- Joshua Jones
Matt Pinnell, Oklahoma candidate for Lt. Governor
If elected in November to serve as Oklahoma’s new Lt. Governor, Matt Pinnell, constitutionally will be required to become the Number One cheerleader and salesman for America’s state – …where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain, And the waving wheat can sure smell sweet. Oklahoma – O.K.”
And yes, Candidate Pinnell, can sing the song made famous and written by Richard Rodgers, and is the official state song for Oklahoma and easily the most famous of all 50-states and state songs. Candidates.vote recently spent an opportunity of being with Candidate Pinnell and getting to know more about his reasoning for wanting this constitutional responsibility for drawing the world and attention to Oklahoma.
Caras – “You have quite the resume nationally with the Republican Party – Oklahoma Party Chair, National State Party Director for the Republican National Committee, helping elect a GOP majority to the U.S. Senate in 2014 then Donald Trump to the White House in 2016.
With all of that on your plate, what in the world motivated you to step from the frying pan into the fire and become a candidate here at home in your own state?”
Candidate Pinnell – “With all of that I was crisscrossing the entire nation. And wherever I went people would make jokes about Oklahoma, about my home, about where I am raising my children and want to see them grow and do It by being proud of the state. And I realized the message about what I know we have to offer needed to be shared.”
Caras – “Let’s say you are elected then to that position of Lt. Governor where it is written in Oklahoma’s state constitution you sell what is best about your state to both businesses and tourists; what are you going to sell?”
Candidate Pinnell – “We have premiere cities with tall buildings and a diverse population. We are a state that can create jobs where you and your family can thrive. Oklahoma’s Lt. Governor – salesman for the state – I am campaigning for it to be me.”
“I have been very blessed in having an opportunity to make my way across this great nation and build networks in business, finance and tourism that make me uniquely qualified and ready to step into the job, feet on the ground and ability to move forward immediately.”
Caras – “Millenials might not be as familiar as myself and other last of the Baby Boomers, but for us Oklahoma is iconic for Aunt Eller, Curly and who can forget Shirley McClain as Laurey. What is there about Oklahoma you are going to tell us is different than a story about a hired hand who falls in love with a girl on one of your state’s small farms – all of this done to music, comedy and dance.”
Candidate Pinnell – “I’m going to do a tenacious job as a recruiter for the state! As examples, we have more miles of Route 66 that runs through our state than any other in America. Most donate associate lakes with Oklahoma, but we’ve got more than 200 lakes here and 39 Native American tribes.
Oklahoma has 12 different eco-systems in the state. And as well as our premiere cities we have the great small towns. And we have the Pioneer Woman and her cooking show that occurs right here in our state. The website TravelOk.com is part of what would be my office.”
Caras – “I’ve been to your state many times because of the agricultural side of what my family does. We’ve never really taken the time to get off the Interstate and see much, but you’re making me look forward to the next trip we take. I’m going to look at Oklahoma in a different way.”
Candidate Pinnell – “Minute I’m elected I’m going to get right in the thick of things. We’ve been recognized for Best Practices for things I am going to take to all 50 states. I’m going to be knocking on doors in all 50 states and because of the assignments I’ve had, know which doors to knock upon. Oklahoma is the crossroads of America.
We just need to see people get off our roads and bridges to come into our communities and spend money.”
Caras – “Besides being that cheerleader for Oklahoma, I understand you helped your wife develop a business you have been operating as her partner? And it involves babies, hammocks and shopping carts?”
Candidate Pinnell – “I know people aren’t always, especially these days looking for a professional politician. So trust me, I do have that experience of working with someone – my wife – in developing a small business.
We have our day-to-day business – the Binxy Baby shopping cart hammock. Hangs across the shopping cart, leaves room enough for groceries below and keeps you little one in a safety strapped answer to you having a child too small for the cart devoted for kids or having to bring the car seat in.
Can’t think of a better business partner and believe me, through all of this I am an advocate to small business. I smile at how long I lived with a shopping cart in our kitchen for a few years as we tinkered with it.”
Caras – “Campaigning can be pretty exhausting. How are your four children dealing with dad doing this?”
Candidate Pinnell – “Oklahoma has 77 counties and I need to be in every single one of them before this comes to an end. They like it though because before I was doing the traveling on a national basis, but with this I can be in Enid during the day and make it home in time for dinner.”
Caras – “I noticed you are a graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree that’s sure to help if you are elected?”
Candidate Pinnell – Proud to be a grad of ORU. And yes, I have a degree in public relations, advertising and sales and marketing. Oklahoma has a global economy and I plan on getting people past the jokes about Oklahoma and branding us for what is great about where I’m raising my children.”
Caras – “The state song does say, “Plenty of air and plen’y of room, Plen’y of room to swing a rope! Plen’y of heart and plen’y of hope.”
By Clark Caras