Can a ‘statesman’ survive this anti-government challenger?

Brady Butler wants to be a state senator but he has little interest in budgets, classroom funding, infrastructure or any of the other “kitchen table” issues that usually appeal to voters.

“I am not running to fix roads or bridges,” Butler said. “I’m running to fix our government.”

The line, which Butler has repeated at multiple events and during an interview with The Oklahoman, is short on policy but big on tapping into voter frustration, which he believes has propelled him to a runoff election against a two-term senator in western Oklahoma.

With about two weeks before a primary runoff election for dozens of races across the state, Senate District 26 could be the most competitive, pitting Butler against Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher.

Sen. Darcy Jech files for reelection earlier this year.
Sen. Darcy Jech files for reelection earlier this year.

The Republican primary runoff in this district, which includes Caddo, Blaine and Custer counties, along with parts of Kingfisher and Canadian counties, won’t decide the balance of power in the state Legislature, or significantly tip the scales of political ideology.

But it could speak to voter appetite in some of the state’s most conservative districts, where government frustration seems to be reaching new heights and ideology can be a bigger litmus test than policy.

“There’s a certain segment of our population, maybe because of what they see in Washington, that embraces this narrative that we just need new blood,” Jech said.

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State Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfishger, completes his packet as he files for re-election earlier this year.
State Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfishger, completes his packet as he files for re-election earlier this year.

'He digs into problems'

Jech finished first in the June primary but was short of the 50% threshold needed to win outright. Butler finished second, advancing to the runoff, but has the support of the primary’s third-place candidate, giving his campaign an important boost going into the traditionally low-turnout elections of a late summer runoff.

"We are strikingly similar candidates," said third-place finisher JJ Stitt, who ran a pro-gun rights campaign.

Butler wasn't clear during an interview with The Oklahoman where he would differ with Jech on specific votes, but he said the state Capitol is too beholden to special interests and hasn't done enough to fight against federal government overreach, which included "submitting for 49 years" to the ruling of Roe v. Wade, which had upheld abortion access as a constitutional right.

Butler contends that the "separation of church and state should have no place in the United States of America, and if elected, it will have no place in how I will legislate." He also wrongly claims that "many states" cheated in the 2020 presidential election.

Butler has significantly less funding than Jech but has leaned into social media to spread his campaign message, including a low-budget internet commercial where he sends two fishing buddies flying out of a canoe after they question his ability to run for state office and his ability to “check his religion at the door of the (state) Capitol.”

While religion is an important aspect of life for many in this district, so is agriculture and the state's three largest farming and ranching organizations recently threw their support behind Jech.

"In today's political climate we see a lot of people who tend to be single-issue types of people. We don't have people who really want to dig in and do the work to solve problems," said Mike Shultz, a former Senate pro tem and current chairman of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau's political action committee.

"But Sen. Jech is a statesman, he digs into problems. We need more statesmen in our process."

More:Inaugural Oklahoma post-election audit confirms June primary results

Senate District 26 is a largely rural district where agriculture and energy, including wind production like this wind farm near Weatherford, are important issues.
Senate District 26 is a largely rural district where agriculture and energy, including wind production like this wind farm near Weatherford, are important issues.

'I am the establishment, I get that'

While knocking on doors recently in the town of Watonga, one of Jech's campaign staffers told him about a lady she encountered "who absolutely wants you gone." Knowing he probably wouldn't be able to change her mind, Jech still went to her door to at least let her know she could count on him to listen to her concerns.

"She said I just think we need new blood," Jech recalled.

"After eight years (in the Senate) I am the establishment to some people, and I get that."

But with eight years in the Senate, Jech also has a voting record, which he believes is in line with his constituents.

Jech said he's proud of his work on getting state troopers a pay raise this year, his efforts to protect communities from abandoned marijuana grow operations, and his vote against a private school voucher bill, even though it was supported by the leader of the state Senate and the governor.

"I knew that was what was best for my district and I am proud of that vote," Jech said.

While incumbents are typically heavy favorites in primary elections and most this year retained their seats, three Republican lawmakers lost in June. Those lawmakers were the target of pro-voucher groups.

Being forced into a runoff can become a tossup and second-place finishers in the primary can receive some momentum, especially if they attract voters who supported the third-place candidate.

Runoff elections are also typically low-turnout affairs, making them harder to predict. But Butler said a runoff win would be more than just him taking advantage of a low-turnout election.

"I think it would make the statement that the people are tired of the system," Butler said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: A state senate runoff in western Oklahoma could be a toss up