What they said: Oklahoma political leaders comment on choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as GOP running mate

Gov. Mary Fallin: “Having worked with Paul Ryan in Congress, I know he is a smart, committed advocate for the kind of small government, pro-growth policies that are going to create more jobs and get this country back on track. He's also a genuinely nice person with a great family and a wonderful wife from Madill, Oklahoma.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee: “I have had the privilege of working alongside Paul Ryan for many years. He has exhibited the rarest and most essential quality of leadership in politics — moral courage. When most elected officials have offered only rhetoric, Ryan has had the audacity to offer specifics and a plan that has transformed the landscape of American politics.”

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa: “I congratulate Mitt Romney on his excellent vice presidential selection of Paul Ryan. Ryan is a solid conservative who has shown incredible leadership on some of the biggest issues of the day. The Romney-Ryan ticket will bring solutions to our country's fiscal problems while restoring America's economic strength.”

U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee: “Paul has a firm moral compass and has always approached his job as a congressman with diligence and honesty. Having many friends on both sides of the aisle, he is an effective and talented leader. Although we belong in different political parties, I see Paul as a friend, a fellow hunter, and most importantly a family man.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, said Romney's pick makes a clean break from the past and defines a new era of Republican “realities” driven by the desire to confront federal spending and the nation's debt.