Hello!

My name is Sam Wargin Grimaldo, and I’m running to be a strong, progressive voice for Oklahoma Senate District 46. I was born and raised in the district, and my life experience has provided me with a deep understanding of what the people in central Oklahoma need from our elected officials. We need them to speak up against the radical ideology being masked as political discourse and we need pragmatic approaches to getting common sense legislation passed. We need to ensure that the services meant to benefit all of us – public education, healthcare, infrastructure, criminal justice reform, housing – are fully funded and supported by our government. Plainly put, we need accountability in our state government and a willingness to listen to the people who make up our great state.

If you drew a map of my major life events, it would overlap almost completely within Senate District 46. From my early years in southeast OKC attending Shidler Elementary, to my family’s move into the Capitol Hill District – where I still live – to my middle and high school experiences at Classen SAS, and now my law practice serving people all over the state, every significant event of my life shares deep ties to this part of Oklahoma. I pride myself in having received a public school education right here in OKC and the experiences that it has afforded me. Growing up in a working class family on the south side of Oklahoma CIty has provided me with a unique and inclusive perspective as well as an unflinching drive to ensure that all Oklahomans are able to share the benefits that our state’s growth and development brings.

I am a first generation American, the son of a Mexican immigrant mother, but I am not new to serving my community and my fellow Oklahomans. After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma, I worked with the Latino Community Development Agency to provide youth and family programming before becoming a high school teacher for OKCPS. My experience as a teacher, and my participation in the teacher walkout of 2018, opened my eyes to the myriad ways in which our state government has fallen short and failed to provide our students, teachers, and families with adequate funding and support to ensure a robust and successful public education system. That experience, and the realization that my students’ lives were so deeply affected by policy and legal decisions at various levels of government, led me to pursue a law degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Now that I have earned my law degree and I have practiced law throughout the state, my resolve to ensure accountability in our government has only strengthened. I know that we need strong and well-informed leadership to address the issues facing us, and that is what I intend to bring to the State Senate. I hope to have the opportunity to earn your vote!

Sam Wargin Grimaldo
Candidate for Oklahoma Senate District 46