Kalyn Free

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}}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#if:||{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}}}} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| regexp1 = 1blankname[%d]* | regexp2 = 1namedata[%d]* | regexp3 = 2blankname[%d]* | regexp4 = 2namedata[%d]* | regexp5 = 3blankname[%d]* | regexp6 = 3namedata[%d]* | regexp7 = 4blankname[%d]* | regexp8 = 4namedata[%d]* | regexp9 = 5blankname[%d]* | regexp10 = 5namedata[%d]* | allegiance | alma_mater | regexp11 = alongside[%d]* | alt | regexp12 = ambassador_from[%d]* | regexp13 = appointed[%d]* | regexp14 = appointer[%d]* | regexp15 = assembly[%d]* | awards | battles | battles_label | birth_date | birth_name | birth_place | birthname | regexp16 = blank[%d]* | bodyclass | branch | branch_label | cabinet | candidate | caption | categories | regexp17 = chancellor[%d]* | children | citizenship | regexp18 = co%-leader[%d]* | commands | committees | regexp19 = constituency[%d]* | regexp20 = constituency_AM[%d]* | regexp21 = constituency_MP[%d]* | regexp22 = convocation[%d]* | regexp23 = country[%d]* | regexp24 = data[%d]* | date | death_cause | death_date | death_manner | death_place | demo | regexp25 = deputy[%d]* | regexp26 = district[%d]* | education | election_date | embed | father | regexp28 = firstminister[%d]* | footnotes | regexp29 = governor[%d]* | regexp30 = governor_general[%d]* | regexp31 = governor%-general[%d]* | height | honorific_prefix | honorific-prefix | honorific_suffix | honorific-suffix | image | image name | image_name_alt | image_size | imagesize | image_upright | incumbent | regexp32 = jr/sr[%d]* | regexp33 = jr/sr and state[%d]* | known_for | regexp34 = leader[%d]* | regexp35 = legislature[%d]* | regexp36 = lieutenant[%d]* | regexp37 = lieutenant_governor[%d]* | mainwidth | regexp38 = majority[%d]* | regexp39 = majority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp40 = majority_leader[%d]* | regexp41 = majorityleader[%d]* | mawards | regexp42 = military_blank[%d]* | regexp43 = military_data[%d]* | regexp44 = minister[%d]* | regexp45 = minister_from[%d]* | regexp46 = minority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp47 = minority_leader[%d]* | regexp48 = minorityleader[%d]* | regexp49 = module[%d]* | regexp50 = monarch[%d]* | mother | name | nationality | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nocat | regexp51 = nominator[%d]* | nominee | occupation | regexp52 = office[%d]* | opponent | regexp53 = order[%d]* | otherparty | parents | regexp54 = parliament[%d]* | regexp55 = parliamentarygroup[%d]* | partner | party | party_election | portfolio | regexp56 = preceded[%d]* | regexp57 = preceding[%d]* | regexp58 = predecessor[%d]* | regexp59 = premier[%d]* | regexp60 = president[%d]* | regexp61 = primeminister[%d]* | regexp62 = prior_term[%d]* | profession | pronunciation | rank | rank_label | relations | relatives | residence | resting_place | resting_place_coordinates | restingplace | restingplacecoordinates | regexp63 = riding[%d]* | runningmate | salary | serviceyears | serviceyears_label | signature | signature_alt | signature_size | smallimage | smallimage_alt | source | speaker | speaker_office | spouse | spouses | regexp64 = state[%d]* | regexp65 = state_assembly[%d]* | regexp66 = state_delegate[%d]* | regexp67 = state_house[%d]* | regexp68 = state_legislature[%d]* | regexp69 = state_senate[%d]* | regexp70 = status[%d]* | regexp71 = suboffice[%d]* | regexp72 = subterm[%d]* | regexp73 = succeeded[%d]* | regexp74 = succeeding[%d]* | regexp75 = successor[%d]* | regexp76 = taoiseach[%d]* | regexp77 = term[%d]* | regexp78 = term_end[%d]* | regexp79 = term_label[%d]* | regexp80 = term_start[%d]* | regexp81 = termend[%d]* | regexp82 = termlabel[%d]* | regexp83 = termstart[%d]* | regexp84 = title[%d]* | unit | unit_label | regexp85 = vicegovernor[%d]* | regexp86 = vicepremier[%d]* | regexp87 = vicepresident[%d]* | regexp88 = viceprimeminister[%d]* | regexp89 = assuming[%d]* | website | width | year }} Kalyn Cherie Free (born November 1963) is an American attorney,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> former elected district attorney, and a tribal citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She is the first woman and Native American to be elected district attorney in Oklahoma. Free represents Oklahoma as the National Committeeperson on the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Early life and educationEdit

Free was born in Red Oak, Oklahoma. She is a graduate of Red Oak High School, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> She is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.<ref name=Podgers2000>Template:Cite journal</ref>

CareerEdit

Legal workEdit

After she graduated from law school, she began her legal career with the United States Department of Justice.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=2ndDistrict2004>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time of her employment, she was the youngest attorney ever hired by the Department of Justice.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> There, Free prosecuted federal environmental laws across the country with a special emphasis on tribal lands and became the first Native American to serve as a supervising attorney in the department.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1998, she ran for and became the first woman and the first Native American to be elected District Attorney in the counties of Pittsburg and Haskell in Oklahoma.<ref name="Podgers2000" /><ref name=2ndDistrict2004/> During her administration, She prioritized cases involving women, children, and crime victims' rights.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=Collington2001>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2000, she received a Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association.<ref name="Podgers2000" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

PoliticsEdit

In 2004, she was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the open House seat in the 2nd Congressional District,<ref name=2ndDistrict2004/> with the support of Emily's List, the Sierra Club, and 21st Century Democrats.<ref name=":2" /> She lost the nomination to the eventual general election winner, Congressman Dan Boren.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2005, Free founded INDN's List (Indigenous Native Democratic Network), a political action committee dedicated to electing Native American progressive candidates at the local and state levels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She personally funded the organization until its closure in 2010. During the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Free endorsed Barack Obama and served as a superdelegate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2019, Free was elected as the Democratic Party of Oklahoma's national committeewoman to the Democratic National Committee.<ref name=Shelden2019>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following the 2024 elections, Free announced her candidacy for Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). However, she was unsuccessful, with Artie Blanco, Malcolm Kenyatta, and David Hogg winning the positions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Free filed a complaint against this election, alleging the combined vote of Hogg and Kenyatta ultimately disadvantaged female candidates such as herself. On May 12, 2025, the Credentials Committee of the DNC voted to void the results.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

WritingsEdit

She contributed a letter in 2000 to the book Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters: Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who've Been There and Done That, where she wrote she was told by men they would never vote for an American Indian woman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2007, Free contributed a chapter titled Why? Rising to the Challenge to the book Voices from the Heartland, where she reflects on her career and experiences as a Native American.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She also contributed a chapter What Is a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This to volume II in 2019.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Free has been married to Steve Bruner since 2009.<ref name=":0"/>

She has an interest in Japan and has represented the United States on trips to Japan sponsored by the American Council of Young Political Leaders.<ref name=":1" />

ReferencesEdit

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