Oklahoma
‘It’s Time To Fix This:' Oklahoma United Pushes For Open Primaries In State Elections
Just over half of Oklahomans voted in the presidential election trailing only Hawaii for the lowest voter turnout nationwide. Oklahoma United wants to amend the state constitution opening state primaries to everyone.
Many independent voters behind this petition said they feel they don’t have a say in their community until it’s too late.
They want their government to represent everyone, and they said Oklahoma has to change its tune.
“We are all here today to support improving our democracy,” A.J. Griffin, chief executive officer of the Potts Family Foundation.
Oklahoma United filed a petition on behalf of several independent voters. U.S. Coast Guard veteran Anthony Stobbe said he feels left out in primary elections.
“Over half of military service members don’t affiliate with a political party,” Stobbe said. “The current system we have in place says to me that your political opinions don’t matter.”
Oklahoma Republicans only allow registered GOP voters to vote in their primaries. News 9 Political Analyst Scott Mitchell said closed primaries silence diverse voices.
“The numbers are down,” said Mitchell, referring to Oklahoma’s chronically low voter turnout. “If you’ve got a small minority deciding all of the issues, that’s not a healthy democracy.”
The spokesperson for the Vote Yes 835 campaign Alex Weintz said politicians don’t have to work for people’s vote.
“We’ve made these November races all but meaningless,” Weintz said. “A Democrat in a heavily Democratic area or a Republican in a heavily Republican area is just cruising to victory.”
Gov. Kevin Stitt posted to X saying, “Open primaries are a hard no in Oklahoma.”
Lt Gov. Matt Pinnell said in a statement:
“At best, the push to mandate open primaries is a solution in search of a problem, and at worst, it is a thinly veiled attempt to weaken Republican voters in choosing the nominees to represent our Party. As a former Republican state party chairman and State Party Director at the RNC, I would hope the current primary structure would incentivize independents and conservative Democrats to register as Republicans and help choose our party’s nominees.”
Mitchell said most state Republicans will oppose the idea of open primaries because the current rules overwhelmingly benefit GOP candidates.
“They’re doing just fine with the results,” said Mitchell, regarding the legislature’s GOP supermajority.
However, Stobbe believes democracy is at stake, and he said it’s time for Oklahomans to face the music.
“It’s time to fix this,” Stobbe said. “It shifts the decision about who will represent the people closer to all of the people.”
Oklahoma United submitted the initial petition to the secretary of state.
Once approved they have 90 days to gather nearly 173,000 signatures and get them certified to get the question on the ballot.
Advocates for this measure hope to get the question on the table for the November general election in 2026.
It’s Boomer Sooner time in Omaha.
Oklahoma has won the 2026 Men’s College World Series, steamrolling through North Carolina in the winner-take-all Game 3, 13-2, capturing its first national title in over 30 years and third overall. The Sooners are the seventh straight SEC team to win the national championship.
A dogpile with cheers that made its way through the infiled, it closed out the Sooners’ one-for-the-ages NCAA tournament run.
for the third time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners are national champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xEvjGxhqgM
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) June 23, 2026
It was an all-around masterclass for OU, jumping out to a 3-1 lead by the end of the third and never looking back. They put at least one run across the plate in four of the final six innings, including three in the fourth and four in the eighth.
The fourth was where Oklahoma’s upper hand became clear. Walker McDuffie’s three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases, and UNC turned to star freshman Caden Glauber. The Tar Heels were previously 29-0 with whenever he pitched, but he was pulled after a walk and Jaxon Willits’ two-RBI single.
LJ Mercurius was outstanding on the mound, entering for starter Nick Wesloski in the third and tossing 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on four hits. It was his longest outing since April 17.
Outside of Mercurius, shortstop Jaxon Willits and Kyle Branch starred for the Sooners. The former went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and was named Most Outstanding Player, while Branch also went 3-for-4 with a homer and six RBIs, a career-high. He’s the third player all-time to record six or more RBIs in a national championship game.
The victory caps off OU’s gauntlet-like journey to the top. After finishing 11th in SEC regular season play, they knocked off five national seeds — three in the top five and two on the road — leaning on a trio of freshman arms and a historic power surge at the plate.
