Tea Parties Could Play Major Role in 2010 Governor's Race, Experts Say

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

Oklahoma City -- Seen as a right-wing leaning movement, the Tea Party movement hopes to influence elections by backing candidates that agree with their ideas, no matter to what the party they belong.

A Tea Party conference called the Oklahoma Liberty Conference was underway Friday and will continue through Saturday in Oklahoma City.

Two political candidates set up shop inside the Tea Party conference, including one gubernatorial candidate.

Political experts said Tea Partiers could play a major role in the upcoming governor's race.

Dulce Hannigan said she is sick and tired of the record spending in Washington. She is a registered Republican who admitted she hasn't always been very politically active and didn't speak out when the Bush administration added trillions of dollars to the national debt.

"I mean I went down and voted, but I didn't really pay attention. If it was a candidate I that liked, I voted for him," Hannigan said.

Hannigan said her attitude is now different. She attended the Oklahoma Liberty Conference Friday along with fellow Republican Larry Goss who said he thinks the party has strayed from the message of fiscal conservatism.

"It's one reason why our tea party contains not only Republicans but also Democrats, Independents and other members too," Goss said.

The conference was sponsored in part by the Sooner Tea Party. The group teamed up with the non-partisan Americans for Prosperity.

Learn more about the Sooner Tea Party

"We push for fiscal responsibility, lower taxed, limited government to make Oklahoma and the nation a better place to live and a better place to work," said Stuart Jolly, Americans for Prosperity.

Just one year ago, the Tea Party movement was a fledging, grassroots group born out of frustration over President Bush's TARP package. The movement has since gained momentum after President Obama signed the record $787 billion stimulus plan into law.

"So it's really tapping into that every man frustration with big government and sort of anti-corporate sentiment," said University of Oklahoma Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie.

Gaddie said the public and politicians should not underestimate the impact of this movement.

"It could impact the governor's race potentially. You know, the impact in November depends on who gets nominated out of the GOP," Gaddie said.

Candidates for the 2010 Governor's race have already taken notice. Mary Fallin has attended at least one Tea Party rally, and State Senator Randy Brogan, who's also running for governor, had a presence at Friday's conference. But for voters, it's about returning to the country's core values.

"I want to see my kids have the same kind of freedoms and liberties that I grew up with," Hannigan said.

There has been talk that the Tea Party movement could split the Republic party and a third party candidate could emerge, but Gaddie said that is unlikely.