Gary Starns
Candidate for Oklahoma State House of Representatives, District 25
Enrolled Member of the Chickasaw Nation

Gary Starns was unsuccessful in his bid for election to the Oklahoma State House.

Gary Starns is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and a lifelong resident of House District 25.  He is currently a Pontotoc County Commissioner, a position he has held for almost ten years.  Before being elected after his first campaign in 1999, when he received 72.8% of the vote in a 4 way primary and 90% of the votes in the general, he worked for Pontotoc County for 12 years.

Right after being elected County Commissioner in District 1, he was elected to the State Board of Directors of the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO).  He was also elected to serve on the ACCO State Legislative Committee, where he has worked to get legislation changed to help county and city governments utilize taxpayer dollars more efficiently.
He has worked at the State Capitol with local school superintendents to keep funding for public schools and for county roads and bridges.  He also works with the Chickasaw Nation to secure money for local infrastructure, and he has several roads scheduled to be built with the Tribe presently.

Gary’s dedication to the citizens of Pontotoc County is obvious.  He has worked hard as a public servant for the last decade, and wants to continue to serve the people of Ada and the surrounding areas.  He decided to run for state house because he did not feel like rural Oklahomans were being represented.

In the state legislature, his immediate goals are to try to lower fuel costs and medical expenses for all Oklahomans, to secure more money for public school teachers, to find funding for rural fire department retirement plans, and to work to find a tax break for working-class people of Oklahoma.

Gary is a member of the County Government Legislative Committee, president of the Circuit Engineering District #4, secretary / treasurer of the Oklahoma Cooperative Circuit District State Board of Directors, member of the Community Sentencing Board of Directors, board member for Call-a-Ride Public Transit System, chairman of the Pontotoc County Jail Trust Authority, chairman of the Pontotoc County Commissioners, board member of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, and a member of the National Rifle Association.

Married to his wife, Susie Starns for 28 years, Gary is the proud father of his son, Cheyenne Starn, and his daughter, Misty Stephens, who is married to Brandon Stephens.  Gary and Susie have one grandchild, Brayleigh Stephens.  He has lived 7 miles east of Ada his entire life.

State of the Race:
Gary, the Democratic nominee for Oklahoma House District 25, won his primary on July 29 against fellow democratic opponent Darrell Nemecek by winning 64.4% of the vote. He will face Republican incumbent Todd Thomsen in the fall, who won by only 2 votes last cycle when he faced then-nominee Nemecek. Gary needs our help to take out this incumbent in November!