department, it very likely does.

Our standards for endorsement

As mentioned in our article endorsing Carol Hefner for OKC Mayor, we laid out our standards for choosing candidates to endorse. In that article, we said:

By OKC Charter, the mayor is paid part-time; however, it has more than full-time hours associated with it. In order for this city to get back on track, it is critical that we elect a mayor that is fully prepared to actually do the job from day one. There is no time for a learning curve. Holt’s vast reach and influence in this city spreads far beyond just the mayor’s office. It extends down to the numerous city commissions and boards that he has appointed members to in order to fulfil his vision of this city. It extends to “working groups” designed to redesign the OKCPD after the image of the San Francisco and Seattle police departments. It is seen in the massive overhaul of our charter that his select committee oversaw. Holt’s agenda has affected, or infected, every single aspect of this city’s government, and not for the better.”

The same holds true for Norman, perhaps even more so. The OKC Mayor is paid $24,000 per year. According to the Norman Transcript, the Norman Mayor is only paid about $100 per month. That’s not even part-time. Given the current price of gas, the mayor would literally have to shell out money from their own pocket to meet their obligations as mayor.

Norman is in far worse shape than Oklahoma City. The OKCPD were never defunded. In fact, the OKCPD received an increase in their budget in 2021. As bad as the problem are in OKC, Norman is in infinitely worse shape. As such, there’s even less room for a learning curve for the next mayor if they’re going to help reverse the damage done by Clark.

Because of this, we must take into consideration the depth of experience and expertise of the two conservative candidates when it comes to the city’s affairs. As Bradley Carter (OKC Ward 1) and Barbara Young (OKC Ward 3) taught us, regardless of how well-prepared you are for the job, it is literally like learning from a fire hose from day one.

It was these reasons why the Norman PD FOP reversed their decision to endorse Clark and chose instead to endorse Heikkila. In an article published in the Norman Transcript, Norman FOP President Robert Wasoski said of their endorsement decision:

We feel that he represents the vision and the direction that will take Norman in the right place moving forward and he’s best for the city. He is certainly a law enforcement advocate, as is Dr. Kish, and we know that. What we thought overall, from the various forums and debates, is that he is the candidate that we want to support and try to get elected as mayor. He knows and has been involved in Norman government for a while, and that will help him with a seamless transition, if elected.”

We concur with Mr. Wasoski.

Given the critical condition of basic city services and infrastructure, it is clear to us that Larry Heikkila is the best prepared, best qualified candidate to bring about the much-needed change in the shortest amount of time.

Norman is far from an after-thought in the metro area. It is truly the Gateway to the “Crossroads of America”. If we want to see the OKC Metro area blossom into the shining city on a hill that it can be, then all of the residents of the area need to see Norman turn around in the shortest time possible.

The best and most effective way to do that is for conservatives to unite behind Larry Heikilla and deliver a him resounding victory next Tuesday.

Conservative Frontrunner’s Fundraising Surges, Outpacing Nearest Competitor by Greater than 2:1 Margin

OKLAHOMA CITY

Carol Hefner, Candidate for OKC Mayor

The final campaign finance reports prior to the February 8th primary were due for all municipal races yesterday, January 31st. The reports are often used by political pundits to gauge momentum in the latter part of races, and are frequently seen as more indicative of a race’s outcome than fundraising reports submitted earlier in the race.

Assuming the most recent campaign finance reports hold to this form, they paint a very clear picture of who is likely to come out on top next Tuesday: Carol Hefner.

Even though she entered the race on November 29th, Hefner has outgained all of her opponents since by an astounding margin. Since her announcement, Hefner has collected $236,420, more than doubling Urbanic’s total revenue and far outpacing Holt for the same time period.

Urbanic has only raised $112,507 total for his entire campaign. Jimmy Lawson is last with only $8,378 raised for his entire campaign.

Perhaps the most impressive stat is how Hefner’s fundraising compares to Mayor Holt’s for the same time period. While Holt (who is supported by all of the far-left labor unions) raised $684,401 from the beginning of his campaign up until December 1st, his fundraising nearly ground to a halt once Hefner entered, drawing only $99,570 since.

Even more astounding is January 22nd reports, which show Hefner lapping Holt in fundraising by over $100,000…$149,380 to $38,639. That is a mind-boggling 386% more fundraising for the first 3 weeks of January alone.

