Elgin educator and small business owner Toni Hasenbeck, a Democrat, has filed for the House District 65 seat now held by Rep, Joe Dorman.
“As an educator, business owner, parent, and member of the agriculture community, I know our state government has continued to increase unnecessary regulation and continued to decrease funding in necessary areas and this concerns me,” Hasenbeck said. “As an Oklahoman, I am concerned about the direction of our state. We cannot continue to make the state the best it can be on the current path we are on.”
“Our area deserves a strong voice in the legislature, who will continue the good work Representative Dorman has done the past 12 years,” Hasenbeck continued. “We need someone who works in a bipartisan way with others and uses common sense to come up with practical solutions to the issues we face. That is why I am running for State Representative.”
Hasenbeck graduated from Oklahoma State University and holds a masters degree from East Central University in School Librarianship and a masters degree in Education Leadership from Cameron University. Hasenbeck is an educator with 15 years of experience. She has taught all ages of Oklahoma students, and currently teaches at Elgin Middle School.
“We can all see the current mess that has happened with our public schools the past few years. Our state government has mismanaged our schools. They are underfunded and overly mandated. Our students will become Oklahoma’s nurses, doctors, firefighters, attorneys, farmers, ranchers and leaders. We need experienced leaders at the Capitol who will use clear thoughts and careful planning to make our schools the best they can be.” Hasenbeck said.
Hasenbeck and her husband, Hank, own and operate Happy Hollow Animal Hospital in Elgin. Hasenbeck grew up on a hog farm, and she and her family also continue to raise cattle in Comanche County.
“Our local businesses and education are the backbone of our economy. You can’t have one without the other,” Hasebeck said. “We must support both, and do what we can to make sure both thrive. It benefits all of us.”
Commenting on her campaign for the job as state representative, Hasenbeck, a Democrat, said, “Hank and I have raised our children, Vivienne. William, and Henlea, right here in rural Oklahoma for a reason. Sometimes the folks in Oklahoma City just don’t understand our lives out here. We need someone who will stand up for our way of life, for our schools, our seniors, and our small businesses. As State Representative, I will always fight for the interests of our people.”
House District 65 encompasses parts of Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, and Stephens counties.
