The race for Oklahoma Attorney General picked up today with two Oklahoma City metro area attorneys announcing their candidacies. On the Democratic side, Jim Priest, 54, an attorney and Partner in the law firm Whitten, Burrage, Priest, Fulmer, Anderson & Eiseand of Oklahoma City, announced he will be running.

Priest,who is the first and only Democrat in the race,  has practiced for over 30 years handling thousands of cases in both state and federal courts for individuals, corporations, municipalities, and police officers, as well as many state agencies.  His legal expertise is in employment law and civil rights trial work.

Priest said, “My priority as Attorney General will be assuring public safety for the people of Oklahoma. That includes combating crime, protecting consumers and businesses against various kinds of fraud, and safeguarding our natural resources.  We have to work at the root of the problems we face. Many of those  issues are the result of a decline in ethical standards, the struggle with drug dependency and the deterioration of families. We have to work on both prosecution as well as prevention, and I will work to strength families, promote ethics, and educate young people about Oklahoma’s drug problems.”

His website is www.jimpriest.com

Joining previously announced candidate Ryan Leonard for the Republican nomination in the Attorney General’s race is Edmond State Senator Clark Jolley.  Jolley,39, has served in the State Senate since 2004 and is currently a member of the Senate Leadership.  He graduated law school at the University of Oklahoma and established a private law practice in 1995. During Jolley’s legal career, he served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Oklahoma Department of Labor and was a Barrister member of the Robert J. Turner American Inn of Court.

Senator Jolley is an inductee in the Child Advocates Hall of Fame under two categories, Child Health & Safety and Education. He has also been recognized for his leadership by DNA Saves, a national victim’s rights organization and he has been recognized by the Research Institute for Economic Development for his support of business issues in the state.

Jolley said, “We desperately need a pro-jobs, pro­-growth Attorney General in Oklahoma.  People in our state have lost their jobs because of an Attorney General’s decision to sue companies in our state.  As a Senator who has a proven record of supporting job creation and reducing needless litigation in Oklahoma, I believe those qualities are needed in the next Attorney General.”

His website is www.clarkjolley.com