Ignite Liberty reached out to the Hefner campaign for comment on her historic surge, and received the following in response:

We are astounded at the overwhelming support we have received in such a short amount of time! We are deeply grateful for the trust the proud citizens of our great city are placing in our campaign to restore a proper government that protects life, liberty, and property to Oklahoma City. The deluge of donations continues even to this day signaling that the people of Oklahoma City are ready to be done with the corrupt Holt regime once and for all! Together we will restore law and order to our streets, free our businesses from excessive and unlawful government intrusion, audit the MAPS projects, and create an Oklahoma City that every Oklahoman can be proud of!”

With the impending winter storm threatening to lock down the OKC Metro area early voting is likely to be scarce this year. Given the propensity of conservative voters to outperform democrat voters (who will likely support Holt) on Election Day the race may just be shaping up to deliver Hefner a decisive overall victory as well.

If she were to meet or exceed 51% on the 8th, she would win the race outright without a runoff…a historic feat if it happens.

Calvey Leads All DA Hopefulls

Kevin Calvey, Candidate for OK County DA.

Conservative stalwart Kevin Calvey, who was also a late-entry into the Oklahoma County District Attorney race, performed equally as well in fundraising, pulling in approximately $125,000 since launching his campaign on November 8th. The primary for that race is in June.

Calvey’s nearest competitor is Gayland Gieger who raised less than $30,000, Jacqui Ford raised $17,000, while Robert Gray (who is Frank Urbanic’s partner in his law practice) raised $8,000.  Calvey raised more money in seven weeks than Gieger raised in 39 weeks.

In response to the overwhelming support, Calvey’s campaign released the following statement:

Our team is blessed with great supporters, and I’m grateful for their contributions,” Kevin Calvey said. “It is abundantly clear that voters in Oklahoma County want a conservative overhaul of the District Attorney’s office.  We need to prioritize public safety, support our law enforcement officers, and get the best possible rate of return for our tax dollars.

“We are in it to win it. It’s a team effort, and our team has put us into a strong lead.”

Given the overwhelming groundswell of conservative support for Hefner and Calvey, it appears like the citizens of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County are poised to begin draining the OKC Swamp…and not a moment too soon.

 

OKC Mayoral Debate: CAIR, Muslim leaders launch attack against conservative front-runner

OKLAHOMA CITY

OKC Mayoral Candidate Carol Hefner during Tuesday night’s Mayoral Debate.

After a brilliant performance in the Tuesday night’s OKC Mayoral Debate, where she outshone her competitors on law and order, homelessness, and MAPS questions, Carol Hefner, conservative front-runner and main challenger to incumbent Mayor David Holt (who chose not to attend the debate), was ambushed by the moderators with a “gotcha question” tantamount to the treatment President Trump received during the 2016 GOP Primary Debates.

The question, asked by News 9’s Storme Jones, was, “Mrs. Hefner, your social media history includes some incendiary comments. You called Islam and evil culture and not a religion, and you compared President Barack Obama to Hitler. Should the people of Oklahoma City be concerned that you will be a divisive mayor with a propensity to making negative statements?”

The question, which was essentially trying to pin her with the “mean tweeter” label that they gave President Trump, didn’t seem to throw Hefner, who hails from Lebanese parents. Instead, she responded with sharing her family’s very personal story of escaping brutal persecution under Islamic rule as Lebanese Christians:

In escaping Islam, and the oppression, my grandfathers had crosses tattooed on their right hand. One was from Nazareth, and one was from the Sea of Galilee. They were identified just like Holocaust victims with the tattoos on their arms. They were identified with the mark on their right hand because in that culture you only reach with your right hand to greet someone. The left hand is considered dirty. And so those people were oppressed, and it was a slow death. You couldn’t get food, you couldn’t get clothing, or a place to stay.”

She continued,

That’s why my family came to America. To seek a better life, and to become purely American. I slept on floors when my parents were doing things to raise us up. My grandfather lived in a dug out cave with dirt floors to become American. They came here legally and came here to be free. So yes, it is a very negative culture and does things that are oppressive, I don’t agree with that.”

