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Durant Daily Democrat

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 The Duncan Banner

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2017

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Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Miami News-Record
May
09
2017
Page
Oklahoma Auditor Gary Jones
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to run for governor in 2018
53% Sean Murphy, AP
news@miaminewsrecord.com
OKLAHOMA CITY
Republican Gary Jones, the
state auditor and inspector
who has been a thorn in the
side of leaders from both
parties over Oklahomas
tax and budget policies,
confirmed Monday that hes
running for governor.
Jones, 62, said he will for-
mally launch his campaign
in the fall, but that he will
seek to replace Republican
Gov. Mary Fallin, who cant
run again because of term
limits.
My main message is
that we have to be fiscally
responsible, that we have
to cut out all unnecessary
expenses, but we also have
to have enough revenue to
fund core services, Jones
told The Associated Press.
If you turn me loose
today, I could show you
some areas where we could
make cuts and not lose core
services.
Jones said he thinks
many state agencies are
top heavy with excessive
administration, and he
noted how his own agencys
budget has been slashed
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
from $5.9 million in 2010
to $2.9 million this year.
Weve made it work, he
said.
A fierce critic of Demo-
crats during more than
six years as chairman of
the Oklahoma Republican
Party, Jones also has been
critical of various fiscal
decisions by the GOP-led
Legislature and Fallins sec-
retary of finance, Preston
Doerflinger.
A former telecommuni-
cations industry executive,
Jones runs a farming and
ranching operation with his
family in the southwestern
Oklahoma community
of Cache, where he also
served as a Comanche
County commissioner.
Jones was elected state
auditor in 2010 as part
of a Republican sweep of
statewide offices, but he is
term-limited and cant run
for that post again. Jones, 62, said he will formally launch his campaign
in the fall.
Jones acknowledged that
hell be at a major fundrais- Richardson, who said hes Attorney General Drew
ing disadvantage to other willing to put at least $2.5 Edmondson, House Demo-
GOP candidates such as million of his own money cratic Leader Rep. Scott
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, who into his campaign. Inman, former state Sen.
already has $1 million in Democratic candidates Connie Johnson and retired
his campaign account, who have announced plans auto mechanic Norman
and Tulsa attorney Gary to run include former Brown.
 The Oklahoman
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
May
09
2017
Auditor confirms
Page
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run for governor
BY SEAN MURPHY
The Associated Press
Republican Gary Jones,
the state auditor and
inspector who has been a
thorn in the side of lead-
ers from both parties over
Oklahomas tax and budget
policies, confirmed Mon-
day that hes running for
governor.
Jones, 62, said he will
formally launch his cam-
paign in the fall, but that he
will seek to succeed Repub-
lican Gov. Mary Fallin, who
cant run again because of
term limits.
My main message is
that we have to be fiscally
responsible, that we have
to cut out all unnecessary
expenses, but we also have
to have enough revenue to
fund core services, Jones
told The Associated Press.
Jones said he thinks many
state agencies are top heavy
with excessive administra-
tion, and he noted how his
own agencys budget has
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Gary Jones, Oklahoma
auditor and inspector
been slashed from $5.9 mil-
lion in 2010 to $2.9 million
this year.
A fierce critic of Demo-
crats during more than
six years as chairman of
the Oklahoma Republican
Party, Jones also has been
critical of various fiscal
decisions by the GOP-led
Legislature and Fallins
secretary of finance, Pres-
ton Doerflinger.
A former telecommuni-
cations industry executive,
Jones runs a farming and
ranching operation with
his family in the south-
western Oklahoma com-
munity of Cache, where he
also served as a Comanche
County commissioner.
Jones was elected state
auditor in 2010 as part of a
Republican sweep of state-
wide offices, but he is term-
limited and cant run for
that post again.
Jones acknowledged that
hell be at a major fundrais-
ing disadvantage to other
GOP candidates such as
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, who
already has $1 million in
his campaign account, and
Tulsa attorney Gary Rich-
ardson, who said hes will-
ing to put at least $2.5 mil-
lion of his own money into
his campaign.
Democratic candidates
who have announced plans
to run include former
Attorney General Drew
Edmondson, House Dem-
ocratic Leader Rep. Scott
Inman, former state Sen.
Connie Johnson and retired
auto mechanic Norman
Brown.
 Clip
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The Journal Record

