David B. Hooten

Hooten Official

David Benjimen Hooten (born December 31, 1962) is a Grammy and Emmy nominated musician, restaurateur, and candidate for the Oklahoma Legislature as a Democrat and as a Republican before being elected to county office in 2016.

Musical career

Hooten's first album, The Trumpet Shall Sound, was released in 1989 and featured a popular rendition of Amazing Grace of which tens of thousands of singles were sold. He has recorded a total of twenty solo albums, primarily featuring jazz, gospel, and classical selections. He's been a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Kiev Symphony Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Thailand National Symphony Orchestra. Hooten has performed at the White House for Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush as well at a private audience in the Vatican for John Paul II, and has been nominated for three Grammy awards and an Emmy. He founded and continues to serve as president of the Children's Music Education Foundation.

Hooten wows Armstrong with his horn, David Hooten, is recognized worldwide for his first hit single “Amazing Grace,” and last week, he brought his virtuoso abilities on the trumpet to Armstrong Auditorium to perform a Dixieland concert. He selected his favorite performer on each instrument for the band with Byron Berline's bow flying over the fiddle. The audience devoured the music as if they were standing on Bourbon Street. Several people trailed the musicians as they marched through the aisles for “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Other big successes with the crowd were “The St. Louie Blues,” “Basin Street Blues,” and “How Great Thou Art.” Multi-Grammy and Emmy nominated, David has released over 20 albums and has been the guest artist with symphony orchestras around the world.

Business interests

Hooten appeared as a model in local advertising during his college years, but at the beginning of his musical career he created the record label DBH Productions. After the death of his father Hooten purchased his mother's restaurant, Mama Lucia's, which he operated for several years. He continues to produce and sell Hooten's Jazz Kitchen meat sauce.

Political activities

Hooten supported and wrote jingles for Oklahoma Republican candidates including Governor Frank Keating and Terry Neese before deciding to run for office himself. In January 2016 Hooten announced on social media that he endorsed Donald Trump for president.

2004 election

In 2004 Hooten filed as a Democrat to run for Oklahoma House of Representatives in District 87. His opponent, John Morgan, challenged his candidacy by claiming that Hooten was not properly registered. Hooten's attorney produced a voter registration card from August, 2002, but Hooten admitted under questioning that he could not recall when he last voted. State Election Board chairman Glo Henley stated that she believed Hooten's name was purged from the voter roll for failing to vote for at least two years. The board voted to remove his name from the ballot.

2014 election

Hooten ran for State Senate in District 40, this time as a Republican. His campaign was harmed when reports of his 2001 convictions for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident surfaced and in the primary he finished fourth out of six candidates with 11.3% of the vote.

2016 election

Hooten was one of four Republicans to run for Oklahoma County Clerk. He finished second to embattled incumbent Carolynn Caudill in the primary, forcing a runoff. Hooten won the GOP nomination with 65% of the vote and amassed 63.5% in the general election against Libertarian candidate Chris Powell.

County Clerk

Within a month of taking office, Hooten terminated five employees who would go on to file wrongful termination claims, charging that they were fired because they had been volunteers for the campaign of the incumbent, Carolyn Caudill, whom Hooten defeated in a primary runoff for the GOP nomination. In November 2018 the County Commissioners voted to pay $175,000 to Leona Porter, a county employee since 1988 and the former wife of civil rights leader E. Melvin Porter to settle her claims of discrimination by Hooten. According to the lawsuit Hooten reduced Porter's work responsibilities and pay, eventually requiring her to sit in a rocking chair at the entrance to the County Clerk's Office as a greeter before finally deciding to fire her. The settlement will be funded by an increase in property taxes. Within a month of taking office, Hooten terminated five employees who would go on to file wrongful termination claims, charging that they were fired because they had been volunteers for the campaign of the incumbent, Carolyn Caudill, whom Hooten defeated in a primary runoff for the GOP nomination.[16][17] In November 2018 the County Commissioners voted to pay $175,000 to Leona Porter, a county employee since 1988 and the former wife of civil rights leader E. Melvin Porter to settle her claims of discrimination by Hooten. According to the lawsuit Hooten reduced Porter's work responsibilities and pay, eventually requiring her to sit in a rocking chair at the entrance to the County Clerk's Office as a greeter before finally deciding to fire her. The settlement will be funded by an increase in property taxes.[18]

A federal jury has rejected claims that Oklahoma County Clerk David Hooten fired employees for political reasons. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Goodwin threw out the claims of five of those former employees before trial. The jury rejected the claims of the remaining plaintiffs, Phillip Malone and Donella Epps. "While I've come to understand why more business leaders choose not to undertake public service, I'm glad I did run for office and remain grateful for the continued support of Oklahoma County voters," Hooten said after the verdict.

Personal life

Born in Frascati, Italy, to Capt. Leon E. Hooten, Jr.(USAF) and his wife Lucia (née Di Beniditto), David was the youngest of their seven children. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas and a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma. After his divorce from Kym Koch in 2000, David married Whitney Elizabeth Browne on May 26, 2002. They have three children.