Edmondson touts qualifications

During his visit to Pontotoc County, Edmondson reminded voters the Democrats won the county during the 2014 gubernatorial election and said another win here on Nov. 6 would be important in a tight contest.

By noon, Edmondson was in McAlester speaking to dozens of supporters, including many educators, social workers and other public employees.

“Drew and Linda have worked in the fields where Oklahoma is in crisis,” said Jennifer Mullins, referring to Drew’s wife, Linda Edmondson, who has worked as a social worker.

Mullins works at an outpatient substance abuse facility in McAlester that has seen its funding from the state cut in recent years. “The people who don’t have a voice in Oklahoma is anyone in the profession of social work, teachers, people who work in mental health,” Mullins said. “The state is chipping away and chipping away at our funds.”

At a McAlester restaurant, Edmondson encouraged a crowd of supporters to talk to their neighbors and friends about his plan to use tax increases to fund core state services.

He also told the crowd that a Stitt campaign commercial accusing him of using his experience as attorney general to get a “cushy job” at a law firm was false. Edmondson said he never made money from the law firm, and while he admitted his explanation wouldn’t fit in a 30-second ad, he wanted his supporters to spread the word.

But Edmondson spent most of his stump speech promoting his government qualifications and criticizing Stitt’s “outsider” status.

“(Stitt) says he just found out about Oklahoma’s problems when he started running for governor last year,” Edmondson said. “Well, has he not been reading the newspaper?”

Campaign workers handed out yard signs to supporters in McAlester, but Charlene Doyle already had a large sign in the front yard of her Krebs home.

“My dear friend is a Republican, but I’m talking to her about Drew,” said Doyle, who is a retired social worker with the Department of Human Services. “I think he is appealing to some Republicans.”

Lawrence Scarpitti, a former superintendent in Krebs, said his support for the candidate came down to Edmondson’s plan to increase school funding.

He believes Edmondson has a chance to win if voters are focused on the issues and not just the political party. “We are in a very red state and it’s going to be very difficult for him to overcome that,” Scarpitti said. “But I think he is doing what he needs to be doing.”

A political arm of the National Rifle Association is spending $544,000 on broadcast time to attack Democratic gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson.

The ad campaign, sponsored by the NRA’s Political Victory Fund, claims Edmondson “wants to prohibit lawabiding adults under the age of 21 from possessing firearms for self-defense. He also opposes legislation that would give law-abiding Oklahomans greater freedom in choosing how to defend themselves and their families.”

The group says the NRA has given Edmondson a “D” rating.

The ad cites a story from NewsOK.com on Feb. 21.

That story came from an interview by

with Edmondson a week after 17 people were killed at a Florida high school.

In it, Edmondson said the state requirements for getting a permit to carry a handgun should apply to purchasing some semi-automatic rifles.

Oklahoma’s current licensing requirements apply to open and concealed carry handguns.

A person must be 21, submit to an OSBI background check and have no history of violence, substance abuse or mental illness.

Edmondson proposed that the requirements apply to so-called assault rifles as defined