Gwartney for Senate Dist. 33

Tulsa Today endorses Shelley Gwartney for District 33, a Conservative Republican with an accomplished background as a businesswoman in organizational management, infrastructure, and communications. She’s a woman of faith, devoted mother, and trusted community leader.

This south and west Broken Arrow and some east Tulsa district is 55% Republican and less than 30% Democrat and the elected will replace term-limited Senator Nathan Dahm.

Gwartney has long been active in education issues with Moms for Liberty, Oklahomans for Health and Parental Rights, Tulsa Classical Academy, and has previously run for the Union School Board. She has been long opposed by the educational establishment who think the low status-quo in Oklahoma is just fine for our children. Gwartney’s faith, critical thinking, and heart for doing good earns great respect.

This hotly contested race has seen inaccurate if not nasty campaigning, but Gwartney has campaigned by an honorable standard befitting her faith and history of service.

Opponent Christi Gillespie has used hysterical partisan surrogates in attack.

This reporter interviewed Gillespie but found her to be superficial and more personally ambitious than policy driven. As Vice Mayor of Broken Arrow during a public meeting, Gillespie once tried to deny proper payment to a vendor because he had offended her on social media. That type of thin-skinned retaliation is too petty for a city council office to say nothing of an Oklahoma Senate seat.

Further, when told by the BA Council Attorney that to deny payment for that reason was a violation of First Amendment Liberty, Gillespie attempted to argue the First Amendment didn’t matter and can be violated at will. That public pontification was idiocy.

Current Senator Dahm, also Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party would have had a conniption fit if he would have been in that meeting. Senator Dahm’s entire career representing the good people of District 33 and the State of Oklahoma have been focused on aligning Oklahoma Law with the original intent of the framers of the U.S. Constitution and protecting individual Liberty.

Gwartney comes from a family rooted in public service. Her web site notes, Gwartney’s “mom, her extended siblings, and herself, have taught and coached in public, private, and charter schools. Her sister-in-law, Kelsee, was Broken Arrow’s Teacher of The Year in 2022! Her brothers serve on the Tulsa Police and Tulsa Fire Department, giving her insight into what our brave officers go through every day! Her husband, Lynden, and brother, Ryan, both served in the Marine Corps. Lynden also served in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Shelley’s extended family members include missionaries, church planters, and a special needs therapist. Her family is an asset to Oklahoma and Shelley would carry their respected legacy with her to the Capitol.”