As if they were looking for a reason to be triggered, the local legacy media and Muslim community completely ignored the heroic story of survival and a fight to live free that the Coury (Hefner’s maiden name) family endured to live the American dream, and latched onto the end of her comments where she compared the evils of slavery to the torture of innocent Christians under Islam as something she would like to get rid of:

It’s just like slavery. I don’t agree with that (slavery). [Slavery] is incipid, its been here since the beginning of time. I don’t know how personally I’m going to get rid of it, but I would like to have those conversations. It’s very important that the things that we say hold value. I would like to sit down and have healing conversations, offer grace back and forth. It’s very important to me to make sure we heal our community.”

Instead, The Oklahoman, in an article released today, took the comments out of context, claiming that her comments showed, “note of contempt for the religion [of Islam].”

In a conversation with Ignite Liberty about her social media comments, Hefner stated, “Those were produced in 2013.  We are all a work in progress, and I would like to think that over the last many years I have grown in grace.  We all deserve grace. Slavery, hate, and oppression are detestable and should be eradicated from the earth.  What a beautiful world that would be!”

Islamic Terrorism Supporters Attack Hefner

Like clockwork, however, the local Islam community along with CAIR (the Council for American Islamic Relations) used the opportunity to attack Hefner’s statements as being Islamophobic and full of hate. CAIR was founded as a “non-profit, grassroots membership organization … established to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America,” to protect Muslims from hate crimes and discrimination, and to present “an Islamic perspective on issues of importance to the American public.”

According to DiscoverTheNetworks.org (a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center), CAIR is a “civil rights group partially funded by the Saudi Wahhabi establishment.” Wahhabi is among the most extreme of Islamic sects.

CAIR has numerous known ties to extremist terrorist organizations. Steve Pomerantz, the former chief of FBI counter-terrorism, stated that “CAIR, its leaders, and its activities effectively give aid to international terrorist groups.” In fact, terrorism expert Steven Emerson, citing federal law enforcement sources and internal documents, characterizes CAIR as “a radical fundamentalist front group for Hamas.”

CAIR has long been the enemy of conservatives and constitutionalists primarily because of their desire to replace the U.S. Constitution with Sharia law – something they’ve nearly accomplished in places like Dearborn, Michigan. The fact that they turn their attacks on Hefner, with the willing aid of News 9 and Non-Doc (the debate’s sponsors), speaks volumes about which of the conservative candidates they feel is the biggest threat to their agenda.

In fact, on Twitter the only candidate getting open support from the Muslim community was Hefner’s conservative opponent, Frank Urbanic:

Twitter screenshot of Muslim Urbanic supporter.

Hefner Shines on Law and Order, MAPS

In addition to the skillful handling of the “gotcha question” at the end, Hefner showed extraordinary competence and awareness in her answers to whether she would support 21CP’s recommendations to the city council for police reforms. As Hefner accurately pointed out, the Baltimore-based 21CP Solutions has been one of the organizations behind the “defund the police” movement that struck at the heart of police departments in nearly every major city in the country following the widespread riots in 2020. Showing support for the heritage that her family has helped build, Hefner stated, “Baltimore solutions have no place in OKC. We are capable of solving our own problems.” Urbanic, meanwhile, said he felt the recommendations from 21CP, “seemed reasonable.”

Perhaps the most puzzling moment of the night was when the Libertarian-leaning Urbanic stated that he didn’t feel like the city was under any obligation to fund the MAPS projects voted on by the people (a statement he has continually made during his campaign), Hefner rightly corrected him, stating, “when we have a vote, we have to abide by the people’s will. That is the truth of the matter. That’s why it’s so important [to get out and vote]. Elections have consequences.”

Hearing a candidate for office stating that they didn’t believe the government was duty-bound to follow will of the people as expressed in a vote is something you would have expected to hear from a far-left candidate, not someone claiming to be a conservative. Hefner, meanwhile, called for an audit of the MAPS projects to ensure that the taxpayer’s dollars are being wisely spent on the projects they voted on, and not being wasted.

Holt Absent While Hefner Steals Show

With only a week left until early voting begins in the February 8th primary, Holt’s absence from the debate was telling, as regularly commented on by the participants. Hefner is widely expected to not only be Holt’s only real challenger, but if weather doesn’t prevent a large turnout (like it did last year) experts are saying there is a decent chance that Hefner wins outright on the 8th. That would require her to receive 51% of the vote.

