Lawyers Pour Cash Into Riley's Campaign

When she was a Republican member of the State Senate, Nancy Riley of Tulsa got barely so much as a nod from attorneys.

Now that she's a Democrat fighting for her political life and with control of the Senate at stake, lawyers and their political action committees are flooding her campaign with cash, much of it coming in last-minute donations.

Riley was elected from her Republican district before she switched to the Democratic Party after a lackluster showing in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor in 2006; she switched after saying she was treated poorly by GOP leadership and party members in that race. The district leans heavily Republican and GOP campaigners say that despite the flood of money from lawyers, they're confident she'll be defeated.

Ethics Commission records show Riley has filed five CR-4 reports, those showing last-minute donations, totaling $64,079, most of it coming from attorneys and PACs. One report shows $37,500 in donations with seven PACs donating $5,000 each and one donating $2,500. Among her last-minute donors are former Senate President Stratton Taylor, Claremore trial lawyer, and his law partner, Sean Burrage; both gave her $1,500.

Her Republican opponent, Dan Newberry, has filed three CR-4 reports listing $31,350 in donations from a wide range of citizens and business employee PACs.

Thus far, the reports show, Riley has raised more than $441,000 to Newberry's $376,000.

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KOTV: Nancy Riley's Claims Are False

From KOTV/Newson6.com ~ We're less than two weeks away from Election Day and in some races, the campaigning is getting dirty. When it comes to the state Senate race between Nancy Riley and challenger Dan Newberry the gloves are off.

He's a rookie with no experience in elected office. She's a practiced politician who made headlines for switching parties.

Two-term senator Riley is attacking her Republican opponent and his livelihood.

"Newberry personally profited from selling risky loans with excessive interest rates," said the Riley ad. That claim is False. Court documents show many homeowners defaulted and had to foreclose, but the loans weren't risky. Newberry lends at adjustable rates, some loans going from 10% up to 16%. But he says defaults are rare, and that a six-percent maximum increase isn't excessive. Tulsa's Better Business Bureau calls his company satisfactory.

Newberry's camp is also in attack mode. "Riley supports higher property taxes, taxpayer funded abortions," said the Newberry ad. We'll put the True stamp on that one. Riley opposed lowering the property tax rate from five percent to three percent. She says lowering the cap would have actually created tax increases.

And the abortion bill aimed to end taxpayer-funded abortions except to save the mother's life. Riley says she supports exceptions for rape and incest victims which was not included in the original bill. "She first ran as a conservative, and now is a liberal who stands with Barack Obama," said the Newberry ad. That claim is half-true.

Two years ago Riley switched parties in the middle of her term. She says she was dissatisfied with the GOP's continual effort to kill her bills, calling the Republican caucus hateful and vindictive. But Riley has never publicly supported or opposed either candidate for President. Riley's campaign says she's got the experience and proven ability to work with both parties.

Newberry's camp says forget the spin, switching party's mid-stream was a stab in the back.

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SD37 Voters To Select GOP Nominee

By Randy Krehbiel/Tulsa World ~ Oklahoma Republicans have been frothing at the mouth to oust state Sen. Nancy Riley.

On Tuesday, GOP voters in her district will decide which Republican candidate will carry their banner.

Elected in 2000 as a Republican from Senate District 37, which includes west Tulsa, Sand Springs, Jenks, Bixby and west and south Tulsa County, Riley switched to the Democratic Party in 2006.

That kept Republicans from a majority in the Senate the last two years and made Riley Public Enemy No. 1 as far as the state's top Republicans are concerned.

Most of the attention — and money — for the GOP primary has gone to Dan Newberry, a Tulsa mortgage broker. But Jan Megee, an aide to Tulsa's City Council for the past decade and a longtime public employee, is also in the race.

Read the entire story at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=12&articleID=20080725_16_A18_hOnewi371821.

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Riley Comments Draw GOP Rebuke

The executive director of the Oklahoma Republican Senatorial Committee, Randy Swanson, said today that Senator Nancy Riley of Tulsa has a soulmate in U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Swanson said Democrat Riley's recent remark in a newspaper interview that high gasoline prices are good for Oklahoma shows she's out of touch with voters.

"If Senator Riley is happy with the fact that higher energy prices are sustaining the state budget, we have no problem with that," Swanson said. "But Republicans believe there are better ways to grow an economy other than consumer pain at the gas pump.

"We suggest Republican principles of responsible budgeting, reduced spending and a free-market economy.

"This stunning pronouncement by Nancy Riley is indicative of her compatibility on other issues that are important to her new political mentor. Both Nancys stand with big time trial attorneys when it comes to lawsuit reform, more government intrusion into your family’s personal life, and more government spending," he continued.

"We in Oklahoma can’t do anything about Nancy Pelosi, but we can send Nancy Riley back to her private life, and out of the business of supporting higher costs for Oklahoma families. We can’t afford the Riley-Pelosi Premium here in Oklahoma."

Riley, elected as a Republican, switched parties following her poor showing in the 2006 GOP primary for lieutenant governor.

Republicans Dan Newberry and Jan Megee are candidates for the GOP nomination in Riley's District 37.

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Republican Dan Newberry Eyes Riley Seat

Republican Dan Newberry of Tulsa has announced he will seek his party's 2008 nomination in Senate District 37, the seat now held by former Republican Senator Nancy Riley (D), who switched parties halfway through her term after she finished third in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.

Newberry emphasized the importance of bringing businesses to Oklahoma to create new jobs, passing meaningful lawsuit reform, abolishing the state income tax, and protecting the life of the unborn.

Senator Randy Brogden (R-Owasso) introduced Newberry at his announcement and spoke on the importance of having a Republican majority in the State Senate. "Last session, I didn't even get one of my bills heard in committee, let alone on the Senate floor. But this year with the 24-24 split, I have had several bills pass, and the Democrats have learned to work with us instead of walking all over us," he said.

For more details, visit Get Right OK.

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