The filing period for the primary election — on July 27 — ran from 8 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Wednesday, but the deadline to withdraw or contest a candidacy ended at 5 p.m. Friday.
Your TIMES will publish any withdrawals or contests in Thursday’s edition.
The following filed their declarations of candidacy in Sequoyah County:
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
—Paul “Shorty” Moreland, Democrat, of Roland
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)
Since Graham and Yates drew no opponents, they will be returned to office automatically.
The race for County Commissioner District 1 has seven candidates — six Democrats and one Republican. The lone Republican’s name will not be on the primary ballot. The six Democrats will face off in the primary, and if none wins a majority, the two candidates with the most votes will compete for the vote again in the runoff primary election on Aug. 24. The winning Democrat will then face the Republican in the general election on Nov. 2.
State Filings
Most candidates for state public office in Oklahoma must file at the State Election Board in Oklahoma City.
District Attorney Jerry S. Moore, 49, of Tahlequah, filed to retain his post as the District 27 district attorney. Moore is a Democrat.
Moore drew two Democrat opponents — W. Grant Huskey, 57, of Broken Arrow, and former district attorney Richard Loy Gray Jr., 49, of Wagoner. Moore defeated Gray in the Democrat primary four years ago, when Gray was facing charges of embezzlement in his office. The charges were dismissed in 2006 by Okmulgee County District Judge Michael Claver. Claver said he had serious problems with the chain of custody in the case and said the state had not met its burden of proof to let the case continue.
A Republican has also entered the district attorney’s race. Brian J. Kuester, 42, of Broken Arrow will face the winner of the Democrat primary in the Nov. 2 general election.
Corn Files
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.
At the conclusion of the filing period, Corn was the only Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor. However, five Republicans and one independent filed for the post. The Republicans are Bernie Adler, 78, of Oklahoma City, Todd Lamb, 38, of Edmond, John A. Wright, 55, of Broken Arrow, Bill Crozier, 63, of Hinton, and Paul F. Nosak, 39, of Owasso. Richard Prawdzienski, 62, of Edmond filed as the independent, and will run against the Republican and Democrat candidates in the Nov. 2 general election.
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 in LeFlore County, and is giving up that post to run for the state senate. Six Democrats and one Republican are seeking Brannon’s seat in the state house. In the primary Brannon will face fellow Democrat Mark Cornell, 45, of Howe. Two Republicans filed for the same office — Mark Allen, 61, of Spiro and Tom Lannigan, 59 of Poteau. The winners of the primaries will face off in the general election.
State Representatives
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. Smithson and Bennett will face off in the general election on Nov. 2.
State Rep. Ed Cannaday, 69, of Porum, will seek re-election as a Democrat. He has drawn one Democrat opponent — Annie J. Goolsby, 61, of Gore. A Republican, Paul C. Parrott, 40, of Vian, will seek the same office as a Republican. The winner of the Democrat primary will face Parrott in the Nov. 2 general election.
District 2 U.S. Representative
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.
Judges Posts
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.
Since neither judge drew an opponent, the two men will take those posts. A replacement for special district judge will be appointed.
For a complete list of state candidates visit the Oklahoma State Election Board Web site at www.ok.gov/elections.
