The two Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for Oklahoma commissioner of labor have agreed to participate in a primary debate from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 15, at Trolley Stop Record Shop in Oklahoma City.
NonDoc is hosting the debate in partnership with Let’s Fix This, Women Lead Oklahoma and Generation Citizen, non-partisan organizations that also co-hosted a GOP primary debate for the same office on Wednesday. Women Lead Oklahoma, Freedom Oklahoma and the Oklahoma AFL-CIO are all serving as financial sponsors for the event, as they did with the GOP primary debate.
The two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for commissioner of labor are:
- Fred Dorrell of Broken Arrow
- Sam Mis-soum of Tulsa
The event is free and open to the public, and those interested can set a reminder by RSVPing on Facebook as well.
Meet Fred Dorrell
According to his website, Dorrell was born and raised in Oklahoma and worked 34 years for Ford Motor Company at the company’s Tulsa glass plant. He previously served as a benefits representative for the UAW. In recent years, he has been a human resources labor specialist with Spirit AeroSystems in Tulsa. He also has been an adjunct professor at Tulsa Community College teaching human resources and business courses.
“Fred Dorrell’s philosophy is that labor and management can find common ground but that both sides must endeavor to find an understanding among one another,” Dorrell’s website states. “He will work to invoke the core values of collaboration, inspiration and transparency which are critical to serve the people of Oklahoma.”
Meet Sam A. Mis-soum
According to his website, Sam Mis-soum began his professional career as an advanced materials engineer and later earned a Master of Business Administration degree. He has founded multiple business ventures.
“Over the next couple of months, let us openly brainstorm together on a comprehensive list of actions that we look to enact should we be blessed with the opportunity to serve in the office of commissioner of labor for Oklahoma,” Mis-soum’s website states. “I do not come to you assuming I have all the answers but if we can question ‘why,’ we will inevitably find our solution. Too often we get stuck on the ‘how’ and hence get stuck in the metaphorical tree but end up missing the forest. Let us be detailed in our approach but broad in our vision.”
Location: Trolley Stop Record Shop
The Trolley Stop Record Shop is located at 1212 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Oklahoma City. The store sells vinyl albums, record players and other items while also hosting live performances and other events.
While it originally opened on Classen Boulevard, owner John Dunning moved the store into the old Penn Theatre, its current location. The store was profiled in this Oklahoma Gazette article from January.
