With all precincts reporting, pastor Bryan Logan clinched the Republican nomination for the open State Senate District 8 seat in eastern Oklahoma, earning 55.56 percent of the 5,205 votes cast to defeat tag agent David Nelson.
Meanwhile, to the north, the House District 74 Republican primary in Owasso is headed to a May 13 runoff between Sheila Vancuren and Kevin Norwood. In Tulsa’s House District 71, Democrat Amanda Clinton received 51.28 percent support over three primary opponents to advance to a June 10 general election without a runoff. On the Republican side of HD 71, Beverly Atteberry narrowly missed doing the same. Instead, Atteberry will face Tania Garza on May 13 for the GOP nod.
All three legislative seats up for special election Tuesday stem from lawmaker resignations to take other jobs. All vote totals are unofficial until they are certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board.
Bryan Logan takes SD 8 nomination
Logan, also a general contractor from Paden, now faces Democrat Nathan Brewer and independent Steve Sanford in the May 13 general election for Senate District 8. If he prevails, his ascension to the State Senate could tip the balance between the two factions of the Senate Republican Caucus — and the upper chamber’s overall ideological position.
Although Nelson, a veteran from Morris, carried Okmulgee County, Logan carried every other county in the rural district south of Tulsa, including Okfuskee, McIntosh, Muskogee and Creek counties.
With Senate Republicans very nearly split between a more moderate faction and a hard-line conservative faction, Logan could have the power to tip the scales between one side or the other, if he ultimately wins the seat.
Logan and Nelson had advanced from a field of six candidates vying to replace former Sen. Roger Thompson (R-Okemah), who resigned from the Senate last year.
GOP runoff in House District 74
In Owasso’s HD 74, real estate agent Sheila Vancuren and pastor Kevin Norwood advanced to a May runoff from a five-candidate Republican primary. Vancuren led with 594 votes (28.3 percent), while Norwood finished a close second with 432 votes (20.6 percent). Maggie Stearman missed the runoff after receiving 379 votes (18.0 percent). Jonathan Shepherd finished fourth with 367 votes (17.5 percent), while Brad Peixotto trailed with 329 votes (15.7 percent).
Vancuren and Norwood will face each other in a May 13 runoff election for the Republican nomination. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Amy Hossain on June 10.
Clinton advances in HD 71, GOP runoff on tap
Republicans in HD 71 will have a May runoff between Beverly Atteberry and Tania Garza. Atteberry finished the primary with 219 votes (48.6 percent), while Garza was a distant second with 132 votes (29.3 percent). Heidemarie Fuentes was eliminated after receiving only 100 votes (22.2 percent).
On the Democratic side, Amanda Clinton, a Cherokee Nation citizen and communications professional, won the HD 71 Democratic primary outright with 1,146 votes (51.3 percent). Clinton secured enough votes to avoid a runoff with Dennis Baker, who received 586 votes (26.2 percent). Ben Riggs, a Sand Springs Public Schools teacher, followed Baker with 363 votes (16.2 percent). Hudson Harder, a Webster High School teacher, trailed with 140 votes (6.3 percent).
Clinton will advance directly to the June 10 election, while Atteberry and Garza will compete for the Republican nomination in a May 13 runoff election. The winner of the May 13 runoff will face Clinton on June 10. Clinton distributed a press release Tuesday night.
“Being raised in the Cherokee Nation and working for my tribe and other tribes showed me what governments that serve people look like, and it doesn’t look like the state of Oklahoma,” Clinton said in the release. “From Ryan Walters shortchanging public school students and educators to inequitable health care for women, elders and disadvantaged populations, to workers deprived of the opportunity to retire with dignity, Oklahomans are being neglected and left behind by their government. Despite a $4 billion surplus, Oklahoma ranks first in child poverty and last in education and health outcomes. This is a failure of Gov. Kevin Stitt, (Superintendent of Public Instruction) Ryan Walters and Republican leadership.”
