The Ekklesia’s Last Gasp
Amid claims of threats, police complaints and political ambushes, a GOP Senate runoff race in southeastern Oklahoma has become a bitter, volatile struggle, pitting a group of Guthrie-based abolition extremists, many of whom cannot legally vote in the race, against an incumbent Republican legislator and his angry supporters.
The runoff election fight between incumbent Sen. Larry Boggs and his last remaining GOP challenger, Warren Hamilton, is part of a larger battle between the abolitionist group, headed by a self-described minister named Daniel Navejas and a majority of GOP legislative Republicans and the GOP House and Senate leadership.
Navejas is the leader of the Ekklesia of Oklahoma, which has disrupted GOP politics in their hometown of Guthrie for years and is causing major internal headaches for the state Republicans from the chairman of the party, David McClain, to Gov. Kevin Stitt and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell on down, according to sources familiar with the turmoil.
The Ekklesia backed more than a dozen abolitionist candidates from the Panhandle to Little Dixie during the state’s June primary.
All but Hamilton were trounced by large margins.
Boggs captured almost half the vote in his district during the primary. He was followed closely by Hamilton. The fact that a third candidate was on the ballot kept either of the two top candidates from winning outright.
The primary outcome was 3,348 votes for Boggs, 3,045 for Hamilton and 755 for Kevin Woody.
Woody has publicly endorsed Boggs for re-election saying voters should be wary of Hamilton because of his reputation and business actions.
The race’s runoff war erupted into a shouting match during a Haskell County GOP meeting recently.
Navejas and his supporters f looded the meeting en masse, filling the room and videotaping the event, even though Republican officials had told them videotaping the meeting was prohibited.
As the meeting ended, a verbal clash erupted between some of the Navejas group and Boggs. The senator became angry when some of the abolitionist group challenged his pro-life stance.
“It was a really good meeting,” said Pittsburg County and GOP State Committeeman Lonnie Lu Anderson, “until at the end.”
Anderson accused Navejas and the Ekklesia members of attempting to “set up” Boggs by packing the event with their supporters and berating the senator about his abortion stance and votes.
“I felt it was setup at the end and they just don’t shut up,” Anderson said of Navejas and his fellow abolitionists.
Her sentiments were backed up by Woody, who also was at the meeting.
“I think it was hogwash,” Woody said. “I think it was a setup. I’ve told people to vote for Boggs. I don’t think we can trust Hamilton.”
Anderson noted the Ekklesia group “told Senator David Bullard, who came to the meeting, that he was going to Hell” because he hasn’t supported the group’s extremist legislation.
Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat rebuked Navejas and his abolitionists while defending Boggs.
“Larry Boggs is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He doesn’t intimidate easily,” Treat said. “When people try to smear his record, call into his relationship with Christ and tarnish his good name, he will defend himself.
“Out-of-town agitators are trying to mislead people about Larry, but the people of Senate District 7 know Senator Boggs well and they won’t be duped.
“He is a good man and a great senator,” Treat said.
Navejas and the Ekklesia are furious that their favored abor- tion bill, SB 13, has not been voted on in the last two legislative sessions. The legislation died in committee at the end of the 2020 legislative session.
That legislation would have made anyone performing, assisting or obtaining an abortion subject to being charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
Following the incident, Navejas published what some who attended the meeting contend is an “altered” or “edited” version of the exchange with Boggs.
In the video, Boggs appears angry as some of the abolitionists confront him. Navejas stands stoically with a smirk on his face while Boggs begins to addresses him.
Navejas keeps telling Boggs to “repent” while the senator responds angrily telling the anti-abortion crusader he repents every day — to God. Boggs then offers to take the exchange “outside.”
Other videos of the exchange reportedly showing more of what led up to the Ekklesia’s attack, but the Ledger has not been able to confirm those exist and has not been provided any other recorded evidence of the event.
Following the argument, Navejas filed a police complaint against Boggs for allegedly threatening him.
However, the D.A. declined to prosecute, saying no crime had been committed because the individuals were exercising the First Amendment rights.
Anderson said Navejas and his followers have been spreading “unfair rumors and lies about Larry” and other Republican candidates who won’t bow down to their anti-abortion extremist demands.
She lashed out at state GOP leaders and elected officials who “have done nothing to stop this. This is ridiculous. They (Navejas and the Ekklesia) harass everyone.”
“Other people are complaining (about the abolitionists) too,” Anderson said. “The (state) leadership should do something, resign or be gone or something, if they aren’t going to do something about this.”