Earlier today, former Oklahoma Attorney General and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson – a stalwart of whatever remains of the Oklahoma Democratic party - surprised no one by announcing he's running for Governor in 2018.
Via NewsOK.com:
Drew Edmondson, the former Democratic attorney general and member of one of the most powerful families in Oklahoma's political history, has announced a campaign for governor.
Edmondson served four terms as Oklahoma's attorney general and seemed to have capped off his political career with an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2010. But then last year, Edmondson led a successful campaign against the Right to Farm State Question 777, a constitutional amendment that could have blocked virtually any new agriculture regulations.
That campaign put him back on the political map and back into the minds of Oklahoma voters.
Dammit. I knew there had to be a catch when we voted down SQ 777! Oh well, having Edmondson run for governor seems like a fair trade-off. I just wish they would have been more open about it during the campaign...
"As an added bonus, if State Question 777 fails, Drew Edmondson will take all credit, get confident and run for Governor again."
Okay, maybe keeping everyone in the dark was the best plan.
Here's more:
After leaving the attorney general's office in 2011, Edmondson worked in private practice, now in Oklahoma City with the Riggs Abney law firm. He was widely expected to announce for governor this year and recently said he was considering a return to electoral politics.
Edmondson's father, Ed, served in the U.S. House of Representatives. His uncle, J. Howard Edmondson, was Oklahoma's governor and also represented Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate.
Drew Edmondson's brother James was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2003.
That's awesome! It's about time the Oklahoma Democratic Party found a conservative, establishment, white male with deep political connections to the rich and powerful overlords who control this state to run for governor. At the very least, I'm sure he'll do a great job raising money from trial lawyers.
As I mentioned, Edmondson's announcement took absolutely no one by surprise. That being said, it's a pretty big deal. He has A) a name and B) money. He's also old and white, which means he'll identify with rural Oklahoma voters. All those things combined make him the early favorite to secure the Oklahoma Democratic nomination.
The other two candidates are Scott Inman and Connie Johnson. This was Inman's reaction after hearing the news:
Okay, that's actually the face Inman made in his gubernatorial announcement video that looked like an ad for an internet pornography addiction treatment center, but I'm sure it accurately expresses his feelings on the matter.
