9 January 2025
By Kerri Keck (published in The Shawnee News-Star)
Open primaries will elevate local issues over national culture war with SQ 835
Dear editor,
During my time in the Army, I learned a valuable lesson: leadership is always about bringing people together, not dividing them. that's true in the military, in business, and in politics. Unfortunately, many of our elected leaders have rejected this lesson, and we are all the worse for it. Our current primary system elevates divisive national culture war issues over the local challenges that deeply impact communities like shawnee and rural towns across our state.
In closed primaries, candidates are forced to appeal to the most extreme voices within their party. This dynamic shifts the focus away from the real issues we face. Instead, these important topics are drowned out by inflammatory rehetoric and partisan bickering. Our schools are underfunded and under-resourced, and our small businesses – the backbone of local economies – are competing in a tough economic climate. These issues require pragmatic, community-focused solutions. Our current election system discourages the kind of bipartisan collaboration necessary to address them.
Recently, a bipartisan coalition of concerned citizens filed State Question 835, a proposed constitutional amendment to establish open primaries. In an open primary system as proposed by SQ 835, all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will appear on one unified ballot. This will give every registered voter the chance to participate in primary elections. In an open primary system, the top two candidates, regardless of party, will move on to the general election. In this way, the best and most representative candidates will be on the ballot in November. this will make our elections more inclusive nd competitive.
It's not about benefiting one party or another, it's about giving all Oklahomans a voice and ensuring our elections are fair and competitive.
Once the signature-gathering effort begins, please sign the petition to help get this important initiative on the ballot in November 2026. Together, we can create an election system that works for everyone, not just for the extremes.
Find out more about SQ 835 and open primaries at https://www.voteyes835.com, on Veterans For All Voters website at https://www.veteransforallvoters.org/our-voting-reforms, and join the CommonSense conversation on January 27, 2025 at First United Bank Community Room (2675 N Harrison ave, Shawnee, OK 74804) from 6-7 p.m.
Kerri Keck Shawnee (U.S. Army veteran and former candidate for House District 26)