The Oklahoma Democratic Party elected a new chair earlier this month, but it wasn't without controversy.
KWGS’ Zach Boblitt spoke with John Waldron about his party's challenges ahead and an AI-generated recording that faked his voice in the run-up to his party chair nomination.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Boblitt: Why did you think it was time for a new chair?
Waldron: Well, I thought it was time, because the elections in 2026 are going to be crucial for the future of Oklahoma.
I have been a dedicated campaigner for many years, and I thought I could bring that spirit of how to wage successful campaigns and win elections to the Democratic Party leadership.
Boblitt: New changes include the state platform—the phrase "individual freedom," I noticed, was used in recent history. This phrase has been seen as kind of a Republican talking point. It's the first of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's seven core principles of conservatism. What does the phrase "individual freedom" mean to you and to the party moving forward?
Waldron: Well, it's absolutely a Democratic principle, and we are the Democratic Party. For me, individual freedom means the right to live your life the way you want to, without government interfering by imposing social expectations on individual aspirations.
Boblitt: It does kind of sound like you're trying to reach out to more moderate voters with that phrasing. I mean, historically, that phrase—individual freedom—has kind of been more of a conservative talking point. Don’t you think? Or do you not think that?
Waldron: Well, I know that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to talk about freedom, but I think it's a complicated issue, and Democrats need to be part of that discussion too.
I want, for example, my kid to be free to do what he wants, follow the career he wants, have the liberties that he wants and I think everybody should have that. The trouble is that our legislature has been passing more and more laws that actually restrict people's liberties and impose one set of conservative values on everybody else, and I don't think that's fair.
Boblitt: Could you cite a couple of those laws?
Waldron: Okay, well, let's see. We've passed laws that endanger people when they are exercising their right to protest.
We've imposed a sort of hyper-individualistic code when it comes to things like gun ownership, which means that one person's individual right to carry a gun in just about any corner of the state endangers everybody else's individual right to be safe in their public spaces.
Boblitt: Kind of switching gears here—voter turnout has been consistently low in the state. How can the party better reach out to the nearly half of Oklahomans that decided not to vote last November?
Waldron: I think that's a problem for both parties, actually. Voter participation is really low because neither party really speaks to everyone, to get them to understand why politics matters to them and what the issues are.
So, we Democrats plan to talk to people who maybe feel like the Democratic Party stopped talking to them. We're going to engage them in a discussion of kitchen table issues like jobs, access to health care and early childhood education, good public schools for everybody.
We're going to push back against the conservative idea that you should be funding rich private schools with vouchers and subsidies like that. We're going to appeal to people on common sense issues that matter to Oklahoma families.
Boblitt: Why do you think working-class voters, at least nationally, have taken to the Republican Party's message?
Waldron: I think the Republicans have been making a lot of noise and a lot of representations. But as you can see in this big billionaire bill that's coming out of Washington that’s just talk. The real policies coming out of Washington are going to benefit only a very small number of people at the top of our income levels, and it's going to come at the cost of services that everybody else depends on.
Boblitt: Your election to chair wasn't without controversy. There was the fake AI-generated audio clip that came out of your voice saying derogatory things. What was your initial reaction to the audio and to the story?
Waldron: Well, the audio was of terrible quality, and it was easy to challenge it. I was dismayed when this story appeared, but I was glad that I was able to get the story immediately taken down, quickly retracted, and that I was able to get the message out that those words did not reflect my views.
Boblitt: Do you think that the Oklahoma Democratic Party, or people within it, intentionally made it difficult for you to win the nomination—or that there was any connection with that?
Waldron: No, I think we had a good and vigorous discussion along the way. I got 57% of the vote with three names on the ballot in the first round, which I see as a pretty decisive mandate. I think we Democrats had a vigorous discussion and then came together, unified behind my ticket.
Boblitt: You mentioned being unified. Is it difficult to call for unity after this nomination process?
Waldron: No, I don't think so. I think we had a record number of delegates assemble—a little more than we'd seen in years. Our Carl Albert dinner the night before was also hugely attended. People are excited about new leadership, because we think this is our opportunity to start winning back seats from the Republican supermajority.
Personally, I think that's a good idea for all Oklahomans. Having one party in control of everything isn't necessarily good for democracy, because it means you aren't having a vigorous conversation.
We Democrats are pledged to being part of that conversation, so voters have a real choice.
