Blake Cummings, a veteran of the oil/gas and telecom sectors, last week officially announced his candidacy for the Oklahoma House of Representatives in District 28, which encompasses all of Seminole County, as well as portions of Pottawatomie County.

He will be on the November ballot as a Democratic challenger to Danny Williams, R-Seminole.

“My decision to run for the State House stems from a conviction that District 28 and all of Oklahoma require representatives who prioritize sensible, common- sense decision-making for 4.2 million Oklahomans, rather than catering to the whims of a small number of billionaires,” Cummings said.

“Legislative decisions in Oklahoma must prioritize the needs of all citizens, not just a select few. We deserve to have common-sense policies to make our lives better, unlike parti- san politics that consistently create more problems than they solve. Our community is a great cross-section of Oklahoma. The challenges we face and objectives we pursue mirror those of the entire state. I am committed to ensuring our schools are well funded, that our citizens are consistently prioritized in legislative decisions, and to see that the ultra-rich, who have no common ground with the majority of Oklahomans, are relegated to the sidelines when it comes to making decisions for the rest of us,” he added.

The following is his unedited campaign announcement.

Blake, a lifelong Oklahoman, Democrat and member of the Choctaw Nation, lives in NE Pottawatomie County. Blake has seen education deteriorate, costs escalate, and elected officials prove ineffective in addressing these issues as they emerge. Instead, they react impulsively when issues arise and rarely get to the heart of our state’s challenges.

Blake’s platform focuses on: • Investing in the Future: We must invest in our future by supporting Oklahoma students and teachers to ensure our talent stays at home. Adapting to a shifting job market due to AI necessitates ongoing skills development.

• Economic Growth: Stronger public education and our famed Oklahoma Standard work in tandem to attract businesses and higher- paying jobs to our district and state. We need both.

• Our People Come First: The ultimate objective of our government is to safeguard the quality of life experienced by our citizens. Access to affordable housing, healthy living conditions, and the chance for fair wages are rights that all citizens possess. Our government should not be a trinket that can be bought by the richest donor or the highest bidder.

“Oklahomans are being targeted by outside interests, using us as a dumping ground for out-of-state hazardous materials, and as a hub for energy-draining data centers that will strain our resources. They believe that with sufficient funding they can influence our current lawmakers to support their agenda. To a great degree, they have been successful. I want to take the values of our people to the Capitol and tell the rich elite where we think they should stick their data centers,” Cummings said.

A formal campaign kickoff event will be held soon. Cummings’ website, Blake-ForOKHouse.com, will be going live soon. Call (405) 927-8120, or email blakeforokhouse@ gmail.com to

find out more.