Tom Cole is Home. Is He Listening?
August is a month marked by many milestones. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famed "I Have a Dream" speech, President Richard Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal, the Social Security Act passed Congress, and women were granted the right to vote with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment. August is a critical month for American history.
August also marks the beginning of Congress’s Annual District Work Period. This time is meant for members of Congress to return to their districts, be in front of their constituents, and hear directly from voters. August should be a very important month for lawmakers. It is an opportunity for our leaders in Washington to see exactly what is happening on the ground at home. It is also supposed to be when constituents can voice their concerns directly to their Congressional Representatives and Senators.
Before returning to Oklahoma, Tom Cole, in a recent press release, announced his first round of stops: Ada, Newcastle, Norman, and Oklahoma City. So far, he has made sure to get all the perfect photo ops as he attends ribbon cuttings and groundbreaking ceremonies, meets with executive directors of statewide organizations, and visits stores of large corporations. He says, “This is just week one.” Then, pledges to his constituents, in his own words, “I will travel every mile of the Fourth District so that I can hear opinions from every community in my district.” I made that pledge months ago, and as you read this post, I am actively cycling to all fourteen counties of CD4, hosting town halls and events. As for Cole… he has not bothered to update his town hall events since 2020.
For someone who’s been in office for over two decades, this work month can easily turn into routine work, and that is exactly what has happened over the years. He treats this time period as his annual maintenance check, meeting with select groups, making tightly controlled public appearances, and giving speeches to select audiences. Yes, this comes with the job, but it is also the bare minimum, and he knows that. We are in the home stretch of a midterm election, and he is not hosting public town halls, meet-and-greet events, or allowing his constituents to meet him face-to-face to ask questions of our elected Representative. Think about it. When was the last time Tom Cole hosted a town hall near you? In the past ten years, have you ever had the opportunity to voice your concerns to the Congressman that represents you? Has Tom Cole ever knocked on your door?
Tom Cole knows the game, and this began well before he became a Congressman in 2003. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times from 2021, Tom Cole revealed that in his 50s he was, “at the top of [his] game as a political consultant” (and for the record, he still owns a share of that consulting/polling firm). He is a career politician, and an inter-generational politician, as his mother was also an elected official. Further, his mother was co-chair of the Bush campaign in 2000 while at the same time Tom worked for the Republican National Committee. Tom shared that his return to office came from an “unexpected invitation” when one of his clients, former Republican Representative J.C. Watts Jr., announced his retirement. Tom’s resume proves that he knows how to play politics, but does he even know what it means to be one of the People at this point? Does he even know whom he is representing at this point?
I joined the fight because I believe Oklahomans deserve a Representative who will meet them where they are. I was tired of kitchen table issues going unaddressed, or being mishandled. In fact, in 2023, my wife and I were at the kitchen table complaining about the state of our education. We realized we wanted someone to stand up and push back against people like Ryan Walters. My decision to run in the 2024 cycle for House District 20 forced the seat to a November election after being decided in the Republican Primary for eight consecutive years, finally giving thousands of local Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents a choice on their ballots. The work wasn’t over there. Last August, I launched this campaign because Donald Trump signed an executive order that was a threat to my family and thousands of families just like mine. The blatant disregard for a constitutional protection that we literally fought a Civil War to enshrine in the United States Constitution was my final straw. Enough is enough. In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” There is no room for the kind of leadership that treats the Constitution as a mere suggestion. We must stop our members of Congress from rubberstamping the president’s agenda—regardless of party—when that agenda violates the law and our Constitution. We must demand more from our members of Congress than the bare minimum and maintaining the status quo. Since I am done complaining, I am now on the 11/3 ballot so that hundreds of thousands of Americans can decide whether they, too, are tired of the status quo.
If you’ve made it this far, I’ve already kicked off my 550-mile bike tour across Congressional District Four to listen, learn, and have the conversations that should be shaping the decisions being made in Washington. I cannot wait to meet you all and shake your hands. I cannot wait to hear from you directly. Because when we show up, get together, voice our concerns, and discuss solutions, we can make real progress. Together.
I challenge you to check out the stops I am making along the way and follow me on social media to stay up to date on the locations and times of events at each stop.
8/9: Tinker → Norman → Lexington
8/10: Lexington → Pauls Valley → Ada
8/12: Davis → Ardmore
8/13: Ardmore → Marietta
8/14: Marietta →Waurika → Duncan
8/15: Duncan → Walters
8/16: Walters → Frederick
8/17: Frederick → Lawton
8/18: Lawton → Chickasha
8/19: Chickasha → Blanchard → Newcastle
We know that Tom Cole is supposed to meet with constituents across the District to hear our concerns. He is not. So I hope that you will come and join me at a stop near you because I care deeply about this country, this State, this District, and ultimately, I care about your personal concerns. Allow me to listen to your concerns, learn how you think the government should be doing better, and share my thoughts on a better future for ourselves and our children. Because after all, democracy is not a spectator sport, and your voice matters most when you choose to speak your mind. Come speak to me. I promise, I’ll listen.
