The filing period for the primary election — on July 27 — runs until 5 p.m. Wednesday. Your TIMES will publish a complete list of candidates in the Sunday edition.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the following had filed their declarations of candidacy:
County Commissioner District 1
—Steve L. Russell, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Michael Rhodes, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Jerry D. Johnson, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Gerald Corbit, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Ray Watts, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Dennis G. Treat, Republican, of Muldrow
County Commissioner District 3
—Mike Huff, Democrat, of Sallisaw (incumbent)
—Carl Reeves, Democrat, of Muldrow
—Jim Rogers, Democrat of Sallisaw
—Gary Taylor, Democrat, of Sallisaw
County Assessor
Donna G. Graham, Democrat, of Sallisaw (incumbent)
County Treasurer
Trica Yates, Democrat, of Sallisaw (incumbent)
Most candidates for state public office in Oklahoma had to file at the State Election Board in Oklahoma City.
Kenneth Corn, 33, of Poteau, who is Sequoyah and LeFlore Counties’ outgoing state senator, filed his candidacy as a Democrat for lieutenant governor Monday. Corn has reached his three-term, 12-year limit, and must surrender his post to a new state senator. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday Corn was the only Democrat to file for the office. At least two Republicans — Bernie Adler, 78, of Oklahoma City and Todd Lamb, 38, of Edmond — will seek the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.
Neil Brannon, 69, of Arkoma filed his candidacy as a Democrat to replace Corn as State Senator District 4. He is currently serving as State Representative District 3. One Republican has filed for the same office — Mark Allen, 61, of Spiro. Voters will determine the new state senator in the Nov. 2 general election.
Two filed for the post of State Representative District 2, which includes most of Sequoyah County. Incumbent Glen “Bud” Smithson, 61, of Sallisaw filed to keep his post as a Democrat. John Bennett, 35, of Sallisaw will seek the post as a Republican. If no one else files for the office, Smithson and Bennett will also face off in the general election on Nov. 2.
State Rep. Ed Cannaday, 69, of Porum, will seek re-election as a Democrat and no one had filed a candidacy to challenge him as of Tuesday.
State Sen. Jim Wilson, a Democrat from Tahlequah, is the District 3 state senator who represents the northern half of Sequoyah County and all of Cherokee County. On Tuesday Wilson, 53, of Tahlequah, filed to run against the District 2 U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, 36, of Muskogee. Both men are Democrats and will face off in the primary election.
Also filing for the U.S. representative’s post were Republicans Daniel Edmonds, 26, of Morris, Charles Thompson, 47, of Hulbert, Chester Clem Falling, 56, of Chelsea and Daniel Arnett, 25, of Henryetta. The Republican candidate for the office will also be decided in the July 27 primary election as will the Democrat race.
Boren issued a statement on Wilson’s filing Tuesday evening.
He said, “I have always had a close personal relationship with Jim Wilson and hope to continue it. I simply believe his views are far too liberal to represent the mainstream thoughts of the people of the Second District. I will continue to work as hard as I can to take independent Oklahoma thinking to Washington.”
Wilson told the media that he believed Boren’s vote against President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan hurt Oklahomans, and he didn’t believe Boren was a “true Democrat.”
“Healthcare reform will save money,” he said.
In other filings, as of Tuesday, Jerry S. Moore, 49, of Tahlequah, filed to retain his post as the District 27 district attorney. Moore is a Democrat.
District Judge Jeff Payton, 46, of Stilwell filed to retain his post as District 15, Office 3 district judge. Dennis M. Sprouse, 57, of Sallisaw filed to seek the post of associate district judge for Sequoyah County. Sprouse is currently special district judge. Associate District Judge A.J. Henshaw announced his intention to retire earlier this year, and Sprouse is seeking that post. The judges do not declare a political party.
For a complete list of state candidates visit the Oklahoma State Election Board Web site as www.ok.gov/elections.
