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‘It’s Time To Fix This:' Oklahoma United Pushes For Open Primaries In State Elections

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‘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. 

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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. 

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“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. 

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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.

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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City


OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.

OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.

One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

At this time no cause has been reported.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.



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Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins

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Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins


NORMAN — Bowl season is a bit unconventional for Navy.

The Midshipmen annually play against Army six days after the bowl schedule is released. That was the case this year, as Navy beat the Black Knights 31-13 on Dec. 14.

Beating Army is always a highlight for the Midshipmen. But the drawback for them is that they have less time than their bowl opponent to prepare for the game.

In this case, that’s Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the game with more than two weeks of preparation for Navy’s triple-option offense.

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“It’s just a little different,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters earlier this week. “They’ve known they’re going to play us for a little time now.”

Navy Coach, Oklahoma Native Brian Newberry Grew Up On OU Football

Navy does, however, enter the Armed Forces Bowl with momentum.

The Midshipmen (9-3) eased past Army last week in Landover, MD. They outgained the Black Knights 384-179 and forced Army quarterback Bryson Daily to throw three interceptions.

Navy’s rivalry win was its third in the last four games after the Midshipmen went on a two-game skid in the middle of the season. Newberry cited his team’s physicality in recent games, particularly in the Midshipmen’s drubbing of Army.

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“I was so impressed with how our kids handled the moment,” Newberry said. “Army’s a really, really good football team. I thought we physically dominated the game in the way that we blocked, beat blocks, the way we tackled. I thought we outplayed them in all three phases, so I’m really, really proud of that.”

A stark difference between the teams is the number of players that have entered the transfer portal.

The Sooners have seen 25 players from their 2024 team enter the portal. The Midshipmen have suffered only one departure in the winter portal window with defensive back Lorenzo Vitti.

On one hand, that makes Oklahoma preparation tough for Navy.

“It’s interesting,” Newberry said. “We’re going through their two-deep and trying to figure out who’s going to play and who isn’t. It’s a little bit of a challenge in that regard. And it could certainly change with a different quarterback.”

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But largely, the Midshipmen’s lack of transfers gives Newberry confidence that his team will be bought in for one more game in 2024.

“The portal can affect us, players can jump in the portal — we’re not getting that,” Newberry said. “It’s challenging to build a culture anywhere in college football right now, one that’s built on a certain level of trust. They know each other really, really well. They’ve fought through adversity. They stay the course, they pay the price and they have an opportunity.”

Navy will also play for more than just another win; the Midshipmen are looking to make history.

Navy has reached the 10-win mark just four times in program history. The Midshipmen did so three times under former coach Ken Niumatalolo from 2009-2019.

Having a shot at history while playing Oklahoma — the state that Newberry hails from — excites the coach.

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“It’s the last time that this team gets to play together,” Newberry said. “They want to go out the right way against a storied program like Oklahoma. It’s a great reward to play in a bowl game, but it’s a game we want to win.”

The Midshipmen and Sooners will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27.



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Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Sees Armed Forces Bowl as Growth Opportunity

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Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Sees Armed Forces Bowl as Growth Opportunity


As Danny Stutsman departs from Oklahoma, Kip Lewis seems to be the next man up.

A redshirt sophomore linebacker in 2024, Lewis was one of the Sooners’ better defenders. In addition to his 28 solo tackles, Lewis intercepted two passes, running both of them back for touchdowns.

Lewis hopes to be the leader that Stutsman was over his four years at OU. But his goal isn’t to be a Stutsman clone.

“I feel like I’m my own player and my own leader in how I do things,” Lewis said. “Danny’s a great player, great leader. Taught me everything I need to know. I think I’m just my own person. I don’t think I need to step into his role and be the Danny. There’s only one.”

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Lewis played and started in all 12 of the Sooners’ games in the 2024 season. It was his second season as a regular on OU’s defense after playing in just two games as a true freshman.

In Oklahoma’s first season as an SEC squad, Lewis and his defensive counterparts saw plenty of offensive stars. Between Garrett Nussmeier at LSU and Quinn Ewers at Texas, there was never really a dull moment for the Sooners during conference play.

Lewis will see a different type of challenge at the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy.

WATCH: Navy HC Brian Newberry Ahead of Armed Forces Bowl vs. Oklahoma

The Midshipmen — like the other service academies — run a triple-option offense. While Navy, Army and Air Force struggle to get the highly-touted recruits that other programs draw, the unconventional offense sets them apart.

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Thankfully for Lewis, this style of offense isn’t new.

“I’m a little used to it. So it’s been a minute since I played it, but it brought me back to my roots playing the Wing-T. There’s a team called Pleasant Grove out there in Texas, so they used to give me a run for my money back in the day.”

Navy finished the regular season 9-3. The Midshipmen started the season 6-0 before losing three times in a four-game span.

They ended the season well, though, beating both East Carolina and Army by double digits to end the regular season.

Lewis and multiple of his teammates tuned in as the Midshipmen beat Army in the annual rivalry game.

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“They showed a lot of fight, a lot of grit,” Lewis said. “I think that’s an important key into playing football.”

Lewis will play only one more game as an underclassman. Then, he’ll step into the role of other defensive leaders the Sooners have seen recently, whether that’s Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr., Woodi Washington or others.

Games like the Armed Forces Bowl will help him get there.

“Just always having to bring my best effort every day,” Lewis said. “Just bringing everything I’ve got. Just every day, I bring my value into whatever that is, whatever I’ve gotta do for my team. I think it’ll be a big role.”

The Sooners will battle the Midshipmen on Dec. 27 in Fort Worth. The game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

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