The primary election for the District 49 State Representative seat will be June 28, 2022 Primary.. Current Marshall County Commissioner District 2, Josh Cantrell and retired judge, Richard Miller are vying for the seat. Both candidates are on the Republican ballot and will be running for this position for the first time. These candidates were asked a few questions, so the public could learn more about them.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Cantrell - “I currently serve as County Commissioner for District 2. I am a resident of Kingston, Oklahoma and I also graduated from Kingston. I’ve lived here most of my life. My wife is also from Kingston and I have two boys that are in middle school that go to Kingston. I have served as County Commissioner for six years. Before that, I was working in construction. I traveled all across the United States of America working on buildings and growing economies all over the country.”
Miller - “My experience shows my love of serving - from first serving as a prosecutor in Tishomingo, to being recommended by the Judicial Nominating Commission and serving elected terms as Marshall County Judge. I served at the District Attorney’s office under Craig Ladd and served the past five years as an active retired judge by appointment to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. I also served as a municipal judge for Madill and Tishomingo.After retiring from the bench I answered the call to serve the region by filing for election to State Representative.”
What would be some things you would improve upon if you are elected?
Cantrell - “I would like to work towards the values of rural Oklahoma and keep them to the forefront. I want to work on better infrastructure and funding for the county highway system and keeping pro-life values in Oklahoma. I want to defend and expand our 2nd amendment rights. I teach a class and have an “A” rating from the 2nd Amendment Association of Oklahoma as well as an “A” rating from the NRA. These are the issues that I want to make sure we keep working towards in the State of Oklahoma and working to create a stable education system for our future leaders of Oklahoma.”
Miller - “Just look at the prices at the gas pump and you can see the devastating effect Biden has already had on our economy and economic opportunity. Turn on the news and see the border crisis, lawlessness, and the need for our state lawmakers to have the expertise needed to know our rights to protect our constitutional freedoms. As a retired judge who has served making rulings based on the Constitution and statutory law, and also having served before that as a former prosecutor. I know the law and our protections. The federal powers are few and defined, and the rest are up to the states. As your State Representative, I will work to ensure we pass laws that expand opportunity, stand up to federal overreach, say no when the federal strings encroach our freedoms, and defend our freedom. If we get the basics right, our legislature will balance the budget with the right priorities, and the freedom we foster will naturally draw more economic development to a free state (we are already seeing this in Florida). As businesses can grow, families flourish, and the legislature can appropriate the funds for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and public safety. They have not been able to figure out a way to replace the Roosevelt Bridge - that must be a goal we move toward.”
What are some reasons the public should vote for you?
Cantrell - “One of the reasons people should vote for me is I am a product of this area. I was raised in Kingston my entire life. I have been a member of Marshall County for most of my life and I moved back here in 2009 to raise my kids here. I am District 49. I am your average individual who lives here and works here and raises my kids here. I think that and my experience on the legislative committee for the Association of County Commissioners will benefit everyone. This association works closely with the legislative in the state of Oklahoma. I will take care of rural Oklahoma and take care of southern Oklahoma. I believe that is a huge asset for me and it will be a huge asset for District 49 if I am elected. I want to keep working with the legislators (of Oklahoma), I've been working with them and building relationships with these guys. A big part of being in the political sphere, especially in the legislative branch, is to have those relationships and knowing which people are like-minded and to help fight with the like-minded folks that are there. I want to keep the fight between urban and rural Oklahoma at the forefront and to make sure rural Oklahoma is respected. I don’t plan on leaving Marshall County anytime soon. I’m the neighbor, I’m the commissioner, I know the issues that we face here and I’ve been facing them my entire life. I want to fight for these citizens of District 49.”
Miller - “I have lived here most of my life, serving our region as a prosecutor and then a judge. I always came down here to Lake Texoma to visit my grandparents, and even celebrated my first birthday here. My wife Terri is a 25-year teacher who has taught at two public schools, Marietta and Madill. I have worked to keep our community safe and volunteered to help others be mentored to find success. I am familiar with the needs and concerns of our community, and expertise in navigating and cutting government red tape through my service of state, county, and municipal government. One item I want to highlight is what I have learned through my years of service on the Board of Directors of Lighthouse Behavioral Wellness Centers. This, along with my experience in prosecuting cases in the criminal justice system and making rulings as a judge after hearing cases, gives me an in-depth understanding of the mental health and substance abuse crisis we have in our state.”
What have you done in your career that will help you if you’re elected?
