‘Bickering Back and Forth’: Oklahomans React to Stitt-Hofmeister Debate

Governor Stitt and challenger Joy Hofmeister.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Many Oklahomans are discussing the responses they heard from both candidates on October 19 ahead of the midterm elections.

Fox 25 spoke with voters after the gubernatorial debate, who said the event was “all over the place.”

“It was mostly very impressive,” Azusena Fraire said.

But, not the good kind of impressive.

“Mostly just the bickering, and the switching back and forth.”

Though Governor Kevin Stitt is optimistic about how things went.

“I thought it was really, really good,” Governor Stitt said. “Hopefully Oklahomans got to tune in and see it because there’s a clear difference between the momentum we have, and the direction I want to take the state to be a top ten state.”

Fraire tells Fox 25 she heard Stitt repeat the phrase “top ten” several times.

“Repeating a lot of number one and number five in the nation,” Fraire said. “I did some other research, and that’s not really what was actually true.”

Fraire says she did like what candidate Joy Hofmeister had to say.

“I just think one thing that caught my attention was her focus on education. I also liked her focus on the people, and not just outside tourism.”

Hofmeister tells Fox 25 she appreciated having the opportunity to have a public debate.

“I wish more people in Oklahoma could have watched this debate,” Hofmeister said. “To really talk about those issues that are important to Oklahoma families, Oklahoma businesses and all of those Oklahomans who are struggling right now.”

Folks who watched at the Republican Party headquarters had a different take.

“I think the one thing that bothered me about [Hofmeister] was that she gave the impression that public school was doing well,” Paula Price said. “It’s not. She’s sidestepping that reality.”

Price believes Hofmeister becoming governor would be the worst case scenario for Oklahoma education.

“We’re not going to have a better public school with parents. It’s still not going to be in control. We’re still going to have this porno thing going in the background. That bothers me.”

Another voter Fox 25 spoke with says people should really take the time from now until November 8 to educate themselves about who they’re going to vote for.