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.

Tom Cole has a war chest. We have people. Tom Cole has billionaire friends. We have grassroots donors. When Tom Cole took office in 2003, his estimated net worth was $2 million. From there, Cole’s net worth grew to an estimated $3 million in 2008, and is approximately $9 million today. Since taking office, Cole has raised and spent at least $1 million per election cycle, and has already spent more than $3 million in the 2026 cycle alone.

Oklahoma has always been defined by its land. Our farms, ranches, lakes, rivers, and open spaces are the foundation of our economy. And yet, farmers depend on water. Ranchers depend on healthy land. Hunting and fishing play roles in our economy. Living off the land is the Oklahoma way of life, and economic development shouldn't come at the expense of the very land that feeds us.

We need to talk about the escalating war with Iran. In June, Congress passed a measure directing the president to end the use of armed forces in Iran, yet the United States continues to spend billions of our taxpayer dollars on a war of choice, on a war no one wants. Trump said the war would be over in a few weeks, but we are seeing the beginning of a forever war. 

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was on his way to work when he was stopped by immigration agents who were not wearing body cameras. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a hard-working family man who called the United States his home for the past 35 years, was shot and killed by ICE. DHS made a statement on Thursday revealing that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not the intended target. 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. Our forefathers wrote those words when they declared independence from Great Britain.

Well, my friends, tomorrow is the day. The day thousands of Oklahomans choose their democratic nominee. June 16 also marks 10 months since we kicked off this campaign. We’ve been organizing since August and have visited voters in 11 counties, from Oklahoma City to Norman to Chickasha, Lawton, Pauls Valley, Ada, Sulphur, Ardmore, and Marietta. It has been a wonderful experience meeting and listening to Oklahomans across Congressional District Four. 

As a public defender, I fight every single day I walk into a courtroom. I don’t do it for the money because public defenders don’t make that much. I don’t do it for prestige or for the thrill of victory. I do it for justice. I do it for the satisfaction of knowing that I am serving others and defending the Constitution. As a public defender, it is my public duty to hold a special understanding of the rule of law and the Constitution.