Linda G. Morrissey

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Linda G. Morrissey

Prior offices

Oklahoma Judicial District 14

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Elections and appointments

Last election

June 30, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Oklahoma State University

Graduate

Oklahoma State University, 1977

Law

University of Oklahoma College of Law, 1980

Personal

Religion

Protestant

Profession

Attorney, mediator

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Linda G. Morrissey was a judge of the Oklahoma Judicial District 14. She assumed office in 1985. She left office on March 31, 2020.

Morrissey (Republican Party) ran for election to the Oklahoma State Senate to represent District 35. She lost in the Republican primary on June 30, 2020.

Morrissey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Morrissey received a bachelor's degree in teaching and a master's degree in counseling from Oklahoma State University. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with her J.D. in 1980. Prior to joining the court, Morrissey spent 15 years in private practice.

Elections

2020

See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Oklahoma State Senate District 35

Jo Anna Dossett defeated Cheryl Baber in the general election for Oklahoma State Senate District 35 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jo Anna Dossett (D)	50.9	18,324
		Cheryl Baber (R)	49.1	17,677

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,001
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma State Senate District 35

Cheryl Baber defeated Kyden Creekpaum in the Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma State Senate District 35 on August 25, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cheryl Baber	53.5	4,710
		Kyden Creekpaum	46.5	4,088

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 35

Jo Anna Dossett defeated Carly Hotvedt and Stan Young in the Democratic primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 35 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jo Anna Dossett	57.2	4,985
		Carly Hotvedt	30.9	2,689
		Stan Young	11.9	1,041

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,715
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 35

Kyden Creekpaum and Cheryl Baber advanced to a runoff. They defeated Linda G. Morrissey in the Republican primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 35 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kyden Creekpaum	43.8	3,349
✔		Cheryl Baber	34.0	2,602
		Linda G. Morrissey	22.2	1,696

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,647
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Municipal elections in Tulsa County, Oklahoma (2018)

General election

General election for Oklahoma Judicial District 14

Incumbent Linda G. Morrissey defeated Chris Brecht in the general election for Oklahoma Judicial District 14 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Linda G. Morrissey (Nonpartisan)	72.9	128,844
	Submit photo	Chris Brecht (Nonpartisan)	27.1	47,791

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 176,635
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Oklahoma judicial elections, 2014
Morrissey ran for re-election to the 14th District Court.
As an unopposed candidate, she was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.  

2010

Morrissey defeated John M. Eagleton in the general election, receiving 61.46% of the vote for the district court.

See also: Oklahoma judicial elections, 2010

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Linda G. Morrissey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Morrissey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Washington D.C. and lived most of my early childhood in Tulsa with four siblings. At age 13, my father died and I lived primarily with my grandmother on her farm south of Coweta. I began college in 1971 at Oklahoma Christian College. I earned a BS in Education from Okla. State Univ. (OSU) in 1975 and a Master's Degree in Counseling from OSU in 1977. I then attended Okla. Univ and completed a law degree and became licensed in 1980. I practiced law in oil and gas and real estate for several years and then became a staff attorney at the Court of Civil Appeals. In 1995 I was appointed Special Judge and in 1998 I was elected District Judge. I served 25 years as a judge and retired April 2020. I presided over all dockets, both civil and criminal, during my years of service. I am a professionally trained mediator and currently have a law and mediation practice.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Rebalance the school funding formula to attract and retain teachers.
• Build technical and web infrastructure as part of creating an attractive business environment.
• Revise sentencing statutes and procedures to reduce the incarceration of non-violent offenders.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe a strong educational system is the bedrock of our future. All children should be afforded the opportunity to receive an excellent education. I support increasing teacher salaries in order to attract and retain teachers. Additionally, a well-educated citizenry is essential to attracting businesses to Oklahoma and allowing existing enterprises to grow. Rural health care organizations, as well as urban hospitals, face dramatic financial pressure that must be addressed in order to insure an adequate health care system throughout the state. Expanding Medicaid may be one way to address this problem. I am concerned that we do not yet comprehend the profound consequences of the current public health pandemic and we must put a comprehensive response plan in place. Additionally, I am interested in rebuilding the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma in order to preserve the thousands of jobs linked to the industry. Finally, we simply must reduce the costs of incarcerating non-violent offenders and promote rehabilitative alternatives, such as Drug Courts.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

As a state senator, I will maintain the same ethical standards under which I operated for 25 years as a District Judge. Disclosure of any conflicts of interest and transparency in government, to the extent the law permits, are principles that I believe are most important to maintain the integrity that the public has the right to expect. Even when pressured by powerful influences or falsely or unfairly criticized, state legislators should adhere to these principles.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, a strong work ethic, experience as a District Judge for 25 years and as an attorney for 15 years, and perseverance through challenging circumstances.

Many of our laws should be amended and modernized relating to legal procedures, transportation issues, energy, business development and taxation. As a District Judge, I presided over every type of case to come before the courts; beginning with child support enforcement and family cases, criminal cases, cases dealing with wills and guardianships, and for the last 12 years I have handled civil disputes between citizens, corporations and government agencies. I have no doubt that this experience and my dispute resolution skills will apply directly to working with a diverse group of legislative viewpoints.