Men’s College World Series All-Tournament Team:
- Catcher: Deiten LaChance, Oklahoma
- First base: Erik Paulsen, North Carolina
- Second base: Gavin Gallaher, North Carolina
- Third base: Tyrus Hall, West Virginia
- Shortstop: Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma
- Outfield: Jason Walk, Oklahoma
- Outfield: Owen Hull, North Carolina
- Outfield: Dasan Harris, Oklahoma
- Designated Hitter: Adrian Rodriguez, Texas
- Pitcher: Joey Volchko, Georgia
- Pitcher: Caden Glauber, North Carolina
THE 2026 #MCWS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/wlaQxxYFL3
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 23, 2026
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma National Guard announced the loss of a specialist who passed away last week.
On Monday, the Oklahoma National Guard announced the passing of Spc. Blake C. Akin, who passed away on June 17.
“We are saddened by the loss of Spc. Blake Akin,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, adjutant general for Oklahoma. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and fellow Soldiers during this difficult time.”
Akin, 24, enlisted as an infantryman in November of 2021. He was a member of Charlie Company, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
A memorial service for Akin will be held at 2 p.m. at Smith and Kernke Funeral Home Chapel, located at 14624 N. May Ave. in Oklahoma City.
OU baseball coach Skip Johnson, Sooners ‘never stopped believing’ on CWS journey
Skip Johnson’s OU baseball team defeated Georgia 11-4 Wednesday night to advance to the College World Series finals. Freshman pitcher Nick Wesloski allowed only one earned run in 5 ⅔ innings in just his second career start.
NCAA
North Carolina forced a winner-take-all Game 3 at the College World Series after taking down Oklahoma 6-2 on Sunday, June 21, after the Sooners took the opening game, 9-3.
Now, who will win the national championship?
Watch Game 3 of the College World Series finals live with Fubo (free trial)
Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes said everyone is available to pitch on Monday, June 22, potentially even star reliever Caden Glauber, who tossed five scoreless innings of relief in Game 2 with eight strikeouts to one hit. While North Carolina hasn’t decided on a starting pitcher yet, Oklahoma will turn to true freshman right-hander Nick Wesloski (2-1, 3.63 ERA).
Oklahoma’s bats were silenced by UNC starter Ryan Lynch and Glauber. The Sooners were held to four hits in Game 2 after their 14-hit barrage on June 20. The loss snapped Oklahoma’s 9-game win streak dating back to its first loss against No. 2 Georgia Tech in the Atlanta Regional.
North Carolina, meanwhile, continued its unbeaten streak after a loss, avoiding back-to-back defeats since the Tar Heels’ March 6-7 losses against Virginia to open ACC play.
Here’s how to watch Oklahoma vs. North Carolina for all the marbles on Monday, June 22:
What TV channel is Oklahoma vs North Carolina on today?
Game 3 of Oklahoma-North Carolina will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Wattch UNC vs OU baseball live with Fubo (free trial)
Oklahoma vs North Carolina time today
- Date: Monday, June 22
- Time: 7 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. CT
- Location: Charles Schwab Field Omaha (Omaha, Nebraska)
Oklahoma vs North Carolina predictions, picks, odds
Odds from BetMGM as of Monday, June 22
- Spread: North Carolina (-1.5)
- Over/under: 10.5 runs
- Moneyline: North Carolina (-160) | Oklahoma (+125)
- Prediction: Oklahoma 7, North Carolina 5
Oklahoma rebounds from its Game 2 loss and takes down North Carolina, with pitchers Nick Wesloski, Jackson Cleveland and LJ Mercurius all appearing. The Tar Heels throw the kitchen sink in Game 3, but ultimately the Sooners come out on top, capping off one of the most impressive runs in recent memory. — Austin Curtright
-
Louisiana2 minutes agoLouisiana insurance officials to host storm assistance event in Pointe Coupee Parish
-
Maine5 minutes agoObituary: Craig Joseph Ahlemeyer
-
Maryland10 minutes agoOn primary Election Day in Maryland, voters are deciding several highly competitive races – WTOP News
-
Michigan17 minutes agoVoting to begin in pivotal Michigan primary election
-
Massachusetts17 minutes agoWestboro police officer crowned Miss Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Minnesota24 minutes agoReport: Timberwolves trade Julius Randle to Brooklyn Nets as part of 3-team deal
-
Mississippi32 minutes agoGovernor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi
-
Missouri35 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for June 22, 2026
