DUNCAN — U.S. House Rep. Tom Cole has a competitor for the 2010 elections.
Republican R.J. Harris, 36, of Norman announced his intention Jan. 3 to run against his fellow Republican for the Oklahoma Fourth District.
On Aug. 1, Harris visited Duncan to hold a town hall meeting and get a feel for this part of the district. There were about 30 people who showed up.
Harris will next address constituents at the Stephens County GOP on Aug. 13 in Fuqua Park.
A self-proclaimed Constitutional Conservative, Harris is a 912 candidate, which is a candidate who pledges to follow the nine principles and 12 values that commentator Glenn Beck first articulated last year.
“Those principles and values are universal,” he said. “I am willing to commit myself to them.”
It was not an easy decision for Harris to put his name in the race against Cole as he is in his second year of law school, but he couldn’t sit around any longer after last year’s bailout vote, which Cole voted for on Oct. 3.
“I’m against all the bailout bills,” Harris said. “I think it is important that we have a choice and be provided with someone who didn’t vote for the bailout.”
As a consequence of his decision, there will be a primary election next year between the two candidates, which has not happened since Cole was elected to the position.
“The party is not happy that I am running,” Harris said. “I’m sorry about that, but had Cole voted like what he has since I declared my candidacy, I may not have decided to run.”
Cole has voted against the stimulus package, 2010 budget, cap and trade, and the health-care bill this year.
Harris would have voted the same as Cole this year, but he feels that Cole’s past voting record is not far enough in the correct direction.
“There is nothing in the Constitution for the bailouts,” Harris said. “We’re not perfect, but a federal candidate and officer needs to put the Constitution at the forefront. It’s the document that binds them.
“It’s unfortunate that that doesn’t happen way too much.”
Harris gets many of his beliefs from studying such books as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” and Frederic Bastiat’s “The Law,” as well as those written by John Locke and Ron Paul.
But the one document that Harris holds in the forefront as the most important writing that molded his views is the Constitution.
“It is the lease or contract we have with the federal government,” Harris said. “Reading the Constitution brought me here. We should study it and see how all the pieces fit together.
“The Constitution is not antique. It is as important today as it was then.”
To learn more about Harris, visit
www.rjharris2010.com. To learn more about the nine principles and 12 values, visit
www.the912project.com.
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Originally Posted by acptulsa
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