The Okmulgee County Democratic Party held its first monthly meeting of the year last Thursday, welcoming members and community guests and hosting U.S. Senate candidate Troy Green as the evening’s featured speaker.

Party chair Rosie Lynch opened the meeting by emphasizing inclusion and unity, telling attendees, “whatever you do or don’t believe you are welcome and have a place with the Democratic Party.” Lynch also invited a moment of silence for reflection, citing “a lot of fear, a lot of chaos, or even prescribed and contrived chaos” occurring nationally and locally.

Lynch introduced county leadership, including Vice Chair Dr. Bill Bryant, Secretary King Noir, Social Media Chair Chris Tedlocks and Rosetta Hartman, who assisted with meeting logistics. Muskogee County Democratic Chair Dawn Woods was also recognized and invited attendees to participate in Muskogee’s upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.

— Community Organizing & Party Business A significant portion of the meeting focused on county party business, including volunteer coordination, voter outreach and rebuilding local Democratic infrastructure following a gap in regular meetings.

Chair Rosie Lynch emphasized the importance of participation and civic engagement, noting that local turnout, rather than party affiliation alone, continues to shape election outcomes in Okmulgee County.

“Okmulgee is not a red County, it’s a non-voting County,” Lynch said.

Discussion included plans for volunteer training, precinct-level outreach, ward meetings and increased visibility at community events. Members were encouraged to stay informed on local government actions, attend public meetings and engage directly with neighbors on civic issues. Lynch also stressed that involvement can take many forms beyond campaigning, encouraging residents to contribute through volunteering, education and community service.

— Concerns raised about possible data center During the meeting, Lynch raised concerns about rumors of a possible data center coming to Okmulgee County. While noting that nothing had been confirmed, she urged transparency and public discussion.

“There’s a lot of people saying that there’s a NDA, they can’t talk about it,” Lynch said. “Man, I want to know if there’s going to be a data center coming to Okmulgee … what are the pros and cons?”

Concerns about water usage, electrical infrastructure and long-term impacts were discussed, with plans for members to attend upcoming city council meetings to seek clarification.

— Troy Green shares personal story, campaign motivation Lynch then introduced Troy Green, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, describing him as someone who “wasn’t born into privilege” and whose campaign, she said, “is built, not bought.”

Green spent much of his remarks sharing his personal history, beginning with his childhood experiences in the foster care system after being trafficked at a young age.

“I was due to trafficking issues when I was very young, seven years old, I ended up in the foster care system here in Oklahoma,” Green said. “I spent probably the majority of my time … on the streets.”

Green said these experiences inform his views on criminal justice, social services and government accountability.

He described aging out of foster care without support, experiencing homelessness, hunger and surviving violence as a teenager, which he said shaped his decision to enter law enforcement and later public service.

“Law enforcement for me was the most honorable thing that I felt like I could do for myself,” Green said. “I wanted to help the people that I felt like I was.”

Green said he ultimately left law enforcement after about a dozen years, citing systemic issues and a culture that discouraged accountability.

“I didn’t fit in because I cared too much about people I was dealing with,” he said. “That good old boy system … that’s why I’m not in it anymore.”

— Platform Focus: Accountability, Humanity & Reform Green outlined his policy positions and critiques of existing systems as part of a broader discussion with party members, framing those views through his personal and professional experiences.

Throughout the discussion, Green emphasized themes of accountability, community and structural reform. He spoke against qualified immunity, private prisons and what he described as “incarceration for profit.” “One of my bills now is that we need to get rid of qualified immunity,” Green said. “We need whistleblower protections.”

Green said his policy views are rooted in lived experience rather than ideology.

“I am literally running, because those of us screaming the loudest are the ones hurt the least,” he said. “And for the life of me, I can’t understand why we put our faith in people who haven’t felt our pain.”

He also emphasized the importance of reducing political division.

“If your neighbor catches fire … do you ask them who they voted for before you help them put it out?” Green asked. “We just go and help.”

— Discussion & Community Questions

The meeting included an extended question- and-answer session, with attendees raising concerns about conduct in public office, law enforcement accountability, systemic corruption and civic participation.

One attendee asked how Green would conduct himself in the U.S. Senate, referencing public confrontations by current lawmakers and concerns about how such behavior reflects on the state.

“If you’re a senator and you’re up there debating and you don’t like something, are you going to handle it with diplomacy?” the attendee asked, adding that confrontational behavior can be “embarrassing” and expressing a desire for representation that could “fight without showing too much negative emotion.”

Another attendee questioned how Green would address accountability within law enforcement, noting that harm can sometimes come from within the system itself.

“As a former police officer, you’re aware that a lot of harm comes directly from police officers,” the attendee said. “Do you have a plan to hold police unions accountable or put protections in place for officers who call out wrongdoing by their own?”

Green responded by calling for the removal of qualified immunity, stronger whistleblower protections and broader reforms to the criminal justice system.

Dawn Carter raised concerns about entrenched corruption and enforcement, saying, “You just named a very heavy reality. That good old boy system runs really, really deep. It’s multi-level. It has its hooks in so many different levels.”

Carter continued, “How are you going to be able to enforce tearing down that system? It’s not a one-man thing. We’ve seen good people recognize injustice before, but they don’t have the ability – or refuse – to put teeth into holding people accountable.”

“That system is deep. The roots are long,” she said. “How are you going to be able to do this?”

Green acknowledged the difficulty, stating, “I can’t do it by myself,” and emphasizing the need for collective effort and sustained public pressure.

An attendee also asked about campaign funding rules and legal donation limits, questioning how individuals could contribute appropriately.

Lynch clarified that federal campaign rules limit cash donations and encouraged those interested to follow proper legal channels when donating or supporting candidates.

As the meeting concluded, attendees were encouraged to remain engaged through volunteering, voter outreach and civic participation. Lynch emphasized community connection and dialogue across differences.

“We’re neighbors,” Lynch said. “Why can’t we meet on that human level?”

The meeting adjourned with plans for future in-person and virtual sessions, continued organizing efforts and increased outreach ahead of upcoming elections.