Wind industry pours almost $80,000 into Senate race
The wind industry and related donors have poured almost $80,000 to put one of its staunchest supporters at the Capitol into the state Senate, campaign reports show.
State Rep. Casey Murdock is running for the District 27 Senate seat that became open in September because of a sex scandal.
The special general election is Tuesday.
“My district has the best wind in the world for wind production,” Murdock, R-Felt, told The Oklahoman. “I’m a wind supporter not because they donate to my campaign. I’m a wind supporter for what they do for our schools.”
His opponent, Amber Jensen, D-Woodward, said she, too, is a supporter of wind, as well as oil and gas and solar “if
it ever comes here.”
“I can support wind without them paying me to,” she said. “If you’re going to stand up for something, do it because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’re being paid to.”
Murdock runs a farm and cow-calf operation in the Panhandle. He has been outspoken in his support of the wind industry in his three years in the state House.
Overall, he has raised more than $140,000 for his Senate campaign, his reports show. Leaders in the wind industry, their political action committees, their lobbyists and other related donors gave his campaign around $37,000 — more than a fourth of the total.
In addition, a wind energy political organization made independent expenditures on the Senate race before the December primary. American Wind Action reported spending $40,000 on radio and digital advertising in support of Murdock.
Murdock said he is grateful for the support, particularly because of the difficulties in campaigning in the state’s largest Senate district, an area bigger than some states. It encompasses all of the Panhandle.
“If you want to get out and talk to people, it costs money. You can’t be everywhere, so you try to campaign with mailers and driving up and down the road knocking on doors,” he said.
Murdock beat five other Republicans in the winner-take-all special primary election Dec. 12. None of his primary opponents raised over $50,000.
“It was frustrating,” candidate Travis Templin said of the wind industry support for Murdock.
Templin, a schoolteacher and coach in Seiling, came in second in the primary, losing by 326 votes.
“They do a lot of good things. I just wish they’d kind of stop their false advertising,” Templin said of the wind industry.
Jensen has raised only $13,418 through Jan. 29, her latest campaign contribution report shows.
“I’ve been working at it. I’ve actually tripled what people said I could even potentially raise. I’m the first Democrat in a lot of years to run a viable campaign,” she told The Oklahoman.
Jensen and her husband now own a home and business renovation company in Woodward. Her husband served in the Army, and she said she learned as a “military wife” how to adapt and overcome. She called Murdock “part of the problem” at the Capitol.
The seat became open when Sen. Bryce Marlatt resigned after being charged with sexual battery
because of an Uber driver’s complaint. His case is still pending.
There was some lastminute drama before the primary election. An Oklahoma nonprofit organization, Advancing Freedom, spent more than $12,000 on social media ads, mailers and phone calls opposing Murdock. Voters were told he was a “tax hog.”
“My opposition research found out who did it, who ran it, where the money came from, and I know who did it. That’s all I’m going to say on that,” Murdock said.
There may be some last-minute drama before the special general election, too.
The House is expected to vote Monday on a $581.4 million tax increase that would, in part, pay for a teacher pay raise. That means voters will have Murdock’s decision on their minds as they head to the polls Tuesday.
Murdock said he is voting against the increase.
“We need to do it where it’s fair to everyone. We’ve got to vet this,” he said. “It’s running through way too fast without being vetted and going through the normal process.”