Alicia Andrews
Alicia Andrews | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party | |
| In office June 8, 2019 – June 29, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Anna Langthorn |
| Succeeded by | John Waldron |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1, 1967 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Oklahoma (BA) |
Alicia Andrews (born February, 1, 1967)[1] is an American politician who served as the chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party from 2019 to 2025.[2] Before that, she served for two years as the Tulsa County Democratic Party secretary.[3] She was the first African-American to hold the position of party chairwoman.[4]
Career
Andrews served as chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party for three consecutive terms from 2019 to 2025. [5]During her tenure, the party saw improved financial stability and launched initiatives aimed at increasing voter engagement. [6]However, in November 2024, an unfair labor practice charge was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the party, alleging refusal to bargain in good faith, failure to provide information, contract repudiation or modification, and coercive statements. As of 2025, the case remains pending.
In 2024, Andrews filed to run for the Tulsa City Council that year,[7] where she lost with just under 36% of the vote to Karen Gilbert. [8] After the 2024 Elections, Andrews announced her candidacy for Chair of the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC).[9] However Nebraska Chair Jane Kleeb eventually won this election. In 2025 Andrews declared her candidacy for a fourth consecutive term as Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. The race became especially contentious amid a wave of deepfake disinformation targeting State Representative John Waldron.[10] Just days before the convention, a voice clip purporting to feature Waldron making racially charged remarks surfaced. After forensic analysis, including acoustic waveform review and a tool from Resemble.ai, the recording was confirmed to be AI-generated and fraudulent. Waldron would go onto win decisively on the first ballot with 321 votes (56.2%), defeating Andrews who received 139 votes (24.4%). Kevin Dawson, a union advocate, received an additional 100 votes (17.5%). [11]
References
- ^ "Oklahoma Democrats Elect 1st African-American to Lead Party". AP News. June 10, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Executive Committee". Oklahoma Democratic Party. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Oklahoma Democratic party, for first time, elects African American woman as chairwoman". 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa. 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Gray, Sarah (2021-03-18). "Womxn's History Month: Alicia Andrews, Okla. Democratic Party Chairwoman". Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Oklahoma Dems Elect State Officers in Historic First". Okemah News Leader. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Home | Alicia Andrews for ODP Chair". My Site 1. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Casey, Bella (June 12, 2023). "Tulsa municipal election filings close; last-minute candidates join field". Tulsa World. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "OK Election Results". Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Alicia Andrews". Alicia Andrews. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ Osborne, Nehemiah Frank, Andrew Sartain, Deon (2025-06-27). "Fake AI Audio Used in Oklahoma Democratic Party Election". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Oklahoma Democratic Party". OK Democratic Party. Retrieved 2025-06-30.