Last updated: October 23, 2024, 4:14 PM |Published: October 23, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — With the general election just weeks away, Oklahoma County voters will soon vote for candidates on Nov. 5 to determine their representation at every level, from local offices to the nation’s capital. Masu.
Democrat Madison Horne and Republican incumbent Stephanie Bice are running for the 5th Congressional District, which covers most of Oklahoma County, all of Lincoln, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties, and parts of Canada and Logan counties. They are competing for seats.
During the 2021 redistricting process, the Republican supermajority in the Oklahoma State Legislature will become more competitive and increasingly “purple” by eliminating large swaths of the south side of Oklahoma City, which has a large Hispanic population. The original CD-5 was significantly changed. They added more rural and conservative areas to the northern part of the district, where Bice has campaigned for several Oklahoma Senate victories.
Although they share the same last name, Madison Horn is not related to former Congresswoman Kendra Horn, who represents the 5th Congressional District. The district has traditionally been Republican-led since 1975 until 2018, when Kendra Horn defeated Republican incumbent Steve Russell for the first time as a Democrat. He won the seat for the first time in 44 years.
According to the state’s January data report, 48.9% of all voters in the district are registered Republicans, 29.9% Democrats and 20.1% independents.
Stephanie Bice
Mr. Bice is currently serving his second term. She was first elected in 2020, defeating Democratic opponent Kendra Horn, returning the seat to Republicans. In the 2022 election, she secured re-election by defeating Democratic challenger Joshua Harris Till with 59% of the vote. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served as a representative for Oklahoma State Senate District 22 from 2014 to 2020.
Bice did not respond to an interview request in time for publication.
She chairs the House Administrative Modernization Subcommittee, a bipartisan committee tasked with developing recommendations to make Congress more effective and transparent.
Congresswoman Stephanie Biss (official photo)
Mr Bice has a strong track record of supporting policies that reflect the party’s conservative values. She has consistently voted to protect Second Amendment rights, pro-life policies, increased border security, and efforts to support seniors, veterans, and military members.
Her voting record is consistent with her policy positions on a variety of issues, including increasing defense spending, aiding Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and championing domestic energy production.
During his time in office, Bice voted against legislation to expand voting rights and against requiring states to create independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting.
She opposed the Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act of 2022, which ultimately passed Congress and would require the Department of Justice to develop and fund de-escalation training for police officers.
In 2021, she was one of 35 Republicans who voted with all Democrats to approve a bill creating a commission on Jan. 6 to investigate the Capitol attack.
madison horn
Horn, a cybersecurity expert and Cherokee Nation resident, is running to unseat Vice in the upcoming November general election. In 2022, she ran against longtime Republican U.S. Sen. James Lankford for his seat, but ultimately lost.
In an interview with the Free Press, Horn spoke about his rural Oklahoma upbringing and extensive expertise in cybersecurity. Mr. Horne emphasized the critical need for cybersecurity knowledge in Congress and pointed to significant gaps in current leadership’s understanding.
“I wanted to run because I saw a huge gap in competent leadership that understood the needs of ordinary people and could lead without ego or party influence,” Horn said. said. “So, for me, this was a call to action and a big driver of why I continued this journey towards CD-5.”
Madison Horne (Campaign Photo 2024)
Horn outlined several risks associated with a lack of cybersecurity knowledge, including workforce shortages and vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Horn said this expertise will allow the U.S. to stay involved in workforce development in emerging industries such as robotics, AI and data science, which can lead to economic vulnerability.
She also expressed her views on other important issues, such as the need to expand mental health resources and supports, as well as addressing the root causes of social problems such as gun violence.
In an interview, Mr. Horn criticized party politics, saying both major parties are controlled by special interests and a small number of influential individuals, undermining the influence of everyday people.
“I’ve been a Republican for much longer than I’ve been a Democrat…I think partisan politics is the corruption of American politics. And what I’m saying is that our political system doesn’t support the public. “There’s a complete lack of power. They’ve turned into special interests, a lot of money, and four or five people who are coordinating things within the Republican Party and the Democratic Party,” Horn said. .
“That is not the way our democracy should be established,” Horne continued. “No one has the courage to stand up against something in order to actually achieve something.”
Her other priorities include promoting economic growth, strengthening border defenses, reforming the criminal justice system and advocating for clean energy production.
Oklahoma is one of only seven states that allows straight-ticket voting, allowing voters to select all candidates from one party for each race by marking one box on the ballot. You can choose.
The outcome of this race will determine whether Republicans continue to hold all five seats representing Oklahoma. Republicans hold a 220-212 majority over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 2.
Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can visit the OK Voter Portal to find their designated polling place and sample ballot.
Briana Garcia is a freelance journalist covering local politics and culture for the Free Press. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma.
