Lamb stresses experience in bid for governor
MOORE — Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb launched his closing argument for governor here Tuesday night, saying his range of experience made him the most qualified candidate and that voters shouldn’t trust his unproven rivals.
“This is a very important election,” the Republican said at a meeting of two GOP women’s groups.
“I’ve got private sector experience, law enforcement experience in planning and experience to know how government works.”
Lamb’s campaign also released its final television ad before the primaries on Tuesday, and it hammers home the same point. It features two of Lamb’s church friends talking about the gubernatorial primary, with one saying Lamb was “the only conservative
competing for governor.”
Another says, “Now these other guys, we just don’t know where they stand. They’re unproven.”
Lamb, 46, got into the race to succeed Gov. Mary Fallin as the heavy favorite.
Just days away from the polls opening, he’s in a tight race with former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Tulsa businessman Kevin Stitt.
None of the candidates is likely to get the 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff. The runoff primaries are scheduled for Aug. 28.
Lamb started a statewide tour here Tuesday that includes pre-primary trips to Bartlesville, Claremore, Muskogee, Elk City, Weatherford, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and several other towns. His wife, Monica, is heading south for appearances in Davis and Ardmore.
In his remarks to the GOP women’s clubs, Lamb stressed his proposals to force consolidation in school administration and to renew the focus on reading and math in the third grade.
Lamb said he would take whatever steps necessary to make state lawmakers reform education.
“I’m willing to go into a Republican legislative district and defeat a legislator who is not for reform,” Lamb said. “It’s long overdue.”
Lamb has been lieutenant governor for nearly eight years. Before that, he served in the state Senate. He also worked as an aide to former Gov. Frank Keating.
Given low public approval of most people at the state Capitol, Lamb’s ads and direct mail have ignored most of that state government work. Instead, he has pointed to his four years as a U.S. Secret Service agent.
In personal appearances, however, he does talk about his work in government.
Without naming Stitt, who has no government experience, or Cornett, who has only municipal experience, Lamb compares the risk in electing someone new to state government to asking a passenger with no flight experience to take over as pilot in mid-air.
“Would somebody with no aviation experience whatsoever please make their way to the cockpit to grab the controls?” he said Tuesday.
“Now you’re panicked and terrified. You want someone with experience who knows how to get you there safely.”