Cantrell - “Serving as the County Commissioner for District 2 has allowed me to see a lot more of the issues that are associated with everybody that is in this area. My work in the private sector has allowed me to see that side and to see how important economic growth is in rural communities and to see how we can continue to be able to maintain our rural feeling, but also to expand our economy through agriculture and through other industries. Here in Marshall County, we are the leaders in trailer manufacturing across the United States. District 49 is set directly on I-35 which is the modern day Mississippi River for transporting goods. There is no reason for Oklahoma, Marshall County, and District 49 can’t be a leader in the industry and still maintain our identity as the rural backbone of Oklahoma. I’ve worked with emergency responders for Marshall County and other counties in the area, so I know what their needs are. I know their desire to take care of the citizens as much as my desire to take care of them as well. I feel like we can work together a lot closer with my experience.”
Miller - “I served many years in the District Attorney’s office where I not only prosecuted criminal cases, but also handled mental health and juvenile cases, so I am familiar with the need of those areas of the law. Also, while in the District Attorney’s office, I advised county officials concerning their duties and represented them in legal proceedings. During my lengthy service on the bench, I had the duty of presiding over court cases in numerous areas of the law. I have seen laws that were well written, and some statutes that did not meet their intended purpose. I am familiar with the law and know the Constitution. I want to make sure that laws are well written, so they meet their purpose and do not result in unintended consequences, and we uphold the Constitution to fight back against ridiculous edicts from Washington D.C., and protect freedoms, so our economic opportunities grow and our gas prices decrease.”
What are some of the biggest issues you see in society today?
Cantrell - “In the State of Oklahoma, our biggest issue is the divide between urban and rural. We have a few urban centers in Oklahoma and we make sure that the foundation of Oklahoma is the rural community. The urban cannot exist without the rural communities. We need to make sure that the rural people who live in District 49 and the State of Oklahoma are protected and given opportunities and are treated by the state in the same manner that the urban areas are. That is one of the biggest issues. We need to tackle access to quality healthcare for rural Oklahoma as well as quality education and broadband internet. Broadband internet needs to be expanded, especially in the education field. A lot of these kids are having to do some of this work from the house, and that's hard for them when they don’t have high speed internet. We need to drill that home and make sure these internet companies are not hindered by some sort of government regulation. The farmers, a lot of their tractors work off of GPS and have cellular devices that let them know how the tractor is performing. If we don’t have access to that in these areas, those items for the tractors aren’t being used to the fullest ability. Another huge issue today is our state's sovereignty. Other states like Mississippi and Texas have looked at what was considered settled Constitution issues and said no it's not. Those states fought and we wouldn’t be where we are without the decision from the Supreme Court of Roe vs. Wade and that being sent back to the states to decide. Had states like I had mentioned before stood up to the Federal Government and said no you’re overreaching. We have got to as a state be able to say no to the Federal Government and maintain our own sovereignty and maintain our own independence and I am willing to work for that and fight them tooth and nail if I have to.”
Miller - “Personal responsibility has become an important issue in our country. Our current Federal Government has sought to remove that responsibility from our so ciety. I have talked to many employers who find it hard to fill all positions and keep employees even though their wages are at the highest level. We have serious mental health and substance abuse issues that have contributed to these societal problems, and that often leads to these individuals being dealt with in our criminal justice system. Inflation due to reckless spending and poor policies that have restricted economic development and stability that have hurt families and all of Oklahoma from added stress and uncertainty. I look forward to getting to work to do what I can to help our community and neighbors.”
Where do you see yourself in the next few years if you get elected?
Cantrell - “I hope to be reelected and continue to fight for District 49. I will continue to fight for Southern Oklahoma. We have such a diverse landscape down here. We have such a diverse industry and these things need to be enhanced and taken care of. I still hope to be fighting for District 49. If I get the opportunity to sit on some committee’s that are for rural government or transportation, that would be an honor for me. Those are the committees and those are the issues within the state capital that greatly affect our part of the world. I want to continue my fight and get ready for the next legislative cycle and getting the good bills out there and squashing the bad bills and taking care of District 49.”
Miller - “If I am fortunate enough to be elected, I would like to continue to serve the people in the State House, potentially serving on the State Powers Committee to ensure our laws are just, the Business and Commerce committee, or the Government Modernization and Efficiency Committee to cut the bureaucracy. I am retired from my profession so my time would be completely devoted to serving the citizens of our district. I have no goals to seek election to other offices. The privilege of serving as State Representative for House District 49, would be an honor of a lifetime.”