Our Party Platform

We, the Democrats of the State of Oklahoma, united under the banner of the oldest political party in the world, hereby rededicate ourselves to the principles which have historically sustained our party.

While recognizing the limits of government, we regard democratic government as a force for good and a source of hope. We seek individual freedom in the framework of a just society. We pledge ourselves to uphold the United States Constitution and to work openly and honestly in our efforts to conduct public affairs in a manner worthy of a society of free and responsible citizens.

We live in uncertain times. The State of Oklahoma will be confronted with challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. We face a changing climate, shifting demographics, economic turbulence, and efforts to divide rural and urban residents. The Oklahoma Democratic Party is prepared to work collaboratively with our fellow Oklahomans, regardless of political party, to invest in and enrich our communities throughout the state. Together, we will meet the challenges and opportunities before us with wisdom, determination, and compassion.

In the battle against fear, hatred, bigotry, authoritarianism, and extreme partisan ideology that too often pervades our political discourse, we will not compromise. We value family and community in all its forms and celebrate diversity.

Protecting our state from extreme partisan ideology requires defending and strengthening our democratic institutions, namely our election processes. Democrats support secure, efficient, and accessible voting.

• We ask our officials to work to make voting easier by expanding access to absentee or mail-in ballots.

• We ask them to establish clear, impartial rules for reviewing and purging voter rolls.

• Because it is critical for voters to make informed, individual choices at the ballot box, we ask them to abolish straight-party voting.

• We oppose efforts to restrict the initiative petition process.

• Allowing all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to fully participate in candidate elections will further strengthen our democracy. We support replacing Oklahoma’s current closed partisan primary election system with an open primary that advances the top four finishers to a ranked-choice voting general election. This change to our election structure will incentivize candidates to appeal to the broader electorate. We support making this change either through legislative action or the initiative petition process.

As we defend our state against extreme partisan ideology, we must strive to enact equitable and fiscally responsible policies that expand opportunity for all Oklahomans. We must properly invest in our state government and public infrastructure, including:

• Common and higher education,

• Transportation,

• Mental health,

• Medicaid,

• and Public safety.

This requires a progressive tax code where everyone contributes their fair share without undue hardship.

Paying one’s fair share should not stand between Oklahomans and food security. We ask our officials to dramatically increase the sales tax relief credit or eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Oklahoma Democrats want to strengthen families of all types. We must ensure access to:

• Quality healthcare

• Affordable childcare

• Strong public schools throughout our state.

We strongly oppose the diversion of public tax dollars to private school voucher and tax credit programs.

• We Oklahoma Democrats want to live in a state where everyone has a chance at a decent job that pays a living wage. Democrats responsibly support business development and job creation, and we appreciate the importance of agriculture, energy, aviation, and military installations to the continued prosperity of our state.

• We must actively work to diversify our state’s economy. In addition to oil & gas production, we must strive to be a leader in wind, solar, and other clean, renewable energy. The future of our state depends on innovation and bold decisions.

• We recognize that labor unions are essential to a healthy balance between capital and labor. We cannot live in a prosperous state without both a vibrant business community and a skilled, dedicated labor force.

Oklahoma is home to 39 sovereign Tribal Nations. We acknowledge that our prosperity as a state is intertwined with the prosperity of our Tribal Nation partners. We recognize and support tribal sovereignty. As a state, our relationship with Tribal Nations should always be based upon cooperation, communication, and mutual respect.

We know that trained and educated medical professionals are far better suited than politicians to direct the care of their patients. Medical care decisions should be left to doctors and their patients, and that includes bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and gender-affirming care. We refuse to move backward and will stand firm in defense of these rights.

We believe Oklahoma should be inclusive for all of us, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, age, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, or disability. Democrats are champions for human rights, and we will never hesitate to stand up for the most vulnerable among us.

Oklahoma Democrats value knowledge, scholarship, and verifiable historical truth. Students and citizens of all ages must be engaged in an inclusive and age-appropriate way to critically think about difficult questions and issues. To that end, we support professional educators, librarians, and the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA). We fight against misinformation, historical censorship, book banning, and the destructive politicization of public education, public libraries, and public broadcasting.

The Oklahoma Democratic Party approves this 2023 Oklahoma Addendum to the 2020 Democratic Party Platform because we know the future of our great state is worth fighting for.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy, “We are not here to curse the darkness, we are here to light a candle.”

Voted by affirmation at the Oklahoma Democratic Party State Convention on June 4, 2023.

Resolutions Committee: Jeff Berrong, Krista Jones, Chris Odneal, Amy Zacher, Crystal LaGrone