Oklahoma City physician files for governor, calls for mask mandate

Nov. 6--Former state Sen. Ervin Yen, an Oklahoma City Republican, became the first official candidate for governor this week when he registered with the state Ethics Commission.

Yen, an anesthesiologist, said COVID-19 would be his top issue and that he would push for a statewide mask mandate, something Gov. Kevin Stitt has repeatedly declined to impose.

"Everyday I see the new deaths and that just ticks me off more," Yen said in an interview. "As a physician and former chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, I feel like I've got to do something. The state is not doing anything about it ... We've got to have a statewide mask mandate for every county."

Yen was defeated in his 2018 GOP primary after authoring legislation to remove some of the exemptions currently used to avoid vaccinations. His Republican opponent was backed by people who oppose mandated vaccinations. The Senate seat was eventually won by Democrat Carrie Hicks.

The online news site nondoc.com first reported Yen had filed for governor. He registered on Tuesday.

Stitt, who is serving his first term, has not announced whether he would run for reelection in 2022. Stitt has said local governments should decide whether to impose mask mandates.

Yen predicted the coronavirus would still be present in two years, even if an effective vaccination is available.

He said he was also opposed to the governor's efforts to privatize Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for low-income people; the plan to relocate the state Health Department lab from Oklahoma City to Stillwater; and the health commissioner's move to roll back a rule requiring parents to undergo a "brief instructional presentation" before exempting their children from immunizations for religious or personal reasons.

Yen said the only exception for vaccinations should be medical.

"I truly want Oklahoma to be a top ten state when it comes to our health," he said.

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