Rep. John Waldron, who resigned as Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman after sending a woman an AI-generated sexualized GIF, has filed an irrevocable letter to resign from his House District 77 seat effective Oct. 1 — more than five months from now and less than two months before his current term will end.
Waldron (D-Tulsa) sent Gov. Kevin Stitt his resignation letter today amid mounting pressure from Democratic colleagues for him to leave office. The public push for Waldron’s resignation began late last week after he confirmed that he sent a woman who was considering running for office an AI-generated animation of them kissing last fall. Waldron confirmed that his “mistake” constituted the real reason he had resigned as Democratic Party chairman in December.
Asked about the situation Friday, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson said Waldron had been suspended from the Democratic Caucus earlier this year and had been asked to resign and not seek reelection. Waldron declined to resign and filed for reelection April 2, irritating several of his colleagues.
The situation escalated this week after other women posted social media statements about Waldron and criticized House Democratic Caucus leaders and state party officials for keeping the matter private. However, Munson (D-OKC) emphasized that she had taken “swift action in contacting and working alongside the victim to hold Rep. Waldron accountable,” saying “nothing was done without consulting the person affected by this abhorrent behavior.”
With Waldron writing that his resignation will be effective Oct. 1, he did not immediately address whether he intends to stay at the Capitol for the remainder of the current legislative session, which is set to adjourn in May. A spokeswoman for Munson said Waldron is not expected to participate over the final weeks of session.
On Monday, Waldron announced the suspension of his reelection campaign, something he reiterated in his resignation letter Thursday.
“Additionally, this is an irrevocable affidavit certifying my intention to not serve as a state representative for the 61st Legislature, assuring you that I will not accept the position should I receive a majority of the votes cast in the June 16 primary election,” Waldron wrote in his letter to Stitt, “(If reelected, I am) asking you to call a special election to allow the district to select their choice of who should represent them if my resignation be necessary.”
Waldron, who has represented HD 77 since his initial election in 2018, expressed contrition for his actions Monday and expressed hope “for eventual forgiveness, if possible.”
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“To the person I wronged, to my constituents, and to those who’ve supported me along the way, I want you to know the depth and breadth of the sorrow and remorse in my heart,” Waldron said. “Some have said it was because I was caught, but it sincerely is because I know what I did was wrong and I have let many of you down.”
Despite the suspension of his campaign, Waldron will remain on the June primary ballot against fellow Democrat Kristina Gabriel, who is expected to win the seat since no other candidate filed for the position.
In a statement Thursday, Munson said Waldron will remain suspended from the House Democratic Caucus “through the effective date of his resignation.” Munson further said she stands by her previous comments on the situation from April 10, in which she asserted she “takes all allegations of misconduct seriously.”
Asked about Waldron during his weekly press availability, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said Thursday that he first heard of the complaint levied against Waldron from news coverage of the incident last week.
“If there is anything else going on, certainly I would want to know any other allegations or anything along those lines and take that through a process of vetting any of those charges. But everything that I’ve seen has been by the press,” said Hilbert (R-Bristow). “If there was an investigation by the minority caucus, I have not seen it. I have not seen the findings of it. They have not spoken to me about any findings.”
Hilbert said that, on Wednesday, Waldron had contacted him asking to “change locations” and move his seat toward the back of the House floor.
Hilbert discussed the situation Thursday prior to the revelation that Waldron had submitted a resignation letter. Asked if he felt Waldron should resign given the information available, Hilbert said he would like to learn more.
“If [Democratic leaders] have done an investigation, which according to articles (…) they mentioned they had done an investigation, I would love to see that investigation and what the results of it were, because I have not seen anything today,” Hilbert said. “Ultimately, I would like to see any results of any further investigations before making a comment as to his continued service.”
Rep. Amanda Clinton was among the House Democratic Caucus members who had publicly called for Waldron’s resignation. In a lengthy statement Thursday evening, Clinton (D-Tulsa) said she appreciated Waldron’s decision to resign, “although an Oct. 1 effective date suggests a continued lack of personal responsibility.”
Clinton’s full statement read:
First, I am pleased that Rep. Waldron has chosen to resign from the House of Representatives, although an Oct. 1 effective date suggests a continued lack of personal responsibility. Even so, I appreciate the work of Leader Munson and our Democratic caucus in taking serious action while preserving the anonymity of the young woman he harmed. I am ready to turn the page on this chapter and refocus our efforts on solving problems for everyday Oklahomans.
But more broadly and far more importantly, there is no universe in which it is acceptable for any person, especially someone in a position of public trust, to use their power to harass, abuse, sexualize or otherwise demean another person. Ever.
As one of countless women who have experienced sexual harassment in a professional setting, I desperately long for a day when this behavior no longer exists, and women can pursue their chosen career path and life choices free from abusive and inappropriate behavior. At a bare minimum, we deserve that.
To any victim of sexual harassment or abuse, you are not alone. You have nothing to be ashamed of, embarrassed by or anxious about. Those feelings should be reserved for abusers. Never forget that you have value and strength, but most importantly, you have a voice. I hope we join our voices together to demand safety, dignity and respect for one another, until the day these conversations are no longer necessary.
Read Rep. John Waldron’s resignation letter
(Correction: This article was updated moments after its posting to correct a mathematical error. It was updated again at 9:05 p.m. Thursday, April 16, to include comment from Rep. Amanda Clinton.)
