New Group Launches “Oklahoma Independents” on Anniversary of Boston Tea Party, Citing Closed Primaries as Modern-Day “Taxation Without Representation”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2025

New Group Launches “Oklahoma Independents” on Anniversary of Boston Tea Party, Citing Closed Primaries as Modern-Day “Taxation Without Representation”

OKLAHOMA CITY — On the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, a new civic community called Oklahoma Independents officially launched today, calling attention to what organizers describe as voter suppression facing hundreds of thousands of Oklahoma voters who are not affiliated with either major political party.

Oklahoma Independents bills itself as “a political home for the rest of us” — a community for voters who prefer not to formally affiliate with a political party and who increasingly feel excluded from meaningful participation in the state’s political process.

The group points to Oklahoma’s closed primary system as a central issue.

“Independent voters pay taxes, fund public elections, and live with the outcomes of those elections — yet many are locked out of the most consequential contests,” said Andy Moore, spokesperson for Oklahoma Independents. “That’s a modern form of taxation without representation, and it’s a problem worth solving.”

In Oklahoma, primary elections are publicly funded, but participation is largely restricted to voters registered with the Republican or Democratic parties. As a result, a significant share of voters – including nearly 500,000 independents – are unable to vote in elections that often determine who ultimately holds office.

According to the group, this system reinforces a political duopoly that does not reflect the full range of views held by Oklahomans.

“Most people don’t fit neatly into red or blue boxes,” said Emily Hale, an Independent voter from Harrah, “But our system insists we choose one just to have a voice. Oklahoma Independents exist to say: you’re not alone, and you’re not wrong for wanting something better.”

Organizers emphasized that Oklahoma Independents is not a political party, but rather a civic community focused on connection, education, and elevating the voices of unaffiliated voters. The group plans to collect stories, host conversations, and explore reforms that would expand participation and representation in Oklahoma’s elections. Given the discussions around SQ 836, the group sees this as an opportune time to gather Independents together because more people are thinking about how the current closed primary systematically excludes Independents.

The launch date was chosen intentionally. “The Boston Tea Party wasn’t about tea,” Moore said. “It was about being governed without a voice. More than two centuries later, that same frustration is showing up in different ways — including among voters who are shut out of the primaries that shape our government.”

Oklahoma Independents is inviting Oklahomans who identify as independent, unaffiliated, or politically homeless to learn more and join the community by signing up at www.okindependents.org.

Media Contact:
Andy Moore
Oklahoma Independents
Email: info@okindependents.org
Website: www.okindependents.org