OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — Democratic incumbent Cyndi Munson is running against Republican challenger David B. Hooten in the race for District 85 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
As one of eight Democratic incumbents in this election cycle, Munson is seeking a fifth two-year term to represent the northwest Oklahoma City district, which stretches from Lake Hefner east along NW Expressway, encompassing Nichols Hills and The Village.
HD_85_official_2024In just one week, voters in Oklahoma will vote to fill 32 seats in the House of Representatives. Sixty-nine of these races have already been determined due to candidates running unopposed or as a result of primary and runoff elections earlier this year.
Cyndi Munson
Munson, the House Minority Leader, was first elected in September of 2015, making her the first Asian-American woman to serve in the Oklahoma legislature.
She currently serves on several House committees, including the Appropriations and Budget, Children, Youth, and Family Services, General Government, and Rural Development.
Before her time in the Legislature, Munson spent over a decade working in the non-profit sector. Most recently, she served with the OK Messages Project, a literacy program focused on improving relationships between incarcerated parents and their children.
During her tenure, Munson has focused on issues about children, women, working families, public education, and reform in both criminal and juvenile justice.
In an interview with Free Press, Munson said that investing in public education continues to be a top priority for the district as well as improving healthcare access and economic issues.
“For me, personally, my priority has always been ‘who is looking out for the most vulnerable in our community?’ Munson said. “Who is looking out for those who really need a voice and a champion at the State Capital when it comes to education, healthcare, and economy and making sure everybody has an opportunity to live their highest quality of life?”
Munson said she is most proud of her legislative work on patient protections against step therapy, also known as ‘fail first’, an approach used by insurance companies requiring a patient to first try and fail on an approved medication first before getting to use the medicine their doctor originally prescribed.
“I’m very proud of that. I do believe we’ve saved lives. I worked with a great coalition of patient advocacy groups, doctors, and constituents, and it was a bipartisan effort,” Munson said. “It was a big win for Oklahoma.”
Munson said she has been door-knocking for more years than she’s been in office, and speaking face-to-face with constituents, regardless of party, has helped her better understand the district’s needs.
“They [the constituents] always give me an opportunity to introduce myself and interrupt their lives in order to hear what’s on their mind,” Munson said. “It’s given me so much hope in a time when things can seem really dark, and like there is no hope out there, but I know that when we talk face to face, that’s where I know that a difference can be made.”
David B. Hooten
Hooten, professional trumpet soloist and former county clerk, is running to unseat Munson on a platform that prioritizes public safety, economic growth, and modernization.
In an interview with Free Press, he criticized his opponent’s stance on a variety of issues, including late-term abortion, transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, and her legislative record in general. He also discussed the need for higher teacher salaries and term limits.
“Our teachers need to be paid better and I don’t mean just a little bit,” Hooten said. “I think that the whole system is broken. Our teachers need to be paid so well that people from other states want to come to Oklahoma to teach.”
Hooten said the current system of paying teachers low salaries leads to the lack of qualified teachers and reliance on emergency certifications.
He suggests reducing the number of school districts to save costs and improve funding for teaching while advocating for teaching students to think critically rather than just memorize curriculum.
In an interview, Hooten said during his County Clerk term he improved efficiency by implementing a lien alert system that would notify property owners if a lien is placed on their property.
Hooten’s resignation from County Clerk position
Hooten resigned as Oklahoma County Clerk in 2022 following claims of sexual harassment and campaign ethics violation, resulting in a 15-page investigative report that concluded that he had fostered a work environment that was “not conducive to normal daily operations.”
Hooten-Investigation_Redacted Petition-for-Removal-Hooten hooten-letterHooten has denied all allegations against him, asserting that the claims were lies propagated by disgruntled employees and sensationalized media reporting as part of a smear campaign.
“Anybody who thinks that for whatever reason because of whatever they heard, thinks that I’m not worthy of being in office, then don’t vote for me…,” Hooten said. “I did a good job, a great job as county clerk, and I think whomever would like to vote for me, will vote for me.”
Voting information
Ealy voting will be held from Wednesday to Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to 2 AM. Polls will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM on election day. Voters can access the OK Voter portal to find a designated polling place and sample ballot.
Brianna Garcia is a freelance journalist covering local politics and culture for Free Press. She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma.
