Democratic nominee Broyles launches group to boost voting

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abby Broyles said Wednesday she plans to launch a not-for-profit organization aimed at boosting voter registration and turnout in the Sooner State.

Broyles announced in a press release that she plans to serve as president and CEO of Grit for Democracy, Inc. The group aims to increase voter registration and participation, similar to an organization in Georgia led by that state’s former Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams.

Abrams’ efforts to raise millions of dollars to organize and register hundreds of thousands of voters in Georgia is credited with helping President-elect Joe Biden become the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry that state in nearly three decades.

Oklahoma voters set a record for the most votes ever cast for president in the state’s history, but voter turnout in Oklahoma was still among the lowest in the nation.

Broyles says her group will fund and launch voter registration initiatives, digital voter education campaigns, and train volunteers to mobilize voters. She says she intends to specifically reach out to college and university students across the state.

Broyles raised more than $1.8 million in her failed bid to defeat longtime incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe last month.