DUNCAN — Thursday, governor Republican candidate Mary Fallin made a stop in Duncan to speak at the Republican Party meeting. Fallin was introduced by Republican State Chairman Matt Pinnell before addressing those who attended.

Fallin started things off by saying she is no stranger to Stephens County. She said her husband, Wade Christiansen, has family in the Duncan area and noted that the Lt. Governor’s turkey hunt was something she had originally started in Duncan. She then got right to work.

“We’re in trouble as a nation,” Fallin said. “That’s why this governor’s race is so important.”

Fallin said the last thing Oklahoma needs is a governor who is going to back president Barack Obama, or back the Washington ways.

“Those are not Oklahoma ways,” Fallin said. “We still believe in core values, personal responsibility, faith, responsibility, the right to bear arms, the sanctity of life and limited government, and we’re about to lose those things.”

She openly said the next governor is going to have some tough challenges ahead and that she would not take anything for granted if elected as governor. Fallin also said that whoever is the next governor will have to make a lot of tough decisions and decide where the focus needs to be in order to bring Oklahoma out of the basement.

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel all across Oklahoma in the past 20 years in my different jobs,” Fallin said. “And I asked what Oklahomans are concerned about.

“They’re concerned about having a job, about retirement, debt, the recession, the state budget, about being able to profit as a small business. They’re concerned about federal tax increases, federal intrusion into our lives and businesses, illegal immigration and the security of the nation.”

Fallin said if elected governor, she would like to focus on balancing the budget, growing the economy and creating jobs in Oklahoma. She thinks that working toward making government smaller, smarter and more cost efficient will benefit strongly toward bringing the state out of recession.

Illegal immigration was another hot topic for Fallin. She said she is openly supportive of what Arizona is doing to deter illegal immigration.

“I’m good friends with (Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer), and I’ve been talking to her about the threat that our nation faces with porous borders,” Fallin said. “A nation without borders is just a piece of land. That’s why we have order and laws and ways people can get her legally if they choose to.”

Fallin’s stance on education was also apparent, especially regarding the level of reading required for students to further their education.

“They say nationally that from first to third grade you learn to read, then from fourth on you read to learn,” Fallin said. “If you can’t read when you’re coming out of the third grade, then guess what happens to the fourth grader who can’t read? They can’t learn.”

Fallin hopes to raise standards and the state performance in education. She hopes to accomplish this by hiring “excellent teachers” and rewarding them, but also getting rid of the bad teachers.

She said that her and Democratic nominee Jari Askins, a Duncan native, are very good friends, and that both of them are very good people.

“We have two very nice people running for governor,” Fallin said.

But she was certain her conservative values coupled with Oklahoma’s conservative tendencies would give her the nod come the election in November.

“The election is three months away,” Fallin said. “It’s going to be a tremendous year for the state of Oklahoma.”



— Kevin Kerr is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354 Ext. 147 or by e-mail at kevin.kerr@duncanbanner.com.