Mike Workman should be Oklahoma’s next Senator

Oklahoma’s U.S. Senate race is almost here, and it’s time to remove incumbent Republican Senator James Lankford from office. Lankford’s website describes him as holding high the ideas of “always being accountable, putting others first and keeping Faith in a faithless town.”

In practice, Lankford’s work “in a faithless town” has led to some political bigotry. Months after the Obama administration added LGBTQ+ people to their list of those protected in possible hate crime attacks, Lankford stated that “churches are trying to discern how the new “hate crimes” legislation affects their teaching of the Bible.” Lankford, who graduated from a theological seminary in 1994, hides behind state-governed legislation to attack same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. When a judge ruled the ban on gay marriage unconstitutional in 2014, Lankford retorted angrily.

“In 2004, Oklahomans overwhelmingly decided marriage is a unique institution between a man and a woman,” he said. “Since the Constitution leaves marriage laws to the states, the State of Oklahoma has the right to define marriage in a way consistent with the values of our state.”

Democrat Mike Workman is a much better candidate for a modern and tolerant America, and his decisions won’t be so easily swayed by outside bias or third parties. As opposed to Lankford’s outdated values, Workman represents the more liberal citizen and the direction America has been and should be pursuing. Workman understands the United States was built on immigrants and is a community of tolerance. As it states on his campaign website. Workman proclaims equal treatment under the law for all citizens no matter their “race, color, creed, sexual orientation or national origin”.

He also understands that sexual preference should not be anyone’s business but their own. This is opposed to James Lankford, who argues that anti-gay rhetoric should be protected under free speech and who once came under criticism for stating that a business should be able to fire a person based on their ‘choice’ whether or not to act on their sexual orientation.

Workman also feels the choice of abortion should be up to the citizen, and would push to provide access to abortion services and counseling. Lankford voted yes on banning federal health care that involved services related to abortion. Issues surrounding the environment and energy are becoming more and more important as time passes. When wind-energy innovation began to irritate natural oil companies in Oklahoma, Workman moved to end renewable energy tax credits, putting oil men first. Workman’s campaign stresses policy change for the betterment of the environment and funding for alternative energy programs and research.

A former teacher himself, Workman wants federal support for public and pre-kindergarten schools as well as graduate and research programs. After earning a bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education in 1972, he later earned his master’s degree in education supervision before performing post-graduate studies in educational administration at the University of Texas in 1976. In 1978, he formed Workman and Company, a political consulting company that strives to elect Democrats to public office. Workman doesn’t have as much experience in the Senate as Lankford does, but his tolerant and liberal perspective would be a fresh perspective for an Oklahoma Senator.

Post Author: tucollegian

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