Oklahoma Rep. Mike Synar, D, one of Congress’ leading
advocates for federal grazing reform, lost a Democratic primary
runoff Sept. 20 to a little-known retired school principal. Virgil
Cooper defeated the eight-term congressman 52 percent to 48
percent. Ranchers cheered the defeat of the outspoken critic of
“welfare cowboys’ using public lands in the West, while
environmentalists lamented the loss of a strong ally. “We’re still
stunned,” says Sandra Rose, chair of Sierra Club’s Oklahoma
political committee. Rose says Synar, whose environmental voting
record regularly landed him at the top of the League of
Conservation Voters’ list, may have fallen victim to a term limit
initiative on the same ballot. “The people supporting term limits
showed up in droves,” she says. Grazing reform activists say
Synar’s loss, while sad, will not slow the drive for change on the
range. Says Rose Strickland of the Sierra Club, “The train has
already left the station; range reform will happen, with or without
Synar.”
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Mike Synar loses.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