A win for Hefner, whether on the 8th or in the general election, would be a crippling blow to Holt’s political career and signal a welcome change in direction for a city that has seen homelessness and crime skyrocket under Holt’s leadership.

Endorsement Season Is Upon Us

Carol Hefner, Candidate for OKC Mayor

Local area races have started to garner the much-needed endorsements in order to help maintain the surge of momentum started during last year’s municipal elections.

As with last year, Ignite Liberty will be endorsing candidates in the most important races. We are proud to announce that our first endorsement will be in the race for OKC Mayor.

Our organization began with the singular purpose to oust David Holt as Mayor of OKC. We have since grown beyond pure activism to conservative journalism. It has been a long staple of journalistic history for candidates to seek out the endorsements of major newspapers throughout the state.

With the crumbling readership of the newspapers and subsequent absorption by major media conglomerates, those endorsements mean virtually nothing anymore; which is one of the reasons why many, including The Oklahoman, no longer endorse candidates.

We are not that way. We have carried the torch for authentic, grassroots conservatism in the Sooner State for the last year. Our faithful readers, subscribers, and donors know that they can trust us to do our due diligence in investigating potential candidates, asking the hard questions, and advocating only for those candidates who are fully prepared to carry the cause of liberty forward after they’re elected.

After all, it’s one thing to say all the right things on the campaign trail. It’s quite another to have the depth of experience and proven conservative track record to warrant the trust of the voters on election day.

That is the standard that we use when we look for candidates to endorse. We look far beyond the campaign rhetoric, flashy speeches, and “superstar” endorsements to find candidates of substance that merit our support.

Two perfect examples of this are Bradley Carter, OKC Ward 1 Councilman, and Barbara Young, OKC Ward 3 Councilwoman.

During last year’s city council races both of them faced other mainstream “conservative, Republican” candidates against them that had flashy endorsements from big-name local politicians. We looked beyond the surface, spoke with many candidates, and found Carter and Young to be authentic, real conservatives with a deep understanding of the problems the city faces and (perhaps more importantly) had the backbone to make the tough decisions in keeping with the principles of liberty. They didn’t spend their campaigns throwing mud at other candidates. They spent the time connecting with their constituents so they would know best how to represent them. In short, they were already preparing for the job before they even had it.

Both candidates won, and have performed brilliantly in their roles and duties since being sworn in.

In choosing a candidate to endorse for OKC Mayor, we applied the same standard.

Between the two conservative candidates, we looked beyond stump speeches and catchy slogans to ascertain which of the two candidates – Carol Hefner or Frank Urbanic – is actually prepared to do the job.

Here’s the reality. By OKC Charter the position of mayor is a part-time position. It is paid part-time; however, it has more than full-time hours associated with it. In order for this city to get back on track, it is critical that we elect a mayor that is fully prepared to actually do the job from day one. There is no time for a learning curve. Holt’s vast reach and influence in this city spreads far beyond just the mayor’s office. It extends down to the numerous city commissions and boards that he has appointed members to in order to fulfil his vision of this city. It extends to “working groups” designed to redesign the OKCPD after the image of the San Francisco and Seattle police departments. It is seen in the massive overhaul of our charter that his select committee oversaw. Holt’s agenda has affected, or infected, every single aspect of this city’s government, and not for the better. We cannot elect a person who simply memorizes the same stump speech and repeats the same three talking points at every rally.

We need a person whose depth of knowledge about this city is vast and expansive. Someone that knows this city’s grand history, and sees the bright shining beacon of conservatism that it can be. An individual who knows all of the players that Holt has infected our city with, and how to dismantle their agenda. Someone that can build powerful coalitions within our city and beyond to make Oklahoma City the Capital of Conservative America that it can and should, be. Someone who has worked their entire life to make every ward of this city beaming with opportunity for everyone that calls this city home.

In short, we need a champion. We need someone whose bold, fearless leadership can instill a civic pride in the hearts of every resident of Oklahoma City that is not just based on the success of our sports teams, but is anchored to the rich opportunities that we offer to any and all that would come and hitch their wagon to our star and help create a city that every Oklahoman will be proud to call their Capital City.

In this race, that person is Carol Hefner.

