How do you manage a political forum featuring nearly a dozen candidates?
Monday night, the Deer Creek Parent Legislative Action Committee (PLAC) found a creative way to get answers at its House District 82 event, which 11 of 13 candidates attended.
“Some of the questions will be in a yes-or-no format,” said Ted Streuli, editor of the Journal Record and forum moderator. “We have these spiffy little paddles for you to use to respond.”
The candidates smiled and showed the audience their paddles. One side was bright green with a thumbs up, the other bright red with a thumbs down.
“Just pretend you’ve already won the seat and you’re sitting on the House floor and it’s time for the vote,” Streuli said.
‘Yes’ or ‘no’ questions focused on #oklaed
Have you or your children attended public schools?
- Kip Baird (R): yes
- Travis Hays (R): yes
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): yes
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): yes
- Denara Manning (R): yes
- Brad Martin (R): yes
- Nicole Miller (R): yes
- Gregory Mills (R): yes
- Brent Nyberg (R): yes
- Casey Satterlee (R): yes
- Brad Schmitt (R): yes
Have you visited a public school classroom in the last school year?
- Kip Baird (R): yes
- Travis Hays (R): yes
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): yes
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): yes
- Denara Manning (R): yes
- Brad Martin (R): yes
- Nicole Miller (R): yes
- Gregory Mills (R): yes
- Brent Nyberg (R): no
- Casey Satterlee (R): yes
- Brad Schmitt (R): yes
Are you in favor of the expansion of charter schools?
- Kip Baird (R): yes
- Travis Hays (R): no
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): yes
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): yes
- Denara Manning (R): no
- Brad Martin (R): yes
- Nicole Miller (R): yes
- Gregory Mills (R): yes
- Brent Nyberg (R): yes
- Casey Satterlee (R): no
- Brad Schmitt (R): yes
Would you have voted for HB 1010?
- Kip Baird (R): yes
- Travis Hays (R): yes
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): yes
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): yes
- Denara Manning (R): yes
- Brad Martin (R): no
- Nicole Miller (R): yes
- Gregory Mills (R): yes
- Brent Nyberg (R): yes
- Casey Satterlee (R): yes
- Brad Schmitt (R): yes
Are you in favor of additional teacher pay raises and school funding in the foreseeable future?
- Kip Baird (R): yes
- Travis Hays (R): yes
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): yes
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): yes
- Denara Manning (R): yes
- Brad Martin (R): yes
- Nicole Miller (R): yes
- Gregory Mills (R): yes
- Brent Nyberg (R): yes
- Casey Satterlee (R): yes
- Brad Schmitt (R): yes
How would you vote on State Question 799, which would repeal the revenue measures HB 1010 put in place?
- Kip Baird (R): no
- Travis Hays (R): no
- Robert M. Jernigan (R): no
- Oraynab Jwayyed (D): no
- Denara Manning (R): no
- Brad Martin (R): no
- Nicole Miller (R): no
- Gregory Mills (R): no
- Brent Nyberg (R): no
- Casey Satterlee (R): no
- Brad Schmitt (R): no
Candidates also answered several questions that were open-ended. View video of the event by joining the PLAC Facebook page. Quotes from each candidate in attendance are included in the descriptions below.
HD 82 in brief
The 13 candidates on HD 82’s ballot qualify this as a #HotRace. There will be no Democratic primary, as only one Democrat candidate filed, but the 12 Republicans vying for termed-out Rep. Kevin Calvey’s (R-OKC) seat have their work cut out for them as they battle a packed ticket. (Calvey is currently running for Oklahoma County Commissioner.)
- Outgoing office holder: Rep. Kevin Calvey
- ZIP codes represented: 73012, 73013, 73120, 73134, 73142, 73162
- Counties represented: Oklahoma
- Townships represented: Edmond, Oklahoma City
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Open in new tab The Republican primary will be held June 26. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, HD 82 Republican voters will participate in a runoff-primary election between the top two vote-getters Aug. 28.
Meet the candidates
Noel Tucker and Cobi Ceron, both Republicans, were the only candidates absent from the forum.
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order with incumbent party listed first. An asterisk (*) indicates information gleaned from the candidate forum.
Kip Baird (R)
Profession*: Runs an insurance and financial services agency in Edmond
Experience: 2011 recipient of The Business Times’ 20 Under 40 award
Platform*: Baird’s Facebook states, “Transparency, efficiency, fiscal responsibility, modernization of antiquated processes, and common sense are the cornerstones to make our state flourish.” From the forum, Baird said he will oppose tax increases until the state considers all efficiencies and cuts wasteful spending.
Links: Facebook | Twitter | PLAC Question responses
Forum quote: “Competition improves performance, so I am a supporter of vouchers … Vouchers can be used to benefit the education of children, which is the absolute most important thing of all.”
Cobi Ceron (R)
Profession: Student
Experience: Ceron will soon gain a degree in business administration.
Platform: Ceron’s website cites support for pro-business policies. He states, “I plan on being that someone who defends our great Oklahoman values from any possible threat they may face.” He is an NRA member and supports Second Amendment rights.
