Rusty Farley was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

. Farley was the Representative for District 1 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...

. House District 1 encompasses all but the far northwestern corner of McCurtain County

McCurtain County, Oklahoma

McCurtain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 33,151. Its county seat is Idabel.-Geography:...

 (the only county in the District), located in the southeastern corner of the state.

Political History

An 18-year member of the Haworth school board, Farley was unsuccessful in his 2008 bid for the seat, losing to Dennis Bailey.

Farley ran unopposed in the 2010 primary and once again faced Bailey for the District 1 seat. Farley upset the incumbent in a District where 81 percent of the residents are registered Democrats. Even more shocking was his political financing – Farley raised a grand total of only $170, and spent only $70 on a single newspaper ad.

Death

Farley died on July 4, 2011 from a pulmonary aneurysm

Aneurysm

An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...

 at a Paris, Texas

Paris, Texas

Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...

hospital. He was 57 years-old.