Reports indicate emails received Aug. 27 include links that connect to a website offering discounts from a home alarm company, possibly because the campaign purchased a website template and the proper content had not been filled in.

Brogdon, a resident and current state senator representing Owasso, is seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Rep. Mary Fallin (OK-5) has also announced she will seek the governor seat being vacated by Brad Henry, who is unable to run for re-election due to term limits.

hunter@currentlyok.com

Calvey, who ran against Fallin in 2006, is perhaps best known for his service in the Iraq war during the 2007 troop surge, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Before deploying to Iraq, Calvey served from 1998-2006 in the Oklahoma Legislature, where he represented Del City and southeast Oklahoma City. In 2003, as the budget representative for the state House Republicans during a revenue shortfall year, Calvey negotiated 7% cuts in state budgets. In 2005, Calvey authored House Bill 1547, the largest tax relief law in Oklahoma history.

“The politicians in Washington are moving our country in a dangerous direction,” Calvey said in a written press release, “with record spending and debt, higher taxes, and one bailout after another. The greatness of our country is not found in bigger government in Washington. It is found in the hard working men and women who pay the bills. That’s who I want to look out for in Congress.”

Communications representative Dustin Gabus, OU Grad ‘10, said that the campaign will be “doing things Oklahoma politics has never seen before.” He continued to say, “This campaign will be a grassroots-driven campaign. Not only do we want volunteers to carry Kevin’s message, [we] need them.”

When asked if college students would play a role in the campaign, Gabus said, “I’m certain we will be doing some recruiting at local universities and will plug college students in.”

“We need a new voice for the state of Oklahoma,” Fallin said, “and we need strong leadership that has experience to lead us through some challenging times, and my years in the state Legislature, twelve years as lieutenant and now experiencing a second term in Congress, I feel like I can best represent the state of Oklahoma and lead us into a prosperous economy.”

Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, she is only the second woman in Oklahoma history to serve in Congress. Fallin currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Small Business Committee. On the Small Business Committee she has fought for tax cuts and “unnecessary government regulation.”

In 1994, she was elected the states’ first woman and the first Republican Lieutenant Governor, an office she held for three terms.

Fallin, who has never lost an election in which she has run, will not seek another term in Congress. The open seat leaves potential candidates eyeing the seat.

“Anytime you have an open seat, then people are a lot more apt to take a look at that and run,” OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones said.

CurrentlyOK exclusively reported back in November that Dr. Johnny Roy intends to run for the Fifth Congressional seat. Kevin Calvey has also stated he intends to run. Both contested Fallin in 2006.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, who forced Fallin into a run-off in 2006, said he would first decide if he would seek reelection as Mayor before deciding if the Congressional seat should be his.

“I’ve noticed a shift in strategy for sure,” Katie Thompson, OU ‘12, said. “Not only has the Cleavland Co. GOP contacted me like crazy, democrats have been attacking me more often. People say ‘Oh, McCain will die in office if he’s elected,’ but I’m like, I don’t think that has relevance in politics.”

While Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL.) appears to lead Sen. John McCain (R-AZ.) in almost every poll, Obama’s supporters are still catching heat. Craig Poor, OSU ‘12, says even his friends have something negative to say about his political preference.

“My friends from back home give me the most hell for it,” Poor said. “Some people even say, ‘America isn’t ready for a black man.’ I just have to ignore all of those ignorant people, I’ll have the last laugh on election day. I think it’ll be close, though.”

Heated debates aside, Thompson says she’s leaving personal remarks out of it. She did, however, say that she believes many college students are voting for Obama because it is the ‘cool’ thing to do.

The Presidential race isn’t the only thing on the minds of young voters. Oklahoma’s Senate race has been been among political controversy for its increasingly negative attacks. Attacks some believe are necessary.

“[Sen.] Inhofe had to be hard on [Sen.] Rice,” said Lauren Christopher, OU ‘12, “because Rice is just like Obama. Oklahomans don’t want liberals invading. Inhofe is doing the Lord’s work – that’s what Oklahoma wants.”

Mina Farzad, OU ‘11, thinks otherwise.

“Inhofe had to attack,” Farzad explained. “He has someone who actually has the ability to beat him and he’s scared about it.”