By Jason Doyle Oden
Primary Election Profile: Oklahoma Congressional District 4
Republicans and Democrats will hold primaries to decide which candidate will face the Libertarian in November. The incumbent Republican faces two challengers, while two Democrats are trying to secure their party’s nomination.
The Democrats – Bert Smith and Christina Owen
Smith has run twice before for the CD4 seat. In 2012 he was defeated in the Democratic primary, but faced incumbent Tom Cole in 2014. He’s married with five grown children and nine grandchildren. He’s a retired math teacher.
Read more about Smith’s campaign on his website here.
Owen is the co-founder of Yes All Daughters which is a grass roots organization protesting Norman Public Schools’ handling of a rape case. She’s a small business owner.
Find out more about Owen from her campaign’s Facebook page here.
The Republicans – Tom Cole, James Taylor and Shawn M. Roberts
Cole has held the CD4 seat since first winning the office in 2003. He’s one of the most respected members of Congress. He sits on the House Appropriations, Budget, and Rules Committees.
Cole’s campaign website can be found here.
Taylor is a history teacher which leads him to his stance that education plays a vital role in eliminating poverty. He and his wife have four children and two grandchildren. He has written a Christian voter guide called, “It’s Biblical, Not Political.”
More on Taylor can be found at his campaign website here.
Roberts is an Army veteran who is running as an “anti-establishment” candidate. His focus is on “constitutional principles.” He’s married with two children. He also supports term limits in Congress.
Read more on Roberts by visiting his campaign website here.
The Libertarian – Sevier White
As the lone Libertarian, White will face the winners of the Democratic and Republican Primaries in November.
A search for a website or social media connected with White was not found.
