TROUBLES IN THIS AREA. LAST NIGHT, STATE SUPERINTENDENT JOY HOFMEISTER FOUND OUT SHE WOULD TAKE ON CURRENT GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT IN THIS NOVEMBER’S GENERAL ELECTION. SHE JOINS US NOW LIVE. TO TALK ABOUT THE WIN AND WHAT IS NEXT. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. >> THANK YOU SO GOOD TO BE HERE. ALEJANDRA: WE WERE JUST TALKING DURING THE COMMERCIAL, INTERVIEW AFTER INTERVIEW. CONGRATS ON WINNING THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. YOUR REACTION THIS MORNING, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? >> SO GRATEFUL, SO MANY VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN STEPPING UP AND ARE READY FOR CHANGE. WE ARE HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING TODAY. ALEJANDRA: LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GENERAL ELECTION, WHAT DOES THAT CAMPAIGN LOOK LIKE NOW? >> OUR CAMPAIGN IS SPRINTING TO NOVEMBER, CONTINUING WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE PRIMARY, REACHING OUT TO VOTERS ACROSS THE STATE. I HAVE 500,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND WE ARE GOING TO ADD MORE TO THAT AS WE SIT ACROSS KITCHEN TABLES, HAVE COFFEE IN DINERS AND LISTEN TO OKLAHOMANS. THERE VOTERS -- YOUR VOICE MATTERS ENDED IS GOING TO KEEP GOING. ALEJANDRA: RIGHT, THE WORK DOES NOT END. IF ELECTED, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR OKLAHOMA, YOUR TOP PRIORITIES IN YOUR TERM? >> I’M AN INDEPENDENT THINKER. I GET A LOT OF OKLAHOMANS I VALUE FAITH, FAMILY, EDUCATION AND HARD WORK. THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO GET THINGS DONE. GOVERNOR STITT SAID HE WOULD RUN THE STATE LIKE A BUSINESS AND BY HIS OWN STANDARDS, THAT BUSINESS OF OKLAHOMA IS FAILING. WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE DESPERATE FOR RESOURCES, OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE RISING AND WE NEED MORE GOOD PAYING JOBS FOR OKLAHOMANS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE. ALEJANDRA: WE DID SPEAK TO GOVERNOR STITT EARLIER THIS MORNING ABOUT A HEADLINE THAT IS GIVEN ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT RULING THAT OKLAHOMA CAN NOW PROSECUTE CRIMES COMMITTED ON TRIBAL LAND IF THE DEFENDANT IS NOT NATIVE AMERICAN. GOVERNOR STITT CALLING THAT RULING A VICTORY. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE? >> IT IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE, BUT OUR SOVEREIGN TRIBAL NATIONS HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE, READY TO WORK TO ENSURE THAT AND ARE DOING THAT. SADLY, THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE GOVERNOR -- GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER TO IRON OUT THOSE DETAILS. SHARED JURISDICTION IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT, THIS STOP CHANGING. THE OUTCOME. BUT IT IS A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO SET ASIDE THE DIVISION GOVERNOR STITT HAS BEEN SEWING AND WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR TRIBAL SOVEREIGN NATIONS. THEY HAVE A $15 BILLION COLLECTIVE IMPACT EVERY YEAR ON OUR STATE ECONOMY. THESE ARE IMPORTANT PARTNERS AND MEMBERS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. ALEJANDRA: AS WE ELABORATE ON THAT, WE ALSO GOT A STATEMENT FROM THE CHEROKEE NATION. THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED IN THE RULING AND IN THEIR STATEMENT THEY CALLED ON GOVERNOR STITT TO COME TO THE TABLE AND WORK WITH THEM. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRIBES AND THE STATE HAVE BEEN STRAINED. IF ELECTED TO BE GOVERNOR, HOW WOULD YOU WORK ON MENDING THAT RELATIONSHIP? >> IT WOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY, OF COURSE. I HAVE HAD 7.5 YEARS OF WORKING IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SOVEREIGN TRIBAL NATIONS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES HERE IN THE STATE. BUT WE ALSO KNOW WE NEED A GOVERNOR WHO COMES AT THIS IN AN APPROACH THAT IS ONE OF COLLABORATION. WANTING TO PARTNER, RECOGNIZING THAT WHAT IS GOOD FOR ALL OKLAHOMANS IS WHEN WE UNITE, NOT WHAT GOVERNOR STITT HAS BEEN DOING, PITTING NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR, SEWING CHAOS AND DIVISION. OKLAHOMANS ARE SAYING THEY ARE TIRED OF THE SELF-DEALING AND THINGS THAT DO NOT UNITE AND BRING OUR STATE FORWARD. ALEJANDRA: ANOTHER THING ON THE MIGHT OF OKLAHOMANS IS INFLATION. OKLAHOMANS ARE STRUGGLING, PEOPLE NEED RELIEF. THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DONE AS FAR AS RELIEF AND GETTING PEOPLE TO HELP THEY NEED? >> IT IS A REAL ISSUE AFFECTING FAMILIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE, WHETHER IT BE A HIGHER PRICE AT THE PUMP OR EVEN GROCERIES. WE NEED A GOVERNOR WHO WILL NOT JUST BE READING OFF A NATIONAL SCRIPT, SOLVING REAL PROBLEMS. IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO SAY THAT WE HAVE LOW EMPLOYMENT -- SHUN THEM LIMIT. IT IS THE QUALITY OF JOBS THAT MATTERS. I WAS TALKING TO A MOM WHO HAS THREE JOBS, FOUR KIDS AND SHE SAYS HOMEOWNERSHIP IS OUT OF REACH. IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY. WE HAVE A SKILLED WORKFORCE READY TO TAKE ON MEANINGFUL CAREERS AND PATHWAYS, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE KINDS OF JOBS I’M TALKING ABOUT AND INTERESTED IN. YOU’VE GOT TO INVEST IN S -- EDUCATION FIRST, STRONG AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. ALEJANDRA: WHAT PROPOSALS WOULD YOU BRING TO THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES? >> WE NEED A BOLD INVESTMENT TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION. WE HAVE A TEACHER SHORTAGE, WE HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR YEARS. THAT IS A LINGERING PROBLEM IN OKLAHOMA AND WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER STATES AND INDUSTRIES. WE CAN DO MORE AND IT TAKES A GOVERNOR WHO GETS WHEN IT IS GOOD FOR KIDS, IT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS. WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE, WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH OUR HOSPITAL ADMITTED STRADER’S. WITH OUR PHYSICIANS. TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A GOOD QUALITY MEDICAID EXPANSION THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE WHAT IS NEEDED BETWEEN A PATIENT AND A DOCTOR. AND NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF INTERFERENCE. THE GOVERNOR WANTS TO PRIVATIZE MEDICAID AND IT WILL HIT KIDS HARDEST. HALF OF OUR CHILDREN IN OKLAHOMA QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID. ALEJANDRA: BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO OKLAHOMANS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER AFTER LAST NIGHT’S WIN? >> OUR MESSAGES JOIN THE TEAM. WE’RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO HAVE STEPPED FORWARD, WE ARE BUILDING MOMENTUM. THERE IS A LOT OF ENERGY IN THE CAMPAIGN AND WE ARE EAGER TO SEE MORE AND MORE OKLAHOMANS FEEL THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD. IT IS TIME TO GET BACK TO THOSE OKLAHOMA VALUES OF COMMON SENSE, WORKING TOGETHER, RESPECT FOR ONE ALEJANDRA: ANOTHER AND COURAGE. ALEJANDRA:-- AND COURAGE. ALEJANDR