that hard work pays off.
“Things stopped happening around me, it was really surreal,” said Ikley-Freeman.
Senator-elect Ikley-Freeman campaigned for the District 37 seat for
more than four months. She found out Tuesday night she’dwon the election.
“I won by 31 votes That’s a big impact, every single vote mattered," said Ikley-Freeman.
So who is this 26-year-old mother of three?
Ikley-Freeman is a mental health practitioner in Tulsa. She works with people who can’t afford mental health services. It’s feeling she can relate to after being homeless herself for years.
“If you get out and work hard to whatever you’re trying to achieve, even if you don’t make it the first time, if you keep working you’re going to get there," said Ikley-Freeman.
Ikley-Freeman raked in over 50 percent of the votes. Republican Brian O’Hara came in just shy at 49.6 percent. Fewer than 4,500 voters came out for this special election, compared to more than 31,000 for last year’s regular general election.Ikley-Freeman had her eye on the prize and credits her victory to knowing where to campaign.
“When there’s somebody who lives two streets down telling you about a candidate saying she can help us, that makes a difference,” said Ikley-Freeman.
As a young democrat, happily married to another woman, she flipped the script in this conservative district.
She did it with the help of volunteers like Luke Harris, who knocked on over 560 doors in support of Ikley-Freeman.“If you inspire volunteers to knock on doors, you can flip districts from red to blue,” said Harris.
Ikley-freeman will have to wait until February to take the seat, as Dan Newberry’s resignation becomes effective Jan. 31.
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