After voters defeated the outspoken incumbent, Curtis Erwin and Jean Hausheer offer different backgrounds but similar promises of collaboration and results.
LAWTON — The primary defeat of state Sen. Dusty Deevers assured Senate District 32 of new representation. It also raised a broader question for the Oklahoma Senate: What kind of Republican will replace a lawmaker known for challenging Senate leaders and pressing an uncompromising social agenda?
The Rev. Curtis Erwin and Dr. Jean Hausheer will meet in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff for the Lawton-area seat. Although both offer broadly conservative platforms, neither describes an approach resembling the confrontational style that marked Deevers’ Senate tenure.
Hausheer describes herself as a Christian constitutional conservative. Erwin, a Baptist minister, emphasizes protecting taxpayers and constitutional freedoms, supporting law enforcement and reducing regulation.
Their differences emerge more clearly through their backgrounds and leading priorities. Hausheer, a retired ophthalmologist, makes property-tax relief her top legislative goal. Erwin, a longtime pastor and former Goodyear manager, places economic development at the center of his campaign.
A physician and a minister
Hausheer is a board-certified ophthalmologist who practiced medicine and surgery for 45 years. She now volunteers as medical director of Hearts That Care, a free eye clinic in Lawton serving uninsured and underinsured patients.
She previously served as volunteer medical director of a local pregnancy resource center, led international medical mission teams and spent 38 years teaching and training eye physicians and surgeons.
“Throughout my career, I’ve solved complex problems, worked with people holding different viewpoints, and made decisions where outcomes mattered,” Hausheer said. “Those same skills are essential in the state Legislature.”
Hausheer said conversations with residents while campaigning door to door convinced her that voters want more than political rhetoric.
“People are tired of politicians who talk more than they accomplish,” she said. “They want someone who listens, shows up and gets things done. That’s exactly the kind of constitutional conservative leadership I intend to provide.”
Erwin has served as senior pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Elgin for 17 years. Before entering full-time ministry, he spent 21 years with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in Lawton, working in production, human resources and manufacturing management.
“I have always tried to live a life of service, beginning at home and extending into the community where I live and work,” Erwin said. “Over the years, I have served by coaching Little League teams, providing free school supplies, feeding those in need, helping people find jobs, and supporting neighbors in practical ways.”
Erwin said he entered the race because state leaders do not always reflect the everyday concerns of southwest Oklahoma families.
“Having raised a family in District 32, I understand both its challenges and its blessings,” he said. “With my children grown, I am now able to devote my full attention to serving and supporting the people of this district.”
Property taxes and job growth
Hausheer identified affordability, taxes and education as the district’s leading concerns, with property taxes demanding the most immediate attention.
“Assessments are making it very hard for working Oklahoma families and people on fixed incomes to stay in their homes, and the situation only gets worse the longer it goes unaddressed,” she said.
Hausheer also supports reducing regulations, requiring audits when state agencies request additional funding, addressing what she calls health care waste and hidden markups, and expanding school choice.
“We must ensure every child can read at grade level, recruit and retain outstanding teachers, strengthen parental choice, and invest wisely in classroom education,” she said.
Hausheer said Republican control of the Legislature and governor’s office should make her priorities achievable.
“My priorities are straightforward: reduce property taxes, cut unnecessary regulations, increase government accountability through audits when agencies seek additional funding, reduce health care waste and hidden markups, and expand educational opportunities for families,” she said.
Erwin identified limited economic opportunity, education and the rising cost of everyday life as the district’s three biggest challenges. He supports economic incentives and infrastructure investments intended to attract companies offering good wages and health benefits.
“Economic development is the foundation of a strong community,” Erwin said. “When families have access to good-paying jobs with strong benefits, they gain better educational opportunities and improved access to the health care they need to thrive.”
On education, Erwin called for teacher pay competitive with surrounding states and greater long-term certainty about compensation. He also said universities and CareerTech programs should prepare more students for jobs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the skilled trades.
Erwin said he would oppose new taxes, work toward reducing the state income tax through stronger economic development and support ending property taxes for residents age 65 and older.
“I want to cut unnecessary regulations, improve roads and infrastructure, and make sure state government is accountable to the people,” he said.
Neither candidate explained how schools, counties and other local services would replace revenue lost through the property-tax changes they support.
Navigating Senate divisions
The candidates were asked how they would approach disagreements between Republican Senate leaders and the Senate Freedom Caucus. Neither chose a side, and both emphasized relationships and cooperation.
Erwin said a senator should help bring people together without losing sight of the people represented.
“Throughout my life, I have led people with different ideas and perspectives toward agreements that serve the greater good,” Erwin said. “Resolving disagreements starts with staying focused on the people we represent.”
He said legislators should consider the needs of the entire state while remaining attentive to the districts that elected them.
“Every senator has a duty to represent their constituents,” Erwin said. “I believe legislators should write and vote on bills that benefit people across every part of our state.”
Hausheer compared legislative disagreements to the differing opinions she encountered during her medical career.
“My job was to listen carefully, find common ground whenever possible, and make thoughtful decisions that served the patient’s best interests,” she said. “I’ll bring that same approach to the Senate. Relationships matter. Listening matters.”
Hausheer said Republicans can work together without abandoning their principles, but her first obligation would remain with the district.
“When compromise doesn’t conflict with my district’s values, I’ll pursue it,” she said. “When it does, my constituents come first.”
What voters can expect
Asked what voters are seeking after Deevers’ primary defeat, Hausheer answered with three standards: “presence, accountability and results.”
“Presence means knowing every community in Senate District 32 and being engaged year-round, not just during election season,” she said. “Accountability means returning to your constituents and answering questions honestly about your record. Results means benefiting the people you serve through measurable policy outcomes.”
She said she would judge her first term by whether her priorities became law and produced measurable improvements.
“I will define a successful first term by outcomes, not activity,” Hausheer said.
Erwin emphasized a senator’s connection to the district.
“I believe voters in southwest Oklahoma want a senator who listens, understands the district’s needs, and legislates accordingly,” he said. “They want someone who represents them because they have lived, worked, and raised a family here in southwest Oklahoma.”
He said success would mean residents felt heard and well served and that the Legislature had created greater opportunities for working families.
“At the end of my first term, I want voters to be able to say southwest Oklahoma is stronger, their voice was heard, and I kept the promises I made,” Erwin said.
