From French Class to Fighting for Eastern Oklahoma with Erik Terwey He Saw a $100,000 Medical Bill and Decided to Run for Congress. He did not want to run for office. He wanted to teach French, help kids conjugate verbs, and maybe quilt on the weekends. But somewhere between a $100,000 hospital bill, an overdraft notice, and watching rural hospitals close one by one across Eastern Oklahoma, Erik Terwey made a decision that changed everything. Not out of ambition. Out of exhaustion. And out of the quiet, stubborn belief that if nobody else was going to show up and fight, he would do it himself. This episode matters because it is not really about politics. It is about what happens when the systems that are supposed to catch people stop working, and one person decides to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Whether you live in Oklahoma or not, whether you have ever thought about running for office or not, Erik's story will hit you somewhere real. The healthcare crisis, the rural hospital closures, the weight of student debt and medical debt and the particular panic of watching your bank account go negative before the month is over. These are not abstract policy issues. They are the texture of daily life for millions of Americans who have never had a representative who actually lived it with them. Erik Terwey is a Bartlesville native, a Teach for America alumnus, a former public school French teacher, a union member, and a master's degree holder from the University of Oklahoma. He is running as a progressive Democrat in Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District, one of the reddest, most rural districts in the country, against a two-term incumbent. He refuses PAC money and corporate donations. He introduced a formal bill recognizing the Cherokee Nation's treaty right to a delegate in the U.S. House. And he is running on Medicare for All, fully funded public schools, affordable energy, and an end to the forever wars. Today he sat down with host Molly to talk about all of it, and the conversation did not disappoint. Key Takeaways Erik did not enter politics out of ambition. He entered it because he watched his students go hungry, saw his friend's small business struggle without government support, faced a $100,000 medical bill himself, and realized that nobody was coming to help. He decided to be the person who showed up. Rural hospital closures in Eastern Oklahoma are not a future threat. They are happening right now. Seventy percent of rural hospitals in the region are operating at a loss. Women in the southeastern part of the state are driving two hours out of state just to see an OB-GYN. Erik argues that a healthy community is the foundation of any version of the American dream, and that without accessible healthcare, everything else falls apart. Running without PAC money is both a values statement and a logistical challenge. Erik's campaign manager is his best friend and works without pay because she believes in the mission. He argues that a true grassroots progressive can run a shoestring campaign and still win, because the energy in the room when he speaks to real voters is something no corporate donor can manufacture. On faith and voting records, Erik does not attack Josh Brecheen's Christianity. He holds it up as a mirror. His message to faith communities in Eastern Oklahoma is simple: stop listening to what your representative says and start looking at what he does. Voting to cut food assistance and healthcare is not what Jesus would do, and Erik is not shy about saying so. On the economic transition away from oil and gas, Erik points to the Mission for America blueprint at newconsensus.com as a detailed, 21-point plan for moving the economy forward without leaving pipeline workers and roughnecks behind. He argues that progressives are no longer just dreamers. They are planners and doers, and the plans are already written. "Nobody is coming to help us. And it's time for somebody to start talking about the things that we're going through that really matter to us. If no one's gonna stand up and fight for me, then I'll do it myself." - Erik Terwey "I think that voting for guys like you and helping guys like you in your campaign feels like a good place to start." - Molly Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Erik's background01:52 The moment Erik decided to run for Congress04:34 Student debt, small business struggles, and the $100,000 medical bill06:19 Why nobody is coming to help and what that means08:25 On Trump, congressional authority, and holding representatives accountable10:00 Rural hospital closures and what they mean for real families12:29 Maternity care deserts, healthcare deserts, and the compounding crisis15:15 Running without PAC money and how the campaign actually works17:43 Grassroots fundraising and the energy at campaign events21:18 The Cherokee Nation treaty delegate bill and why Erik championed it23:08 Josh Brecheen, Christian faith, and voting records that hurt the poor29:01 Eastern Oklahoma's economy, oil and gas, and the green transition33:40 What success looks like in Washington and five years from now36:05 How to get involved and support the campaign37:17 Closing thoughts and call to action Connect with Erik Terwey Website: http://www.terweyforcongress.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/terweyforcongressYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@terweyforcongressInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/terweyforcongressTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@terweyforcongressX (Twitter): https://twitter.com/terwey4congressSubstack: https://terweyforcongress.substack.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/terweyforcongress.bsky.social Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe
