Costello seeks Labor nomination, Pinnell aims at race for lieutenant governor



Cathy Costello filed for the state Commissioner of Labor job in April. She will face state Rep. Leslie Osborn as they each seek the Republican nomination for the post.
Costello finished the latest fiscal quarter with more than $520,000.00 in her campaign coffers. Her donors include a wide cross-section of business owners, educators, doctors, and ranchers.

“It makes me feel very optimistic about Oklahoma when I meet people just as dedicated to our future as I am,” Cathy Costello said in a press release. “When I share my vision of finally addressing mental health as a labor issue, saving lives and money by improving workplace safety, and preparing our kids for the workforce of tomorrow, I always see Republicans nodding their heads in agreement. These are conservative issues we must prioritize.”

The $570,896.35 total campaign donations thus far includes $274,329 raised in the first quarter of 2018, including an additional personal loan donated by Cathy Costello herself.
Costello is a co-founder of several businesses, both domestic and international, and is a sought-after national speaker and advocate on issues of mental health. Costello has been instrumental in passing major landmark state and federal legislation to improve how employers address mental health needs in the workplace. 
Primary elections are scheduled for June 26; the general election will be on November 6. 

Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate, entrepreneur, and small business owner Matt Pinnell was joined by his wife Lisa and their four children, as he officially filed for the job in April.
“I’m running for Lieutenant Governor because state government is broken and we continue to govern from one crisis to another,” said Pinnell. “It’s time we put a stop to the carousel of the same status quo career politicians, and start addressing the challenges facing our state.”

Coming off a successful last quarter of 2017, where Pinnell led and nearly doubled the fundraising of his opponents, Pinnell says “Every day we are crisscrossing the State listening to voters, building on our impressive 77 county campaign that is already knocking doors, and sharing our vision of conservative leadership that Oklahoma families and small businesses deserve.”
A former Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party and national grassroots leader for the Trump campaign, Pinnell has earned the endorsement of U.S. Reps. Jim Bridenstine and Steve Russell, philanthropist Ann Felton, Insurance Commissioner John Doak, former Republican National Committeemen Steve Fair and Lynn Windel, and the first Republican woman Floor Leader in state history, Pam Peterson.

A press release sent to The City Sentinel and other news organizations described Pinnell as “a proud Oklahoman who has devoted his professional career to advancing our conservative causes and principles. Matt served as the Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman, where he focused on charting a new course for the state party and helped deliver incredible victories for the hard-working men and women of Oklahoma and their families.”
The youngest state Republican Party chairman in the country at the time of his election, Matt helped the party secure all five congressional seats and every statewide elected office simultaneously for the first time in Oklahoma history.