Oklahoma Politics
With the state constitution in place, elections were held in 1907 for offices of the new state government. Murray was elected as a state representative, and became the first Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His ally Charles Haskell was elected as Governor.
As House Speaker, Murray often opposed the progressive work of Kate Barnard, Commissioner of Charities and Corrections, and pushed for Jim Crow laws similar to those in southern states to control blacks. He left the House after one term, and did not seek re-election in 1908.
In 1910, Murray ran for Governor but lost in the Democratic primary. In 1912, Murray was elected as U.S. Representative from one of Oklahoma's three at-large seats. (Oklahoma gained three seats in the 1910 Congressional apportionment, but had not drawn up a new district map.) In 1914, he was elected to a second term from the 4th Congressional District under the new map. In 1916, he was defeated for renomination.
In 1918, Murray again ran for Governor and lost in the Democratic primary. He retired from politics and returned to private law practice in Tishomingo. In 1924, Murray led a group of Oklahoma ranchers who formed a colony in southeastern Bolivia. He stayed in Bolivia until 1929, when he returned to Oklahoma to run for Governor in 1930.
Read more about this topic: William H. Murray
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