Democrats Target GOP's Jim Reynolds, Launch $100,000 Television Commercial Attack

The October Surprise of the Oklahoma Senate campaigns has arrived, and it is a true surprise: Democrats are making a run at Oklahoma City's Jim Reynolds, hoping that attacks and a famous-name opponent can defeat the two-term Republican conservative.

Starting today, a hard-hitting, negative television campaign said to cost $100,000 began airing. The commercials target Reynolds in his District 43 (Oklahoma County running south from Tinker and northern Cleveland County) seat.

The commercials say they are paid for by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

Reynolds is the unanticipated target of the large television buy; some had presumed Democrats would target either open seat candidate Jim Halligan (District 21, Stillwater) or Senator Jonathan Nichols (District 15, Norman).

Halligan is seeking the seat of outgoing pro tempore Mike Morgan (D) and polling indicates he will win, thus it's a potential loss for the Democrats.

Nichols, a conservative two-term incumbent, is defending Republican-leaning turf in Norman where Democrats are less likely to cross party lines.

But tracking polls in both parties, we're told, indicated a safe Nichols and a charging Halligan, so the man caught in the Democrat headlights is Reynolds as Democrats fight to stave off what most believe will be Republican control of the Senate for the first time in history.

Reynolds, who has raised about $156,000, shows no major expenditures except for postage and printing and his last report shows he had about $119,000 in cash on hand. His Democrat famous-name opponent, David Boren, has raised and spent less than a fifth of the sum Reynolds has spent.

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Senate GOP Committee Chides Murphy

From Oklahoma Senate Republicans ~ After raising almost $52,000 – 70% from trial attorneys – in the first quarter of his campaign for State Senate – former Judge and aspiring future judge Robert Murphy (pictured) of Stillwater has seen his fundraising reduced to trickles following his decision to apply for the judgeship he abandoned to run for the Senate.

“It’s pretty clear Judge Murphy’s Hamlet impersonation – To Be or Not To Be – has very quickly worn thin on the voters and those who finance political campaigns in this state,” said Randy Swanson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Republican Senatorial Committee.

Murphy’s latest fundraising report on file with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission indicates he raised $18,215 during the reporting period which ended August 11. 2008. Deducting the $650 he returned to a contributor who serves on the Judicial Nominating Commission, Murphy’s total raised now stands at $69,965.00.

Whereas Murphy had raised almost 70% of his funding from trial attorneys in the previous report, he reports only $3000 – which is still 18% of the contributions from individuals – from attorneys in the current report.

Jim Halligan, former president of Oklahoma State University and the Republican nominee in Senate District 21, raised two times Murphy’s amount -- over $37,000 this reporting period, and has now raised over $254,000 for his campaign.

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