Automotive pioneer Henry Ford once said that a Ford customer could have a car in any color they chose as long as it was black.
That’s a pretty funny quote and it rang true back in the 1930s.
Unfortunately, it also rings true for the political landscape across 2026 Oklahoma.
“You can vote for any candidate you choose as long as it’s a Republican.”
So much for the two-party system.
But, wait. There is diversity emerging in the candidates to consider in the upcoming Oklahoma legislative elections this year. According to the Oklahoma Democratic Party website, the party is fielding more than 100 candidates this year for offices across the state.
At last, that’s offering some choice in our deep red state. And in the OKC metro area, where we’re inching our way out of the red and into a darker hue, like, say, purple, there is opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to the state Capitol.
In the State House district in which I’m a resident, District 82, we’ve been represented since 2018 by Republican Nicole Miller. She’s had no opposition at all in recent elections.
I haven’t kept up with how Rep. Miller has voted, so I don’t know if she’s supported legislation like school vouchers that rob public schools by subsidizing private schools under the guise of ‘school choice.’ Or if she was all in on cutting revenue the state government has to operate on by reducing state income tax and letting folks like me keep enough extra income to buy, perhaps, a single tank of gas.
So, I’m not anti-Rep. Miller. But I do want some choice when I’m casting my vote for State Representative.
This year, Rep. Miller has some opposition for the House position from Travis L. Headd, 55, a University of Tulsa graduate, inventor, businessman and Edmond resident.
I’ve known Travis casually for a couple of years because his significant other, Juliet Joy, and I worked together in the same office.
However, I really didn’t know Travis the person, so i asked him to meet me at a local coffee shop to hear his story and how he came to be a candidate for the State House District 82 seat.
Travis, as it turns out, is a St. Louis, Mo., native who played Division I football at Tulsa, where he was a running back, Doak Walker award candidate and a TU Football Hall of Fame member as part of the 1991 Freedom Bowl winning Hurricane team.
Since college, he has been awarded a patent in 2015 by the U.S. Patent office as co-inventor along with Craig Calloway of local internet search technology, has served as a certified health care professional and as a business owner.
You can easily spot Travis by his signature, colorful hat that almost always adorns his head.
So, why is Travis Headd running for the House District 82 position?
First of all, he told me, the State Democratic Party reached out to him to gauge his interest in running for office. He accepted the challenge, partially to give voters a choice.
“It’s not that she’s done anything wrong, as far as that goes, Travis told me. “But some years she’s had no opposition at all.”
Yes, but from my perspective, it appears Travis has some long odds against an established incumbent. Plus, he’s African-American and, well, a Democrat in what has been a fairly conservative district (full disclosure: I’m a Democrat and have been since 2008).
So, I told him my apprehensions. He responded with confidence in not only his ability to connect with voters but in the District residents themselves.
“The demographics of this particular market are changing, especially since 2018,” Travis said. “We have West Edmond, Deer Creek, upper Northwest Oklahoma City. It’s very diverse, one of the most diverse districts. And you’ve got a lot of young liberals, young families.”
Don’t let that word ‘liberal’ scare you. Travis is running on a platform that offers practical solutions to issues important to Oklahomans.
He sent me a detailed outline of the issues he considers vital to the district. Those include strengthening education across the state, supporting small business growth, responsible tax policies, smart local development, community safety and mental health awareness and access.
And those are not just bullet points. He has a detailed action plan for every one of them that appears reasoned and well thought out.
Let’s consider education, for instance. Travis advocates developing alternative career development for students who choose not to go to college.
“We need advocacy for these kids coming straight out of high school to get into the technical schools,” he told me. “Some of them go to college, and that’s fine. But a lot of them don’t go to college, and a lot of the kids are left with figuring out what to do in life. They don’t know what to do when they graduate. There’s all kinds of infrastructure development that they can get into that offers great paying jobs. And we can keep that talent local. We can develop these young students.”
Travis articulates the rest of his platform with equal fervor. You can learn more about him and his campaign at his candidate website, https://www.headd2026.com. He told me he plans to meet as many fellow residents as he can by knocking on doors and introducng himself to the community.
So, I see Travis Headd as a serious candidate who offers real ideas and solutions for my fellow residents in District 82.
Plus, he offers us a choice in 2026. A choice! We have the opportunity to end the Republican party’s Oklahoma super majority.
Take that, Henry Ford.
Jim Stafford's BlogOKC 