Ivan Holmes (D)

Education: I have three degrees in education including an Ed.D from Tulsa University.

Hometown: Edmond, OK

What is your reason for running? Common sense says to return control back to professional educators to make decision on educational issues. Stop the diversion of money away from public education starting with forcing this Governor and Legislature to return the $200 million dollars that was taken and was to be returned at the conclusion of the recession. Expose the fact that if (ALEC) American Legislative Exchange Council has it their way, all public schools would become charter schools and the public education system we have today will be gone tomorrow.

Why should Oklahomans vote for you? I have 35 years of classroom teaching experience 150 years if you count my immediate family. I have 3 degrees in education including an Ed.D from Tulsa University. I have considerable education administration experience including having been on the Board of Regents at OSU, former Governor David Boren's Education Commissioner for the state, and Headed of the journalism, public relations, photo, printing, and SID departments at Northeastern State University. I have the communication skills and background to know how to set up a state wide campaign to education Oklahoma voters on where we are in financing public education and how to put pressure on the Legislature and Governor to actually make it their number one priority.

What is your political experience? I ran OU President David Boren's governor race when no one said he could win. He had 5% name recognition and he was running against a popular David Hall and a popular Clem McSpadden. Boren defeated both and then beat some guy by the name of Jim Inhoffe in the general election. I ran Lloyd Fields campaign for Labor Commissioner — no one said we could win in the primary let alone defeat a 12 year Republican incumbent — but we won and subsequently elected Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party in 2007.