An independent candidate for Oklahoma governor stood before a Rogers County judge Thursday and pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of threatening to perform an act of violence. Robert Brooks, who is campaigning under the banner of his self-described Farmer Servant Movement, had his bond cut in half by the judge, and it was posted shortly after.
Brooks appeared in the Rogers County courtroom on Thursday, according to KOCO, where he entered his not-guilty plea to the single misdemeanor count. His attorneys told the court the charge stemmed from an allegation that Brooks threatened another man sometime during the summer, and they maintained their client denies the allegations entirely.
Defense attorneys asked the judge to reduce Brooks' bond, arguing he posed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public. They further contended that the facts alleged in the case were unlikely to produce a guilty verdict if the matter ever reached trial, per the station's report. The judge agreed to cut the bond in half, and Brooks posted it not long after the hearing concluded.
A Run Against the Status Quo
Brooks is one of three independent candidates seeking the governor's office this cycle, running alongside Republican Mike Mazzei and Democrat Cyndi Munson, according to Oklahoma Voice. A Moore resident who owns an insurance brokerage, Brooks has also previously served briefly as Latimer County sheriff, the same outlet notes.
Brooks has built his campaign around the slogan “Vote We the People,” part of a platform that, according to Smarter.Vote, centers on phrases like “Let the People Decide,” “Let the People See,” “Ask the People Before Major Decisions,” and “Protect the Constitutional Rights of Every Oklahoman.” He has told Oklahoma Voice that the state's Republican and Democratic parties have “pitted neighbor against neighbor” for two decades, and that voters are hungry for leadership and unity rather than division.
Platform Built on Transparency and Local Grievances
His campaign materials describe a vision that includes giving citizens a direct voice in state government through what he calls the People's App, increasing transparency through the People's Table, protecting the state's natural resources, strengthening education, expanding affordable health care options and modernizing government, according to his campaign site, Vote We the People. Brooks has also advocated for government changes at the county and city levels involving property taxes and water issues.
In an interview with 7News Political Analyst Justin Allen Rose, reported by KSWO, Brooks laid out his plans for the state if elected. He has described his own governance style as a blend drawing on Jesus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, and he refers to himself as the self-proclaimed “farmer's servant.”
Independent voters made up roughly 20.4% of Oklahoma's slightly more than 2.4 million registered voters as of February 2, according to Oklahoma Voice, a sliver of the electorate that candidates like Brooks are courting as the November 3 election approaches. The misdemeanor case against Brooks remains pending following Thursday's plea, with no additional details on a future court date included in the record reviewed for this report.