We at Ignite Liberty are proud to fully endorse her for Mayor of Oklahoma City, and encourage every conservative to unite behind the only candidate that can not only beat David Holt…but actually has the unique skill set to undo the damage he has done.

Bryan and Melissa Armstrong
Editor-in-Chief & Operations Manager
Ignite Liberty, LLC

Hefner Launches Bid For OKC Mayor

OKLAHOMA CITY

Carol Hefner, Candidate for OKC Mayor

In discussing the state of the race for OKC mayor with several City Hall insiders, the one person that Holt has feared more than any other challenger or potential challenger is longtime community leader, Carol Hefner.

Today, Holt’s greatest fear became reality as Hefner has formally launched her bid to oust Holt from the Mayor’s office during the ’22 Mayoral Election.

Hefner’s office sent Ignite Liberty a copy of her official press release. That release is below.

_________________________________________________________

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Vivienne Hasenbeck

December 1st, 2021 PHONE: 405-778-3710

Oklahoma City, OK — Today longtime community leader Carol Hefner announced her candidacy to be the next Mayor of Oklahoma City.

“We need a bold leader in the Mayor’s office, someone who won’t bow to BLM protesters or the Biden administration like our current Mayor. President Biden has a negative 50 point approval rating in Oklahoma, yet our current Mayor has become one of Biden’s biggest cheerleaders, endorsing Biden’s agenda” Hefner said.

The campaign released this video with its launch:

Leaders from across the Oklahoma City community have already announced their immediate endorsement of Hefner.

– State Senator Shane Jett
– State Representative Denise Crosswhite Hader
– Canadian County Commissioner Marc Hader
– Major General Rita Aragon (ret.), the former Commander of the Oklahoma National Guard

The campaign has built a powerful national team, retaining Rory McShane as the General Consultant, Oklahoma natives Chris Wilson as the pollster and data director, and Vivienne Hasenbeck as the campaign’s fundraiser and manager.

The election will be held on February 8, 2022. If no candidate reaches 50%, then a Runoff Election will be held in April.

###

ABOUT CAROL HEFNER

Carol Hefner grew up in the Deer Creek area and worked professionally in radio and TV after graduating from college. She married Robert Hefner, whose grandfather was one of OKC’s first and most successful Mayors. The Hefner’s have 4 children. They attend Life Church.

Hefner now serves in a variety of business and community leadership positions. She is the Vice President of her family-owned real estate development firm. Hefner serves on the Commission on the Status of Women, the Board of Directors of the Little Light School for Children of Incarcerated Parents, and has previously served on the Board of Cavett Camps for Special Needs Children.

Hefner is no stranger to politics serving as co-Chairman of President Trump’s campaign in Oklahoma, the former Fundraising Chairman for the Oklahoma Republican Party, and as the Inaugural Coordinator for Governor Stitt.

Carol and her husband also developed Galimaro Steak sauce and are very proud to sell a, “Made in Oklahoma Product.”

www.Hefnerformayor.com

It’s Official: Urbanic to Challenge Holt For OKC Mayor

OKLAHOMA CITY

Frank Urbanic – Candidate for OKC Mayor

In what has been a long-anticipated announcement, especially for the metro-area’s grassroots conservative movement, Oklahoma City attorney, Frank Urbanic, has thrown down the gauntlet and formally declared himself a challenger for OKC Mayor.

Urbanic has been a veritable rock star among conservatives ever since he took on Mayor Holt in court over Holt’s illegal proclamation shutting down bars and restaurants at 11:00 p.m. last Thanksgiving. That case continues to this day after Judge Ogden dismissed attempts by the City to get the case thrown out of court.

In his first interview as a candidate, Urbanic sat down with Ignite Liberty to discuss his candidacy, his reasons for jumping in the race, and his vision for a prosperous OKC.

Background

Urbanic grew up in the small Texas town of Friendswood, just outside of the Houston area. He attended college at Texas A&M University, where he joined the Corps of Cadets and commissioned as an officer through ROTC. He was scheduled to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in 2002 when the attacks of 9/11 occurred. Because he was in the Texas Air National Guard while a student, he had to withdraw because he was put on active-duty orders.

