Jim Rogers (Oklahoma politician)

Jimmie Hugh "Jim" Rogers Sr. (March 25, 1935 – November 11, 2014) was an American perennial political candidate.^[1][2] He ran for various offices and in 2010 was the Democratic Party nominee for the United States Senate in Oklahoma in a race against incumbent Senator Tom Coburn.

Rogers was noted for being highly protective of his privacy. He rarely spoke to the media and repeatedly declined to participate in debates.^[3] While revealing that his top priorities as a candidate were to stop the outsourcing of jobs overseas and rein in the national debt, he did not generally make his political positions known.^[3] While citing his experience as a professor at several different universities, Rogers often refused to publicly disclose which ones he taught at. Rogers would later disclose that he taught at several colleges, including Seminole State College, Connors State College and Langston University. Spokeswomen at all three schools confirmed he had taught there.^[2][3][4]

Early life

Rogers was born in Atoka County, Oklahoma in 1935.^[4] He earned an undergraduate degree at Oklahoma Baptist University and a master's degree from the University of Wyoming.^[4][5]

Political candidacies

Rogers unsuccessfully sought the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2002, 2004 and 2008.^[4] In the 2008 primary race, he received 40% of the vote against State Senator Andrew Rice, whose campaign was substantially funded.^[4]

In 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma.^[4]

2010 Senate election

After spending little money and doing very little campaigning, Rogers won the Oklahoma Democratic senatorial primary against Mark Myles, getting 65% of the vote.^[6] In the general election, incumbent Senator Tom Coburn was reelected to his Senate seat, winning 71% of the vote vs. 26% for Rogers.^[7]

Presidential primaries

Rogers was on the ballot in the Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary in 2008,^[3] where he received nearly 4000 votes and placed fifth in a slate of seven candidates.^[8] He was on the ballot in the 2012 Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary ^[9] and received 15,540 votes which totaled 14% of the vote total, just short of the minimum 15% needed to earn delegates.^[10]

2014 Senate election

Rogers was a candidate in the 2014 special election to replace retiring US Senator Tom Coburn. He advanced to a runoff election with State Senator Connie Johnson for the Democratic nomination.^[11]

Personal life

Rogers was married once and divorced. Prior to the divorce, he and his wife had one son. For much of his adult life, he was a resident of Midwest City, Oklahoma.^[12][5] Rogers was a Southern Baptist^[4] who was once ordained in a small church in rural Oklahoma, where he briefly served as pastor.^[12]

Death

Rogers died November 11, 2014 at the age of 79.^[12]

References

External links

• "Grizzled Old Coot Will Be Oklahoma’s Next Democratic Senator", satirical article on Rogers in Wonkette