George E. Young Sr. is an American pastor and politician who served in the Oklahoma Senate from the 48th district as a member of the Democratic Party from 2019 to 2024. Prior to his tenure in the state senate he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing the 99th district from 2015 to 2019.
Young served as a member of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services and he criticized Governor Mary Fallin for not appointing a black or Hispanic person to succeed him on the commission.[3][4] He served as a delegate to the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions.[5]
Career
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Representative Anastasia Pittman did not seek reelection to the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 99th district in the 2014 election.[6] He defeated Eleanor Darden Thompson and Steve Davis in the initial Democratic primary, won in the runoff against Thompson, and defeated Republican nominee Willard Linzy in the general election.[7][8][9] He won reelection in the 2014 election against independent candidate Marina Mangiaracina.[10]Ajay Pittman was elected to succeed him in the 2018 election.[11]
Young was selected to serve as vice-chair of the Democratic caucus in the state house in 2017, and also served as chair of the Black Caucus of the state legislature.[12][13]
Oklahoma Senate
Young ran for a seat in the Oklahoma Senate from the 48th district in the 2018 election.[14] He defeated Christine Byrd in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Linzy in the general election.[15][16] Young introduced unsuccessful legislation in 2020 that would have increased Oklahoma's minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.50 per hour.[17]
He faced a primary challenge in 2022 from Rico Smith and won reelection.[14][18] In February 2024 he announced he was resigning in November, triggering a special election for his successor.[19]
Opposition to state prison rodeo
Young was against the reinstatement of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. In 2024, Jim Grego co-authored House bill 3749[20] and Senate bill 1427,[21] along with Senator Warren Hamilton to carve out 8.3 million dollars to bring back the Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo, despite others, such as a representative of the Arnall Family Foundation, calling out the move as exploitative and dangerous toward the inmates and animals and a waste of funds that could be spent on reforms.[22] The Oklahoma Department of Corrections claims "the total cost of the renovations is $9.3 million, and after contributing $1 million, they're asking the legislature to help fund the remaining $8.3 million, but some lawmakers argue that money should be spent on other issues," such as Representative Andy Fugate.[23] As of 2024, Louisiana "is the only state that has a behind-the-walls prison rodeo."[24] ODOC Executive Director Steve Harpe claims that it would bring in revenue for the department and support functions like a call center, and that Netflix, ESPN, and PBR are eyeing Oklahoma because of it.[25] In 2023, George Young said that taxpayer dollars being used to revive the rodeo could be better spent on education programs for inmates or initiatives to improve prison health care.[26]
Electoral history
George E. Young electoral history
2014 Oklahoma House of Representatives 99th district Democratic primary[7]
