By Conrad Easterday, WVW Editor
conrad@washitavalleyweekly.com

State Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, says she’s worked hard in her first four years representing the 43rd District in the Oklahoma Senate. More than 70 of her bills have become law in her freshman term. Many of her colleagues won’t pass that much legislation in three terms, she said.
That hard work will continue in her second term if voters send her back to the Capitol, she said. The 38-year-old mother of four will face fellow Republican Kendal Sacchieri, 32, in the June 18 primary.
Sacchieri, who was featured in an earlier issue of the Washita Valley Weekly, is a former teacher and current McClain County Assessor while Garvin made a career in long-term health care before launching a public relations firm in 2022. She remains an advocate for seniors and health care.
“I’m not someone who’s going to try to get elected on talking points,” Garvin said. “I want to solve actual problems. A lot of people are running on talking points.”
Two bills that highlight Garvin’s willingness to tackle difficult issues concern rape. A bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for rape in cases of new DNA evidence or a confession is awaiting the governor’s signature. A second bill clarified the definition of rape to include acts within or without the bonds of matrimony.
“I’ve learned that there are some issues that are not fun to talk about, but they need to be taken care of,” Garvin said. “Spousal rape was a contentious issue for some people in the (Capitol). It should have been eliminated 100 years ago. There are issues that affect women that are not comfortable for old men to be talking about even as a matter of public policy.”
If Garvin succeeds against Sacchieri on June 18 and Democrat Sam Graefe of Purcell in the general election, she has slate of issues that she would like to tackle. The first of which, and perhaps the most difficult, is court reform. It hasn’t been a popular topic, but Garvin believes the governor will help push the topic to the forefront of debate.
Although Oklahoma senators can serve 12 years under the state’s term limits laws, Garvin isn’t certain she will run a third time.
“I felt the first time, God wasn’t calling me to win, but he was calling me to run.” she explained. “I’m less concerned about getting elected than doing what’s best for the state and best for the district.”