By Christian Garner of Paden Oklahoma where he is OKGOP Okfuskee County Vice Chairman. He is also the OKGOP CD2 Political Director.
In a time when the conservative movement is under constant assault from media, woke corporations, and progressive politicians, the last thing Oklahoma Republicans need is to surrender control of our own nomination process. Yet that’s exactly what open primaries would do, hand over our Republican ballots to voters who don’t even belong to our party.
Let’s be clear: This is not about transparency. It’s not about fairness. It’s about control. The Left knows they can’t win in Oklahoma as it stands, so they’re trying to sneak through the back door, hijack our nomination process, and install left-leaning moderates who will bow to the woke mob.
They Dilute Conservative Values
In an open primary system, lifelong Democrats, socialists, and anti-gun radicals could vote in the Republican primary without ever changing their party registration. That means the very people working to tear down our values would have the power to handpick weak Republican candidates who won’t stand for conservative values.
We’ve seen what this leads to in other states. Conservative candidates get drowned out by left leaning moderates handpicked by the elites. The party becomes watered down, less bold, less principled and true conservatives are left behind.
They Undermine Our Party’s Freedom to Associate
Conservatives believe in limited government, individual responsibility, and the right of free association. A political party has every right to set its own membership rules and select its own nominees without outside interference.
Forcing the GOP to open its primary to those who don’t belong to our ranks is a violation of that principle and a betrayal of our platform.
We don’t need artificial inclusivity. We need strong boundaries, clear values, and candidates who reflect our party, not the preferences of the opposition.
They Invite Strategic Sabotage
Let’s not pretend the left plays fair. We’ve seen Democrats in other states mobilize their base to cross over and vote for the weakest Republican candidate in the primary just to help Democrats win elections.
Is that the kind of influence we want here in Oklahoma? Of course not. We should be electing conservative warriors, not Democrat-approved moderates.
They Erode Grassroots Power
The strength of the Republican Party in Oklahoma has always been the grassroots. Local activists, county parties, and hard-working volunteers are the ones who show up, door knock, fundraise, and fight for our values.
Open primaries silence those voices. They hand equal power to people who don’t attend GOP meetings, who don’t volunteer, who don’t even commit to our party.
What’s at Stake
The Left is smart. They can’t beat us in a fair fight, so they change the rules. They push “nonpartisan” or “top-two” systems to confuse voters and control outcomes. They dress it up as “reform,” but it’s really about control.
We must stand strong. Oklahoma is a conservative state. We don’t need coastal-style primaries. We need bold, unapologetic conservatives, chosen by Republicans, not Democrats.
The Bottom Line
Open primaries have NO place in Oklahoma.
If you believe in conservative principles and in the future of our party, now is the time to take a stand. Say it clearly, say it loudly:
Not now. Not ever. Say NO to open primaries!
Editor’s note: This issue could come before voters as State Question 836. State Question 836 is about eliminating the Primary Party voting system as outlined in the Oklahoma State Constitution, Article 3, Section 3.
Oklahoma State Question 836, the Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative, may appear on the ballot in Oklahoma as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
https://ballotpedia.org/Oklahoma_State_Question_836,Top-Two_Primary_Elections_Initiative(2026)
Original content via OKGrassroots
