Oklahoma Democrats Cultivate Rice as Possible Foe to Sen. InhofeBy Rachel Kapochunas
Despite the long- and strong-running Republican trend in conservative-leaning Oklahoma, Democrats argue that Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe is vulnerable for his 2008 bid for re-election in that state.
In justifying their optimism, Democratic activists point to Inhofe’s penchant for blunt remarks — including his strongly worded skepticism about global warming as a threat to mankind. They also note Inhofe’s steadfast support for the war in Iraq and President Bush, both subjects of widespread voter dissatisfaction.
So far, the best-known potential Democratic challengers have opted out of the contest, perhaps wary of taking on an entrenched Republican incumbent in a state where Democrats last won a Senate race in 1990, hold just one of the five House seats and saw their 2004 presidential nominee, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, take just 34 percent of the vote to 66 percent for Bush.
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So the party has begun rallying behind the possible — though uncertain — candidacy of 34-year-old Democratic
state Sen. Andrew Rice, whom {Party Chairwoman Lisa} Pryor called an “up-and-coming big name” in Oklahoma.
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Rice earned a master’s degree in theological studies at Harvard University’s Divinity School and has produced documentaries on AIDS in India.
He is the founder of the nonprofit Progressive Alliance Foundation in Oklahoma City and is active with the group September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. He told CQPolitics.com on Tuesday that he was prompted to get involved in politics after his brother David was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Center.
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http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/05/oklahoma_democrats_cultivate_r.html This guy looks like an incredible candidate, though he is a little young. Could he really beat Inhofe? If he could, he could be a star.
Andrew graduated in 1996 from Colby College (Waterville, Maine) with a Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies and a minor in African American Studies. After graduation, he was accepted to Harvard University Divinity School, but deferred his admission for one year to work and travel in Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. In Sri Lanka, he worked with the largest Grassroots NGO in Asia, helping with rural development in Village life and in the conflict zone. In Thailand, Rice worked for the country's largest private AIDS hospice and in India, he studied drug addiction problems and treatment in urban India.
Rice received his Masters in Theological Studies from the Harvard University Divinity School in 1999. While in graduate school, Andrew produced a documentary in Bangalore, India entitled "From Ashes" which focused on India’s AIDS pandemic.
Andrew's older brother, David Rice, was killed in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11th, 2001 and due to the tragedy, Andrew decided to rededicate his career to social justice work and political reforms. He worked for the Texas Freedom Network, which counters the influence of religious extremism in public policy. He is the founder of the Progressive Alliance Foundation which works throughout the state of Oklahoma advancing progressive, fair-minded and constitutional solutions to public policy problems. He also launched the Red River Democracy Project (RRDP) and is on the board of The People's Opinion Project.
Andrew is married to Dr. Apple Newman Rice who is a Pathologist at Integris Southwest Hospital on the south side of Oklahoma City. They have two sons: Noah David and Parker Harrison.
http://www.runandrewrun.com
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