Oklahoma is facing unprecedented challenges as we tackle the problems before us. The experience I have acquired in my 25 year judicial career will be of paramount value in resolving our state's difficult years ahead. As a judge and a trained mediator am running for the State Senate to stay engaged in public policy and to help address the problems we face as a state. Through my professional training as a Counselor and a Mediator, I've learned to work with diverse partners to resolve problems and that is what I will do in the State Senate on behalf of the residents of Senate District 35. Resolving funding issues in public education, both main stream and charter schools, is going require mutual resolve and potentially a great deal of sacrifice by our citizens. Decisions on expanding Medicaid to protect our hospitals from financial collapse; on reducing incarceration of non-violent offenders; devising policies that encourage small business and entrepreneurs; building infra-structure for the future; are all matters requiring patient collaboration and the application of sound judgment.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of President Kennedy is the first historical event that had a great impact on me. I was 10 years old at the time and remember it vividly. I was sitting in a classroom when the announcement was made and our teacher began to cry. All the children were crying too, myself included.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was at age 13, picking tomatoes at a tomato farm for one summer. I earned 50 cents per hour. I also babysat periodically. At 16 I began working at the local Dairy Queen and earned 75 cents per hour. I have always held down at least one job and before I graduated with a law degree, I usually had two jobs at the same time. For example, during law school I worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office as a clerk and I worked as a waitress on the weekends. Suffice it to say, I have a strong work ethic.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Conviction by Denver Nicks. It is the history of a tragic miscarriage of justice in 1943 when I young Black man, W. D. Lyons, was wrongfully charged with a horrific triple murder that had actually been perpetuated by White men from a pre-release prison facility. Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, represented Mr. Lyons. The book provides fascinating historical accounts of the times and reveals the propensity of people to tolerate wrongs in our society.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, I believe experience in government can be extremely valuable to a person serving in the state senate. An awareness of and understanding of the agencies through which government policy is executed is certainly a prerequisite to proposing changes or consolidation or elimination of some functions. As a District Judge for 25 years, I frequently handled cases involving government entities so that I believe that I have a considerable base of knowledge and understanding of Oklahoma's government and the constitution which limits it.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely! I believe building relationships is essential to being an effective legislator. As a retired judge after a 25 year judicial career, and a professionally trained Mediator, I have substantial experience in dealing with an environment where conflicting views require negotiation and cooperation to achieve a desired result. I have proven over these years that I will work with integrity and a steady hand to resolve the difficult circumstances we will face over the next months and years.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I have always regarded Henry Bellmon as one of the best governors Oklahoma has had. He maintained a conservative approach to government and had the reputation of respecting and working with those who held views different from his. He was instrumental in ushering in the most comprehensive and significant public education legislation that promoted smaller class sizes and fair teacher compensation. I read his biography many years ago and I've always been impressed by how down to earth he was for a man who achieved such high offices and substantial influence. I am still guided by his approach to government. As a state senator, I would follow his example.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Linda G. Morrissey did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Awards and associations

• 2003: Inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame
• Judge of the Year, National Child Support Enforcement Association
• Board of Directors, Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts
• Board of Directors, Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

• Oklahoma District Courts
• Tulsa County, Oklahoma
• Courts in Oklahoma
• Local trial court judicial elections, 2018

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Tulsa County and Judges"
• Campaign website

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Oklahoma State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Julie Daniels

Senators

District 1

Micheal Bergstrom (R)

District 2

Ally Seifried (R)

District 3

Julie McIntosh (R)

District 4

Tom Woods (R)

District 5

George Burns (R)

District 6

David Bullard (R)

District 7

Warren Hamilton (R)

District 8

Vacant

District 9

Avery Frix (R)

District 10

Bill Coleman (R)

District 11

Regina Goodwin (D)

District 12

Todd Gollihare (R)

District 13

Jonathan Wingard (R)

District 14

Jerry Alvord (R)

District 15

Lisa Standridge (R)

District 16

Mary Boren (D)

District 17

Shane Jett (R)

District 18

Jack Stewart (R)

District 19

Roland Pederson (R)

District 20

Chuck Hall (R)

District 21

Randy Grellner (R)

District 22

Kristen Thompson (R)

District 23

Lonnie Paxton (R)

District 24

Darrell Weaver (R)

District 25

Brian Guthrie (R)

District 26

Darcy Jech (R)

District 27

Casey Murdock (R)

District 28

Grant Green (R)

District 29

Julie Daniels (R)

District 30

Julia Kirt (D)

District 31

Spencer Kern (R)

District 32

Dusty Deevers (R)

District 33

Christi Gillespie (R)

District 34

Dana Prieto (R)

District 35

Jo Anna Dossett (D)

District 36

John Haste (R)

District 37

Aaron Reinhardt (R)

District 38

Brent Howard (R)

District 39

Dave Rader (R)

District 40

Carri Hicks (D)

District 41

Adam Pugh (R)

District 42

Brenda Stanley (R)

District 43

Kendal Sacchieri (R)

District 44

Michael Brooks (D)

District 45

Paul Rosino (R)

District 46

Mark Mann (D)

District 47

Kelly Hines (R)

District 48

Nikki Nice (D)

Republican Party (39)

Democratic Party (8)

Vacancies (1)