The two candidates running for the open Oklahoma State Senate District 21 seat have agreed to participate in a debate Wednesday, Oct. 23, ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
Former Oklahoma State University professor Robin Fuxa and Dr. Randy Grellner are campaigning to succeed state Sen. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater), who chose not to seek a third term in office. Grellner, who previously lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2022, won nearly 80 percent of more than 5,000 votes cast for three candidates to secure the Republican nomination June 18. Fuxa, who had been part of the literacy education faculty at OSU before resigning to run for the SD 21 seat, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The debate is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the auditorium (Room 215) of the Stillwater Public Library, 1107 S. Duck St. The event is free and open to members of the public, who should enter through the “meeting room entrance” doors on the west side of the building. The auditorium is accessible by stairs or elevator.
Questions will be written and asked by professional journalists. NonDoc editor in chief Tres Savage and Stillwater News Press editor Beau Simmons will serve as moderators of the debate, which will be live-streamed on the News 9 website and Facebook page.
SD 21 includes much of Stillwater, as well as most of southern Payne County and a large swath of northwest Creek County.
SD 21: Candidates seek open seat
Fuxa, 46, is originally from Chandler and graduated from Strother Public Schools. She has worked as a teacher in the Bartlesville and Pawnee school districts. In 2012, Fuxa obtained her doctorate in education from OSU.
Grellner, 58, is a doctor who practices primary care in Cushing. Grellner also works part-time at an urgent care clinic affiliated with Stillwater Medical Center. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Grellner to fulfill an unexpired term on the State Board of Health in 2021, which ended in June. In 2022, Grellner finished sixth among 13 Republican candidates for a U.S. Senate seat ultimately won by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma).
AARP Oklahoma and the State Chamber of Oklahoma are charitable sponsors of NonDoc’s 2024 public debate series.
The Greater OKC Asian Chamber of Commerce is an event partner for the SD 21 debate.
Since October 2017, NonDoc has partnered with other media and civic organizations to organize and host more than two dozen political debates among candidates for elected office.
