McCarville: Fallin Favorables “Stronger Than Goat’s Milk”
Oklahoma: Fallin Strong for 2014
By Hastings Wyman, Southern Political Report
June 17, 2013 — Gov. Mary Fallin’s (R) approval numbers have never fallen below 58% during her term in office. In April, she had a 65% favorability rating, the second highest of any governor up for reelection next year, reports The New York Times. “She’s stronger than goat’s milk,” says longtime Oklahoma political analyst Mike McCarville. “I don’t see a Republican challenger or even whether the Democrats can come up with a sacrificial lamb or not.” McCarville notes that she even looked strong in a Democratic poll he has seen.
“She’s in an incredibly strong position for reelection,” says former state GOP chairman Chad Alexander. She has good relations with the legislature, where she once served, and as a result, has a record that includes tort reform, landmark worker’s compensation reform that changed it from an adversarial to an administrative system, and has cut the state income tax – all popular achievements in Oklahoma. “There are no names out there to challenge her in the primary or even in the General Election.”
State Democratic Chairman Wallace Collins, however, sees some vulnerability on Fallin’s part. He notes that she has opposed building storm shelters in public schools, despite the terrible toll tornadoes have taken on the state, including school children. “I don’t know how she could; she was more concerned about politics than saving lives… It’s a powerful campaign topic.” He also points out that after the tornadoes, “The governor said that the teachers were heroes, but she won’t raise their salaries. Our teacher pay is 49th in the nation.” Collins says he has talked to one state representative who is interested in this issue about running against Fallin, “but he was non-committal.”