During his activation, he deployed to New Jersey to help support the combat air patrol in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks. While it did result in his educational career getting delayed, Urbanic – like so many others during that time – felt it his calling and duty as an American to stand up and defend his country in that moment of crisis. He eventually did graduate from Texas A&M in 2003, and received his commission as a 2nd Lt. in the United States Air Force.

Air Force Career

After being commissioned, Urbanic’s Air Force career first sent him to Tyndall AFB for training as an Air Battle Manager before landing him at Tinker AFB where he would serve out the rest of his time on active duty as an Air Weapons Officer and Air Surveillance Officer on AWACS. During that time, he saw multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as a deployment to Ecuador for counter drug ops.

After leaving active duty in 2012, he transferred to the Air Force Reserve where he continued on in the same job, deploying two more times to the Southwest Asian theater in support of continued combat operations.

Once in the Reserve, Urbanic’s love of law took him to Texas Tech University School of Law where he graduated in 2015. He could easily have stayed in Texas to start his law practice, which would have been easier, considering he and his wife Audra were starting a family at the time. However, his love of OKC that grew during his time on active duty led him to return to the OKC Metro to start his law practice. He and Audra, now married 13 years, have 3 children:  a set of 10-year-old twins Casey and Ava, and their younger brother Micah – age 8.

The Decision to Run

Urbanic’s decision to run came largely off of his high-profile case against Mayor Holt and the city for his proclamation last Thanksgiving forcing bars and restaurants to close at 11:00. Through that case he got to know many of the restaurant owners and employees that make OKC’s service industry thrive. He saw the fear and devastation that Holt’s proclamation brought, and vowed to fight to ensure that they were never unlawfully shut down again.

Initially, that vow meant representing those bars and restaurants in court. However, as the court battle drew on, and many in the grassroots movement began to urge him to consider running, it became clear that defending the rights of those same business owners meant doing more than just winning in court. He had to take on the very root of the problem: Mayor Holt.

When asked about his opponent, Urbanic didn’t mince words, stating:

“Holt is the Chuck Schumer of Oklahoma politics. He’s never actually accomplished anything in his life other than being in politics. Has he ever actually used his law degree to help anyone other than himself? Has he ever actually stepped foot in a courthouse, let alone a courtroom?  To the tremendous sacrifice of my family, I have committed to using my law degree to help serve the citizens of Oklahoma City…to include defending them pro bono against the likes of Mayor Holt and Governor Stitt to ensure that their unlawful outreach never happens again.”

When asked about the philosophical differences between himself and Holt, Urbanic replied:

“Holt is one of those empty-suit politicians that has never seen a tax increase he didn’t love. He thinks that it’s the government’s job to give you the best life they can provide you. I don’t. Holt’s instinct is the opposite of liberty. Mine is not. I believe it’s the government’s job to stay out of the way so that you can maximize the full potential that God gave you to build the best life possible for you and your family. That’s what I am committing to as mayor.”

As far as campaign promises, Urbanic made one and only one:

“I want to give the citizens of Oklahoma City the assurance of liberty. I want to ensure that we promote liberty to the maximum extent possible so that we can unleash the power of the industrious people of Oklahoma City, by keeping the government out of their lives as much as possible. I believe that that philosophy will create the conditions that make people want to move here and start businesses here.”

Throughout the interview, Urbanic’s intense love of Oklahoma City was evident. When we asked him to elaborate on what he thinks makes OKC great, he stated:

“The low cost of living is certainly a plus, but I would say that it’s more. It’s the overwhelming sense of patriotism and community that we define as The Oklahoma Standard. It is so refreshing to live in a place where citizens are passionately involved and engaged in government to ensure that we have a government that is limited and that respects the rights of individual citizens.”

He continued,

“We have so much to offer as a city and community. We have all of the perks of a big city without many of the same problems. That’s why I’m running…to ensure that everything that makes Oklahoma City a fantastic place to live and raise a family stays strong, and does not disappear because we have a Mayor that openly embraces the very liberal, leftist social programs that have turned other large cities into cesspools that their own citizens flee from. We cannot let Oklahoma City become a statistic. If I’m elected Mayor, I can promise you I will do everything in my power to ensure that does not happen.”

Urbanic’s campaign kickoff rally is targeted for October 7th, however the times and details will be released as the date draws closer. His campaign’s website is www.FrankUrbanic.com.

