The 2018 Election Talk Begins

   Politics is about the bigger issue of what kind of society will we be? Who will we entrust for the unknown decisions to come? the serious members of our civic community are never completely ignoring the distant events and they start early, to seek solutions.

  The Late Mark Costello once joked privately with me; 
"I'm addicted to politics. It's a disease sort of like herpes. Your symptoms sometimes go away, but the disease is still there".

A speculative article on the Oklahoman.
​ ​http://newsok.com/after-ho-hum-year-for-state-political-contests-2018-will-be-transformational/article/5522614

After ho-hum year for state political contests, 
​2018 will be 'transformational'

---

  Here's a snippet of the discussion printed in the Oklahoman, no long ago. Read their full story, here.

Some candidates probably won't wait long after the Nov. 8 elections to announce their 2018 intentions.

Here is a look at the potential candidates, as predicted by some of the state's most plugged-in political prognosticators.

Governor

REPUBLICANS

• •Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb: All nine of the Oklahoma political experts responding said Lamb would run and would be the heavy favorite
• •U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine: Congressman from Tulsa, has said he would honor his term limits pledge and not run for another term in 2018. He was mentioned by four of those surveyed.
• •Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt: He is expected to run for governor or Congress in 2018. Four mentioned him as possible candidate for governor.
• •Bob Mills: An Oklahoma City furniture store owner who was an early supporter of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Three mentions.
• •Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller: Political experts think he'll run for something in 2018. He got one mention for governor.

DEMOCRATS

• •Dan Boren: The former U.S. congressman has said publicly that he's exploring a run. He was mentioned by six of those surveyed, though most said a run would only happen if Republican Donald Trump wins the White House.
• •Rep. Scott Inman: Minority leader in the state House of Representatives got four mentions as a potential candidate, all conditioned on whether Boren runs; none anticipate him running against Boren.
• •Joe Dorman: The 2014 Democratic nominee for governor got two mentions.
• •Mike Turpen: Former state attorney general and the 1986 Democratic nominee for governor, got one mention.

INDEPENDENTS

• Gary Richardson: A Tulsa lawyer who got 14 percent of the vote as an Independent in the 2002 gubernatorial race, Richardson got four mentions as a possible 2018 candidate.

Lt. Governor

REPUBLICANS

• State Sen. Eddie Fields — Wynona lawmaker got four mentions.
• Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller — Three mentions.
• Former state House Speaker T.W. Shannon — Three mentions.
• State Sen. David Holt — Oklahoma City lawmaker got two mentions, though he also is seen as a probable candidate for mayor if Mick Cornett doesn't run again.
• Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak — Two mentions.
• State Rep. Mike Sanders, state Sen. Greg Stanislawski, state Sen. Clark Jolley and Cornett — One mention each.

DEMOCRATS

• Inman — The Del City attorney got three mentions, all conditioned on him not running for governor instead.
• Dorman — Two mentions.
• Others mentioned: Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and Oklahoma City restaurant owner Cathy Cummings got one mention each.

Attorney General

REPUBLICANS

• Ryan Leonard — Oklahoma City attorney who ran for the post in 2010, four mentions.
• State Sen. Anthony Sykes — Lawmaker from Moore received four mentions.
• State Rep. Kevin Calvey — Oklahoma City attorney got four mentions.
• Oklahoma Secretary of State Mike Hunter — Three mentions.
• State Rep. Jon Echols — Oklahoma City businessman got three mentions.
• Other mentions: Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy; Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater; former state Rep. Rex Duncan; Cleveland County DA Greg Mashburn; state Sen. Kyle Loveless; and Oklahoma solicitor general Patrick Wyrick.

DEMOCRATS

• Inman received two mentions.

1st Congressional District

REPUBLICANS

• Pruitt — Attorney general ran unsuccessfully for this seat when he was a state senator in 2001. Seven of the nine respondents see him as a potential candidate in 2018, and some think it's far more likely that he'll run here instead of for governor.
• State Sen. Dan Newberry — A state senator since 2009, he is a mortgage banker in Tulsa. Five of the political experts see him as a potential candidate.
• Kevin Hern — The owner of 10 McDonald's restaurants in the Tulsa area, he has not held political office, but got three mentions as a potential candidate for Congress.
• Other mentions: Former House speaker T.W. Shannon; outgoing Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett; Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Everett Piper; Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak; and former Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris.

DEMOCRATS

• Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor received one mention.

2nd Congressional District

REPUBLICANS

• Rep. Markwayne Mullin — Six respondents expect Mullin to run again despite his term-limits pledge. The other three respondents didn't list any candidates for this race.
• Other mentions (conditioned on Mullin not running): Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett; state Sen. Josh Brecheen; state Rep. George Faught; and state Rep. Charles McCall.

DEMOCRATS

None of the respondents believe a high-profile Democrat will challenge Mullin.

• Those mentioned as potential candidates if Mullin doesn't run: Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker; Sean Burrage, president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University; and attorney Kalyn Free (Chief Baker's special counsel).