Auditor Gary Jones to run for governor in 2018

BY SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY Republican Gary
Jones, the state auditor and inspec-
tor who has been a thorn in the side of
leaders from both parties over Oklaho-
mas tax and budget policies, conrmed
Monday that hes running for governor.
Jones, 62, said he will formally launch
his campaign in the fall, but that he will
seek to replace Republican Gov. Mary
Fallin, who cant run again because of
term limits.
My main message is that we have
to be scally responsible, that we have
to cut out all unnecessary expenses,
but we also have to have enough rev-
enue to fund core services, Jones told
The Associated Press. If you turn me
loose today, I could show you
some areas where we could
make cuts and not lose core
services.
Jones said he thinks many
state agencies are top-heavy
with excessive administra-
tion, and he noted how his
own agencys budget has been Gary
slashed from $5.9 million in Jones
2010 to $2.9 million this year.
Weve made it work, he said. tor in 2010 as part of a Republican sweep
A erce critic of Democrats during
more than six years as chairman of the
Oklahoma Republican Party, Jones also
has been critical of various scal deci-
sions by the GOP-led Legislature and
Fallins secretary of nance,
Preston Doeringer.
A former telecommunica-
tions industry executive, Jones
runs a farming and ranching
operation with his family in the
southwestern Oklahoma com-
munity of Cache, where he also
served as a Comanche County
commissioner.
Jones was elected state audi-
of statewide ofces, but he is term-lim-
ited and cant run for that post again.
Jones acknowledged that hell be at a
major fundraising disadvantage to other
GOP candidates such as Lt. Gov. Todd
Lamb, who already has $1 million in his
campaign account, and Tulsa attorney
Gary Richardson, who said hes willing
to put at least $2.5 million of his own
money into his campaign.
Democratic candidates who have an-
nounced plans to run include former At-
torney General Drew Edmondson, House
Democratic Leader Rep. Scott Inman,
former state Sen. Connie Johnson and re-
tired auto mechanic Norman Brown.
Rex Lawhorn, a telecommunications
technician from Tulsa, has entered the
race as a Libertarian.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
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Stillwater NewsPress
OUR VIEW
The next amazing race
A lot of hats have been
rown into the ring for the
ext governor of Oklahoma.
s kind of amazing that so
any people would want this
mpossibly thankless job, but
hen theres nowhere to go but
p the legacy might be that of a
deemer and rebuilder.
Democratic candidates who
ave announced are House
inority leader Scott Inman,
en. Connie Johnson, former
torney general Drew Ed-
ondson and auto mechanic
orman Brown.
Republican candidates are
rmer Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb,
ulsa attorney Gary Richard-
n and State Auditor and
Inspector Gary Jones. Theres
a chance Oklahoma City
Mayor Nick Cornett will run.
Theres another chance that
any number of people could
still announce.
Edmondson, Johnson and
Jones have made not-too-
long-ago trips to Stillwater for
various reasons. Edmondson
made several trips last fall as
the public mouthpiece of the
No-on-777 campaign which
turned out to be a success-
ful campaign against Right
to Farm. Johnson came to
Oklahoma State University
to launch the Murray Hall
Civil Rights Speakers Series.
She is a famous proponent of
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
decriminalizing marijuana.
Jones was the most recent
(official) visitor, who stopped
by the office to talk about a
program for streamlining and
digitizing estimates of costs
for county and local agencies.
Before that, he was the guest
speaker at the Stillwater
League of Voters annual ban-
quet in February.
Jones has piqued our in-
terest because his platform is
one of financial reform. Hes
also a dark horse candidate
who might have to rely on a
grassroots campaign move-
ment. He wont have near the
funding from oil and gas that
Lamb, the frontrunner, will
have at his disposal.
Something he has going for
him is perhaps the best quote
about state government to
date when he said, We need
someone whos willing to be a
one-term governor.
He was saying that too
many of our politicians make
decisions based on the next
campaign. Hes right, but on
the surface, people think that
means simply doing what
your constituents want even
if its bad for them. Take it a
little further, and what it re-
ally means is you have to be
willing to do things that lob-
byists and campaign donors
might not like.