From serving as an Oklahoma liaison during the Trump administration to working in state government, Charity Marcus has seen it all. The longtime political strategist moved to Bixby with her grandparents when she was 9 years old. She moved back to Tulsa County in 2012 after living in Dallas for a few years.
Marcus co-founded the Tulsa-based Black Women Business Owners of America and currently serves as president and CEO of Boulevard Government Affairs, a political strategy firm.
The Oklahoma Eagle talked to her about her time in the world of politics, including her switch from a Democrat to Republican.
Responses were edited for length.
Shaunicy Muhammad: What sparked your interest in politics?
Charity Marcus: In 2010, I was living in Dallas and one evening I was watching C-SPAN. Congress was in session and they were arguing over Obamacare and the Republicans were trying to repeal it. Something inside of me was like, “Well, maybe I should start caring about government and politics.” I went back and looked at the party platforms and I was just like, I don’t agree with half of this stuff. But I really agreed with everything on the Republican side.
Muhammad: What Republican Party values did you align with?
Marcus: The federal government should not be our lifeline. It should have minimal interference in our day-to-day lives. I’m definitely for the Second Amendment. I’m all for people having the right to bear arms. I’m definitely pro-capitalist. Those are just three of the things that I’m deeply aligned with in terms of the party.
Muhammad: You previously ran to be chair of the Tulsa County Republican Party. Why were you interested in running?
Marcus: During the four years before that, I was deeply involved with the previous chair and was serving as a leader in a different role. We did a lot of fundraising. We did a lot of good promoting Republican values. I wanted to continue the work that chair did. I felt like I was the person that could build upon what she was already doing and just take the party to the next level.
Muhammad: You said you grew up thinking Black people were Democrats by default. Do you get feedback from Black people about your politics?
Marcus: Anybody that knows me knows I’m a Republican. Of course they ask why. Once I sit down and talk with them and really lay it out, they actually understand.
One of the issues that blocks a lot of Black people from switching over is they hate an individual versus being focused on what are the actual policies of the Republican Party.
Most Black people are Christian. Black folks don’t stop being Christian because a white person is a terrible Christian or they do terrible things under the name of Christianity. They just say, “Oh, that person is not a representation of Christianity.”
You have to look at politics in the same way. Yes, there are bad people that represent the Republican Party. There are bad people that represent the Democrat Party. But you don’t stop believing in the foundational principles just because you don’t like the way one person or even 10 people are behaving under the guise of being X.
Muhammad: Would you consider yourself a MAGA Republican?
Marcus: I am a Republican. Period. I think where people have lost the plot, so to speak, is that MAGA is Trump’s agenda. The man is only president for eight years total. In 2028, there is going to be a new person running to become the next Republican president. .
You can’t get caught up on MAGA and Trump because that’s temporary. The work we do in government and politics keeps going regardless of who’s in or who’s out.
