Andy Brown

Andy Brown (independent) is running for election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives to represent District 32. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026.[source]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 57-year-old retired farmer. I have been married to my wife, Deann, for 33 years, and we have two sons together. We have lived in Lincoln County for 18 years. If I had to pick one word to describe myself, it would be pragmatic.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Oklahoma has the 6th highest poverty rate in the nation, which means 1 out of 6 Oklahomans live below the poverty line. Oklahoma's high poverty rate is directly related to our 50th ranking in education. Improving education and expanding adult job training are investments that could easily double or triple someone's lifetime earnings. This would obviously benefit the individual, but it would also benefit all Oklahoma tax payers. Higher incomes reduce the number of people who need tax payer funded public assistance, while increasing the number of people paying taxes. The best way to maintain services and reduce taxes for everyone is to spread the burden over a larger number of people. 15 years, one party control, things are worse!Cost of living and jobs usually rank high on how we vote. We can't lose sight of how important maintaining a fair, functioning democracy is in the financial lives of regular, working people. Wealthy people can do well in any system of government. For most of us, the only political influence we have is our vote. Citizens United has shifted political influence away from individual voters to corporations and the wealthy. We must follow Hawaii and Montana's lead and effectively end Citizens United at the state level. We must fight anything that concentrates power in the hands of a few. It leads to corruption, a poorer population, and less rights and freedoms for the majority of people.I'm running as an Independent because a politician should represent everyone. Banning political parties would solve many problems. Parties by design cause division. No parties = no gerrymandering. Everyone could vote in primaries. Politicians would solve more problems if they couldn't blame the "other side." No parties = no pressure to vote with the group, citizens or politicians. Corruption and unlawful behavior wouldn't be tolerated if there's no party to protect. Harder for special interests to influence that many individuals; easy to influence a group. Bias media would lose influence. Without parties, house and senate leaders would have to be more responsive to members, reducing their control.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Climate-I worked in ag, the 2nd highest polluter behind fossil fuels. We are never going to stop eating meat or eliminate all oil/gas production. But, man-made climate change is real, denying it foolish. The effects are already costing hundreds of billions through property damage, higher insurance, disruption to food production, water shortages, etc. Addressing climate change will have economic benefits for everyone, even fossil fuel businesses, if they embrace the advanced geothermal boom that is on the horizon. Advanced geothermal produces base load electricity by extracting heat from the earth, much the same way oil/gas is produced. Denying reality gave China an economic advantage in manufacturing and exporting solar, batteries and wind.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty! If someone is willing to lie, nothing else matters. Every day we see the negative effects from someone who is willing to lie.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked on a ranch all through high school.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

1. Reversing the increasing wealth inequality. A small number of people are getting wealthy while the majority of people fall further behind every day due to rising costs and stagnant wages. 2. Maintaining full employment after the implementation of AI 3. Ensuring access to healthcare 4. Improving education and job training 5. Losing our democracy 6. Dealing with the financial impacts of climate change

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

A mix is best, enough people with experience to maintain continuity and order, while others bring new ideas and perspectives.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

Support change to make it easier. Citizen-led ballot initiatives are a valuable tool of last resort to an unresponsive government. They are one of the purest forms of democracy. Many politicians are against them because they are more concerned with maintaining their power and control than serving the people.