U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, a Blue Dog Democrat from Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, will face Republican Charles Thompson, a veterinarian and Iraq war veteran, in the Nov. 2 general election.
Boren became the Democratic nominee by defeating Democrat Jim Wilson, a progressive state senator from Tahlequah, in the primary. He is seeking a fourth term in the 2nd District, which stretches from Northeast Oklahoma to the Red River border with Texas.
Thompson became the Republican nominee after defeating student Daniel Edmonds in the Aug. 24 runoff. He said he plans to draw a contrast between the only Democratic member of Oklahoma’s delegation and himself.
Thompson had also led in balloting in the July 27 primary, but did not have enough votes to avoid a runoff in the six-way primary.
A poll of 400 likely voters conducted over the phone by Myers Research and Strategic Services on Sept. 7-8 showed Boren ahead of Thompson, 65 percent to 31 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 4.9 points.
Boren was one of 34 Democrats in the U.S. House who opposed health care reform. Boren said he voted against the bill because it cost too much money.
Since the collapse of the housing market in the fall of 2008 and the staggering rise in unemployment in 2009, Boren has argued that Congress should move away from divisive debates on health care and climate change, and instead remain singularly focused on improving the economy and creating jobs.
Boren said he believes the first step to lowering taxes for Americans is reining in excessive federal spending. He is a leading supporter of a constitutional amendment requiring Congress to balance the federal budget every year. In his words: “If American families are forced to make tough choices to balance their budgets, then Congress should be held to the same standard. The years of passing the buck and borrowing money from China need to end. We must rein in the cost of government and lower the tax burden on American families and businesses.”
Boren said he supports an expansion of the child tax credit to allow Oklahoma families to keep more of their hard-earned money; an increase in the homebuyer tax credit to get the real estate and housing market moving again; an extension of unemployment benefits to help those struggling to find a job; and a broad assortment of tax credits and incentives for small businesses so that they can grow their business or make much-needed capital investments.
Thompson said he plans to tell voters about Boren’s support for earmarks and his vote for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Though he agrees with Boren’s vote against health care reform, he said Boren should have done more to argue against it.
Said Thompson: “I will work tirelessly to repeal the health care bill that was forced upon the American people even though they did not want it.’’
Thompson criticized Boren’s recent vote to adjourn the U.S. House of Representatives without considering extending tax cuts that are already in place but are due to expire.
“This is just one more example, in what seems to be an endless supply of examples, of Boren’s voting against the will of the people and voting with the will of Nancy Pelosi.”
Thompson has signed the “Contract from America,” a grass-roots legislative blueprint for 2010 and beyond. Thompson said, “The top 10 platforms make sense for America. From protecting the Constitution to stopping the tax hikes, these things will help rebuild the United States our founders fought for.”
Boren, 37, of Muskogee, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 after serving two years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He is the son of David Boren, president of the University of Oklahoma and former Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator. He received a bachelor of science degree in economics and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma.
Thompson, 47, of Hulbert, is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University. He spent five years in private clinical practice. He is retired from the U.S. Army Reserves and served 25 years, including a stint in the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. He also served with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard ceremonial and escort unit that serves the president. He was deployed to Germany in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a member of the Hulbert Board of Education.
Thompson stressed his 25 years in the military and the experience he gained starting his veterinary business from scratch.
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Thompson faces uphill battle against Boren
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