Carol Hefner Finances, Goza Hot Rod

The Oklahoman's John Estus provided voters of Senate District 47 with an interesting look at two of their candidates.  Carol Hefner and Kenny Goza are remarkably different people with remarkably different backgrounds.  Hefner is, well, a Hefner and Goza is a self-made man who grew up in the foster care system.  But the Oklahoman does a pretty good job of being fair.

From the article (here):

Hefner said she decided to stop paying her credit card bill because of fees she disagreed with.
“This is an issue of fiscal responsibility. People have to hold these large debit and credit corporations accountable for good practices and that's what I chose to do,” Hefner said.
Hefner said she stopped paying the credit card bill for about three months.

And:

In addition, a foreclosure against Hefner and her husband was dismissed last year when they refinanced the $319,580 mortgage on their Edmond home, court records show.
“It's just big dogs trying to push you around. That's all that was,” Hefner said.
A 2009 lawsuit against the Hefners regarding unpaid car payments on a 2006 Land Rover was dismissed within a few days of it being filed.
Hefner said the Land Rover was her husband's car and she didn't know about the lawsuit.

Hefner is touting herself as the family values candidate in the race, but how in the heck does she NOT know about a lawsuit against her husband?  Doesn't make sense to me.

Goza has some issues too, but they are from 1994 - not recent and are polar opposites.  While Hefner gets attention for not paying for her toys, Goza gets attention for protecting his:
Senate District 47 candidate Kenny Goza, 41, and another man, Jason Long, filed protective orders against one another in 1994 in Cleveland County, court records show.
Goza, who is now an attorney, said the filings were the result of a dispute about his hot rod.
“Back in those days, I had a hot rod and I didn't like anybody being around my hot rod and I was very protective of it,” Goza said. “(Long), I guess, was jealous, and had threatened to slash my tires once and I didn't take that too lightly.”

Bottom line:  With the exception of perhaps James Lankford, no candidate for public office is lily-white, but the contrast between these two Senate District 47 candidates could not be more stark.  Of course, career political insider Greg Treat is probably liking this more than just a little bit.  Treat is well-liked by GOP staffers because, well, Treat has been one his whole adult life.  But I digress.

Read John Estus' story in its entirety here.

Goza Announces Candidacy for SD47

From Michelle Evans:

BUSINESSMAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR SENATE DISTRICT 47

Kenny Goza announced his candidacy today for the special election to fill Lieutenant Governor Elect – Senator Todd Lamb’s seat representing Edmond and North Oklahoma City.  Goza is a businessman, husband and father who wants to change how government does business.  “I am a bootstrap Republican.  I believe that more government is not the answer to our problems.  Government spends far too much of our hard earned money.  It is time that we use our common sense and conservative values to make our state government reflect the values of Oklahomans.”  Goza said.

Kenny Goza understands the problems with government.  He has dealt with them since he was eight years old when he was placed in the state foster care system.  He was one of the lucky children and was adopted by a kind, hard working family where he learned the values of honor, integrity and faith.  This experience shaped Kenny into the person he is today.  He believes that it is vital that we serve others and give our children the best opportunity for success through strong families and excellence in education.

Kenny Goza is a public servant – not a politician.  He served our country in the United States Army in Germany behind the Iron Curtain of Communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  He is a veteran, lifetime member of the VFW and the American Legion.  He served our state as a former staff member to Governor Frank Keating, and he spearheaded the growth of Oklahoma’s Amber Alert – Child Abduction Program.

“We must get our values back into government so that Oklahoma can prosper.  I believe we must stand strong against illegal immigration.  I support gun rights, lower taxes, strengthening families, strong work ethic, smaller government, and more money in the classroom so our children can get the education they deserve.”  Goza said. 

Kenny Goza understands the difficulties government places upon business owners.  He has established five offices across the state to provide legal services to hard working Oklahomans.  He understands making a payroll and the importance of job creation for the future of our state.

“If elected, I promise to work hard to rid public service of the career-minded politicians that work for special interest groups and recklessly spend our hard earned tax money.  I want to return the “public” back to public service by volunteering my time and energy to serve as your State Senator.  I will donate my pay to foster children and veteran programs.”Goza said.

Kenny Goza is a husband, father and Main Street businessman.  He has two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Oklahoma in History and International Area Studies of Latin America, a Master of Arts degree in International Relations and a Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University. 

Kenny Goza, Senate District 47 Candidate

Lt. Governor-elect Todd Lamb's Senate Seat is up for grabs and so far, we have three names:  Greg Treat (GOP Victory Campaign, Fred Morgan's former campaign manager, former Coburn staffer), Carol Hefner (Mom, concerned Christian, philanthropist) and now, Kenny Goza.

Goza has an interesting, though difficult to read, website listing his qualifications and one thing that stands out more than anything is his willingness NOT to take a paycheck for his work as State Senator.  He doesn't NEED the job, he WANTS the job, so it seems. 

Here is a thumbnail sketch of Mr. Goza:
*Army veteran.
*Former food clerk.
*Former produce manager.
*Small business owner/entrepreneur.
*Practicing attorney.
*Holds a B.A. in History from OU, a B.A. in International Studies of Latin America from OU, an M.A. in International Relations from OU, and a J.D. from OCU.

Quite the pedigree.

He will be competing against Greg Treat who is one of the stars of the Republican Party and has been a political insider his whole life.  He will also face Carol Hefner whose last name alone will garner huge financial contributions and more than likely will receive most of the endorsements from the energy sector in Oklahoma. 

Can Goza win?  That is going to depend on his ground game and refining his message on specific issues.  If the people of Senate District 47 are serious about change and reform of state government, he stands a pretty good chance of making some hay.  If, however, they are what some define as "country club Republicans," Goza will have an exceptionally tough time.

Lamb's Seat Warming Up

State Senator Todd Lamb hedged his bets before winning the post of Lt. Governor and now, the race is beginning to heat up with Carol Hefner announcing on her Facebook page that she will be receiving the endorsement of some pretty well-known names.  Her opponent, Greg Treat, has launched his website (here).

Hefner has acquired the assistance of Fount Holland and his A&H Strategies as her consultant, though she claims exceptional independence.  Fount Holland and his crew ran Kevin Calvey's campaign for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District as well as Rob Johnson's attempt for Corporation Commissioner, then his successful bid for the State Senate.

Greg Treat, who recently ran the 2010 Oklahoma GOP "Victory Campaign," will more than likely run his race on his own - he has plenty of experience.  He's worked with the legendary Senator Tom Coburn, was the campaign manager for former State Representative Fred Morgan's 5th Congressional District race and most recently working for the Oklahoma GOP.  Greg has been in politics pretty much his entire life.  On his website under the "Who is Greg Treat? heading, it lists the following:

*Devoted Christian
*Faithful Husband to Maressa
*Proud Father of Mason (3) and Cooper (5 months)
*Hard worker, dedicated leader and lifelong conservative
*Passionately advocated for pro-life issues
*Working HARD to be your next Senator!

All wonderful qualities and for the GOP-insiders, Greg is well known and very well respected - though the lack of a bio on his page is quite the glaring omission.

Carol Hefner and Greg Treat both appear to feel a "calling" on their life and part of said "calling" is to run for public office.

[Sidebar:  Times certainly have changed...there was a time when God "called" people to minister, to care for the poor, for the widows and orphans in their time of need.  Today, God calls people into politics, it appears.]

This is going to be an exceptionally fun race to watch and oh yes, we'll be watching.