Sam Wargin Grimaldo

Sam Wargin Grimaldo was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He earned a high school diploma from the Classen School of Advanced Studies, a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2012, and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2022. His career experience includes working as an attorney and public school teacher. As of 2024, Wargin Grimaldo was affiliated with the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma County Bar Association, the Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center, and Community Action Agency of OKC.[1]

State House (regular election)

Sam Wargin Grimaldo did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

State House (special election)

Sam Wargin Grimaldo did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

State Senate

Sam Wargin Grimaldo did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased April 30, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m running to be a strong, progressive voice for Oklahoma Senate District 46. I was born and raised in the district, and my life experience has provided me with a deep understanding of what the people in central Oklahoma need from our elected officials. We need them to speak up against the radical ideology being masked as political discourse and we need pragmatic approaches to getting common sense legislation passed. We need to ensure that the services meant to benefit all of us – public education, healthcare, infrastructure, criminal justice reform, housing – are fully funded and supported by our government. Plainly put, we need accountability in our state government and a willingness to listen to the people who make up our great state.

I am a first generation American, the son of a Mexican immigrant mother, but I am not new to serving my community and my fellow Oklahomans. After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma, I worked with the Latino Community Development Agency to provide youth and family programming before becoming a high school teacher for OKCPS. My experience as a teacher, and my participation in the teacher walkout of 2018, opened my eyes to the myriad ways in which our state government has fallen short and failed to provide our students, teachers, and families with adequate funding and support to ensure a robust and successful public education system.

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?

It's time to bring back hope to the Oklahoma Democrat party and to our state's politics in general! To do that we must engage communities that have been historically under-engaged. Communities like mine in South OKC have been neglected for too long and it is evident in Oklahoma having the lowest voter turnout rate in the nation that we have seriously dropped the ball in getting people to the polls. I will do everything I can to make common sense changes to the voter registration and voting processes so that we can ensure our state is truly directed by the people exercising their voice through their vote.As a former public school teacher I am deeply concerned with the direction in which our state's public schools have been led over the last few years. Efforts to privatize and politicize our public schools have created a hostile work environment for our teachers and students. We must remove partisanship from our State Superintendent Office because party affiliation should not be a qualifying factor for who leads our state's public schools. They should be elected based on their qualifications for the job and the proposals they have for improving public schools across the state.It is time to act on housing in Oklahoma! Oklahoma is well behind most other states on housing legislation and that has led to a lack of affordability and a lopsided landlord/tenant act that contributes to our homelessness issue. It used to be that you could say the housing costs in Oklahoma were among the most affordable, but due to a failure to plan ahead, we have seen housing costs increase while housing stock has failed to keep up with demand. We must provide incentive for the development of affordable housing and create equity within our landlord/tenant act that allows for a more just mediation before resorting to evictions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Having been a public school teacher, Public Education will always be a top concern for me and I will be a strong advocate for ensuring our schools have the best support and funding possible.

My experience of growing up in a working class, multicultural home has provided me with a unique and inclusive perspective as well as an unflinching drive to ensure that all Oklahomans are able to share the benefits that our state’s growth and development brings.

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

Temperament, Passion, Conviction, and a willingness to understand differing perspectives.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listening to constituents, doing the hard work of communicating with people you disagree with and having the ultimate goal of doing what is necessary to resolve problems that everyday Oklahomans face.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Oklahoma City Bombing. I was seven years old and in the first grade at Sacred Heart School, a mere 3 miles from the bombing site. While some of my classmates recalled feeling the bomb, I don’t remember that. I do remember seeing the aftermath and news coverage showing the endless amount of sorrow and grief of survivors, but also the resolve of first responders and volunteers rushing to provide whatever help they could.

For months our city and state worked to recover from the immediate effects of the bombing, to construct makeshift memorials on the fences surrounding the site, and to console one another though acts of care and solidarity because we were all in this together.

That’s the Oklahoma I grew up in. One where we came together to give help when it was needed and where we celebrated each other regardless of off background, status, or occupation.

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

We have to get back to a place of compromise within our state legislature. The stark partisanship that has taken over in the last two decades has driven our state rankings downward in all categories where we want to be improving and made this a state that is unwelcome and unfriendly to current and future residents.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The stories I hear from voters who have distinctly different experiences that mine are always the most impactful when I'm out knocking doors. Whether it is women who are expressing their frustrations with our states continued assault on their bodily autonomy, or seniors who are struggling to get by on a fixed income, I listen and welcome the education so that I can be a better advocate for issues that affect them directly.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would propose a bill making the State Superintendent position and non-partisan role. We are only 1 of 8 states that has the leader of public education as a partisan elected official and we have seen how damaging that can be.

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

I adamantly oppose changes to our current state ballot initiative process and I am deeply concerned by the republican super-majority's efforts to oppress the people's will by imposing changes to our ballot initiative process that will make it more difficult to successfully employ.

Sam Wargin Grimaldo did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2021 Candidate Connection survey.