Urbanic’s candidacy comes as a huge shot-in-the-arm for the grassroots conservatives in the Metro area, who had expressed some dismay after Jason Padgett’s campaign fizzled at the beginning of the summer. Given Urbanic’s fighting spirit and passionate rhetoric, if he can parlay his victories over Holt in court to success on the campaign trail, then Holt’s time as Mayor may very well be coming to a swift end.

 

 

 

 

OKC Mask Mandate Removed From Agenda Prior To Carter, Young Swearing In

Oklahoma City – As newly elected city Councilman Bradley Carter and city councilwoman Barbara Young were sworn in today following their April 6th victories, rumors swirled online of a potential vote to end OKC’s mask mandate, which would have been an auspicious way to begin their term in office. Sadly, the mandate was removed from the agenda before either of the new city councilpersons could vote on it.

Mayor Holt swearing in newly-elected Bradley Carter as OKC Ward 1 Councilman.

In an interview last night with Ignite Liberty, Bradley Carter explained that the proposal to end the mandate early had been removed by its authors. “Councilmen Stonecipher and Stone chose to pull it from the agenda because of lack of support,” Carter explained. “Since it was passed as an emergency, the city charter requires 7 votes to rescind the ordinance prior to its expiration date. Unfortunately, we only have 6 votes.” 

Though Carter didn’t specify who exactly would have been a “no” vote, he did state that there were those on the council who wished to see the mandate extended past April 30th.

“Fortunately, doing so would require 7 votes,” Carter reassured. “Right now we have 6 votes to end the mandate on the 30th. Unless something changes, I don’t see anyway that they’re going to have the votes necessary to extend the mandate beyond the 30th.” Allowing the mandate to expire would end nearly a year of the unlawful overreach by both Mayor Holt and the City Council, a move that is unprecedented in the city’s history.

The councilmen that Carter and Young replaced, Councilmen Greiner and McAtee, respectively, were the lone long-standing opponents of the mask mandates and lockdowns imposed by the center left-leaning OKC Mayor – mandates that more and more residents and businesses of OKC are refusing to abide by. 

These same policies are likely to spell the end of Mayor Holt and Councilman Stonecipher’s political careers when they run for re-election next year. Jason Padgett launched his campaign to oust Holt and return proper governance to OKC’s Chief Executive office in a rally at Quail Creek Country Club tonight. Meanwhile, Ignite Liberty has been courting potential challengers to Stonecipher, and hopes to announce his opponent by summer. 

GAME ON! Janis Recount Set For April 20th; Best and Lariviere Stand Down.

Oklahoma City – Sheryl Janis, Candidate for Edmond City Council (Ward 4), officially filed her Petition for Recount today with the Oklahoma County Election Board. Faced with an impossible deadline, and $0 left in the campaign budget, Janis’ supporters rallied to her defense Thursday evening and raised an astounding $1,975 in only 3 hours in a fundraiser spearheaded by Ignite Liberty.

Sheryl Janis, Candidate for Edmond City Council – Ward 3

An overwhelmed Janis stated that her concern is solely that the election reflected the will of the voters. “My only goal is to ensure that the election reflects the true and accurate will of the Edmond voters,” Janis remarked, “regardless of who ends up winning in the end.”

She added, “I am overwhelmed and deeply humbled that people would rally around me for this reason. I am astonished at the enormous outpouring of love and support from those who supported me, and even those who did not. It’s obvious that Edmond voters care deeply about election integrity, and I am committed to ensuring that our elections are truly the safest and most secure in the country.”

The recount has been officially scheduled for April 20th at the Oklahoma County Election Board. Counting will begin at 10:00am sharp and continue around the clock until all cast ballots (including absentee) have been recounted. Ignite Liberty will be spearheading the efforts to organize volunteers to serve as poll watchers/counters/challengers for the Janis Campaign. Those interested in volunteering to help the recount can email us directly at patriot@igniteliberty.net.

Best and Lariviere Stand Down

Meanwhile both the Margaret Best (Edmond School Board) and Derek Lariviere (Deer Creek School Board) campaigns have decided not to challenge the Tuesday elections. While there was evidence of suspicious activity at some of the polling places, neither campaign felt that the results of a recount would flip their races. Best lost to Lee Ann Kuhlman by 320 votes (8.9% of the vote). Lariviere lost to Michael Kiehn by 152 votes (5.6% of the vote).