Links: Website | Facebook
Travis Hays (R)
Profession*: General electrician
Experience: Hays will graduate from Oklahoma State University with an electrical engineering degree in December.
Platform: Hays’ website states he will “… demand accountability from our state agencies and support efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.” He also cites support for “education funding and reform of our schools.”
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “If I had the opportunity to run before this … then I would have done definitely a better job of looking down the road for what kind of problems lay ahead.”
Robert M. Jernigan (R)
Profession*: Home builder, retail store owner
Experience: Member of the U.S. Army Reserve until 1999; ran for HD 82 in 2016, losing against incumbent Calvey and received 37.46 percent of the popular vote.
Platform: Jernigan is a Second Amendment supporter and a proponent for criminal justice reforms that would “stop locking up people we’re mad at.”
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “We should listen to [teachers], what they need on the front line on a daily basis … Much like I listen to my employees when they tell me ‘we need this here.'”
Denara Manning (R)
Profession*: Teacher at Edmond Santa Fe High School
Experience*: Holds a master’s in environmental science and policy from the University of South Florida
Platform: Manning’s website emphasizes the need for immediate, long-term and sustainable public education funding. She also aims to be a community-driven candidate with an “open-door policy” at the Capitol.
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Forum quote*: “I’m willing to work with anyone that is able to come together and be adult about the situation and actually acknowledge we have a problem and try to find a way to solve it.”
Brad Martin (R)
Profession*: Entrepreneur, currently operates an oil, gas and mineral company, a commercial real estate investment company and an insurance asset protection company
Experience: Serves as chairman of the board for a nonprofit focused on children’s vision, served on the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce advisory board
Platform: Martin identifies education, criminal justice reform, healthcare and transportation as key issues on his website. He goes on to state that these facets of government “… are predicated on having a stable state budget coupled with a vibrant economy and expanding workforce.”
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “We failed our educators so much that they literally had to go and march on the Capitol to ask for more funding. That is a travesty.”
Nicole Miller (R)
Profession*: Former staff member at the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
Experience: Served in the National Guard
Platform: Miller is a limited-government advocate. Her website tells voters, “… she will stand against unreasonable regulation and taxes that hamper job growth.” She is a law enforcement advocate and states an intention to advocate for veterans and senior citizens.
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “Do we have a revenue problem or a spending problem? Quite frankly, I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. I think we have a management problem.”
Gregory Mills (R)
Profession*: Teacher in Oklahoma City Public Schools
Experience*: Has a background in clinical and anatomic pathology
Platform*: Mills states a desire to push for education funding in an effort to keep kids in classrooms and off the streets. At the candidate forum, he said he would support a $5,000 education support staff raise and a $10,000 teacher raise along with initiatives to have schools go digital with resources like textbooks.
Links: Website | Twitter
Forum quote*: “I’m only here because of the teacher walkout.”
Brent Nyberg (R)
Profession*: Mineral title attorney
Experience: Volunteers for couples counseling at Crossings Community Church
Platform: Nyberg expresses a desire to fight for a balanced budged if elected. His website states, “… time for fresh new leadership that will make the tough decisions necessary to fix the budget and put our state on a long term path to prosperity.” To promote a more business-friendly climate, Nyberg has stated he would fight to cut back on regulation.
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “The free market is telling us we need to do better … I don’t want to see Fort Worth advertising for our teachers anymore.”
Casey Satterlee (R)
Profession*: High school algebra teacher in Putnam City
Experience: Graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma
Platform: Satterlee’s website advocates for more education funding as well as funding for all public services. He states a belief in raising the sales tax but eliminating it for necessities like groceries. Satterlee states he would also seek state funding through the elimination of tax cuts and exemptions.
Links: Website | Facebook
Forum quote*: “I think we need to have proper oversight, vouch for every dollar that is brought in and what goes out to every area.”
Brad Schmitt (R)
Profession*: Works in oil and gas sales
Experience: Spent over 10 years in the healthcare industry as a business development manager
Platform: Schmitt’s website advocates for “… practical solutions that will keep teachers in Oklahoma.” It also cites that Schmitt is pro-life and believes life begins at conception.
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Forum quote*: “I think it starts with an educated workforce, making sure that [we] have the opportunities that kids need to become productive society members.” He has also stated that he would rather cut wasteful spending to boost funding for state services.
Noel Tucker (R)
Profession: Lawyer
Experience: She is an experienced family and divorce lawyer.
Platform: Nicole has little online presence and did not attend the PLAC forum, but her law practice website emphasizes her Christian values.
Links: Law practice website
Oraynab Jwayyed (D)
Profession*: Founder of a money-management consultancy focused on women
Experience: Jwayyed is a published author and a local precinct chair for the Democratic Party. She has been an education volunteer for 15 years.
Platform: Jwayyed’s website states she wants to “… ensure women receive better pay, enhanced job opportunities and affordable childcare.” She has also stated that she will be a voice against special interests at the Capitol, having “… consistently urged our elected leaders to better represent the people.”
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Forum quote*: “I’d like to support working mothers and single mothers as well … I’d also like to look at building more career opportunities for women, training, anything that would improve their standard of living.”
