Bridenstine ‘Not getting involved’ In Senate Race

Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World

Senate campaign trail: First District Rep. Jim Bridenstine reiterated last week that he is not taking sides in the Republican U.S. Senate primary featuring former House Speaker T.W. Shannon and Bridenstine’s colleague, 5th District Rep. James Lankford.

“I’m not getting involved,” he said Thursday.

Nevertheless, he and Shannon do seem to be traveling in the same circles. Some of the same conservative groups that initially urged Bridenstine to run for the Senate this year now back Shannon.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with whom Bridenstine has aligned himself in Congress, endorsed Shannon last week and is coming to Tulsa this week for a Shannon rally.

So is Utah Sen. Mike Lee, another member of the anti-establishment club that includes Bridenstine and Cruz.

Shannon also attended Bridenstine’s energy forum at the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus on April 13, but Bridenstine said he had invited Lankford, too.

Bridenstine wouldn’t discuss whether he had any part in getting Shannon together with Cruz and the others. He insists he’s remaining neutral.

But it’s clear Bridenstine and Shannon are keeping some of the same political company.

Time on his hands: Bridenstine says he hasn’t decided how much, if any, he will become involved in other political campaigns now that he doesn’t have one himself this year.

“We’re just going to work harder than ever on the issues we believe in,” he said last week.

Bridenstine is unopposed for a second term, but he said he’s been contacted by a quite a few candidates who have opponents.

“I don’t have plans to make endorsements at this point, but I’m getting a lot of requests,” he said.

“Right now I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do have the flexibility. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”


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