In an interview with Ignite Liberty, Lariviere thanked his supporters, stating, “I am deeply grateful for the enormous support that I received from the Deer Creek community. My family and I have lived here for years, and my kids have attended Deer Creek schools since Kindergarten. Despite our loss this Tuesday, we remain deeply committed to our friends and neighbors, and I look forward to continuing to serve our community.Stay tuned for my next steps, this is just the beginning!”

Best echoed those sentiments when speaking with Ignite Liberty Thursday evening. “I am overwhelmed by the incredible support I have received from the Edmond community. While the relentless attacks my family and I have received during this campaign have been extremely difficult, we remain committed to the Edmond community and to making Edmond Public School the best school district in the state.”

Both Best and Lariviere have pledged their support to help Sheryl Janis’ recount efforts, and have called upon their supporters to volunteer.

 

LIBERTY STANDS! Merrick, Carter, Young & Peterson Score Huge Wins

Oklahoma City – In a night when the future of liberty and freedom in Oklahoma City literally hung by a thread, Liberty Candidates Jake Merrick, Bradley Carter, Barbara Young and Stacie Peterson scored huge victories over establishment candidates.

While all of the Liberty Candidates trailed after the absentee voting, a typical pattern given the predilection of Democrats and liberal Republican to vote absentee, the biggest rally of the night belonged to Stacie Peterson, Edmond Ward 4. Peterson trailed by several hundred votes when the night began, only to pull out a 317-vote victory as the last precincts rolled in.

OKC Ward 3 Councilwoman-elect Barbara Young.

The biggest surprise of the night came from the bellwether OKC Ward 3 race where Barbara Young, who failed to take a single precinct in the February primary, rallied from a slim 34-vote deficit in the absentee votes tonight to storm to a resounding 552-vote victory over the Republican imposter Jessica Martinez-Brooks. Overwhelmed with her victory, the jubilant Young Campaign released the following statement:

“Thank you OKC neighbors! From supporting law enforcement, fighting for infrastructure and investment in our part of OKC to keeping taxes low and creating jobs for our families, I’ll champion our shared values, and my door is open to everyone. I appreciate the robust debate we’ve had about the future of the city during this campaign, and I commend my opponent for putting her name on the ballot… an act of love, dedication and courage! I’ll represent everyone if you voted for me or not, and I look forward to working hard for our ward three families.”

(L-R) Canadian County Commissioner Marc Hader, Congresswoman Denise Crosswhite-Hader (OK HD 41), OKC Ward 1 Councilman-elect Bradley Carter (Center R), Congresswoman Marilyn Stark (OK HD 100).

The closest race of the evening belonged to OKC Ward 1. For most of the night as little as 1 vote separated Bradley Carter and Shay Varnell. As the Canadian County results rolled in, which broke for Carter by a whopping 714votes, he was able to overcome a 62-vote absentee vote deficit for a 372 vote victory.

The largest margin of victory of the night belonged to Jake Merrick, who overcame a 245-vote deficit early to win by an astonishing 3,500 votes in the staunchly conservative Senate District 22 to replace US Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (CD 5).

Sadly, the evening wasn’t a complete sweep for the Liberty Candidates, as Margaret Best, Sheryl Janis, and Nathan Walters suffered defeats in the Edmond municipal races, likely due to the Edmond City Council ending the mask mandate two weeks ago. It seems the voters of Edmond have much shorter memories than expected.

Derrick Lariviere fought valiantly in the Deer Creek School Board (Ward 1) election, challenging the incumbent Michael Kiehn in a hotly contested race. Despite the strong efforts, Lariviere eventually lost to Kiehn by only 152 votes. Given his strong showing, and the fact that Councilman Stonecipher (OKC Ward 8) is up for re-election in 2 years, this may not be the last we’ve heard of Mr. Lariviere.

Edmond results not withstanding, the future of liberty and freedom in Oklahoma City is bright. When faced with losing the last bastions of conservatism in the capital city, the citizens of Oklahoma City’s Wards 1 and 3 rose to the occasion and stood tall. With tonight’s victory they preserved the opportunity to retake the city council with the ’23 election cycle. It’s a night to celebrate for sure.