Democrat Amanda Clinton and Republican Kevin Norwood will join the Oklahoma Legislature after easily winning special elections in House District 71 and House District 74 tonight. Combined with Democrat Aletia Timmons’ win in northeast Oklahoma City’s House District 97 special election, the results will hold the partisan balance in the state’s legislative branch.
All three districts are fairly partisan, and political observers expected Democrats to hold HD 71 in Tulsa and Republicans to hold HD 74 in Owasso. Two Democrats were the only candidates to file for HD 97.
Clinton defeated GOP attorney Beverly Atteberry to represent the urban HD 71, which is centered on the Midtown and Riverside areas of Tulsa. Winning every precinct in the district, Clinton received 1,803 votes (84.7 percent) to Atteberry’s 326 votes (15.3 percent).
A Cherokee Nation citizen originally from Mayes County, Clinton is a public relations specialist who has spent most of her career working for the Cherokee Nation, including a stint as the tribe’s head of communications. Last year, she worked on the campaign of new Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, and she secured his endorsement this election cycle. Clinton currently operates her own public relations firm and owns real estate. She specializes in communications for tribal entities and will succeed former Rep. Amanda Swope, who resigned to work for the City of Tulsa on tribal relations.
“District 71 deserves leadership that shows up, speaks truth, and fights like hell for working people, and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” Clinton said in a press release. “I want to thank the voters, out campaign team, the army of volunteers, my friends, family, donors, and everyone who believed in me enough to put their time, energy, and talents into this race. I’m eager to get to work for everyone across House District 71 and the entire state.”
Norwood, of Owasso, defeated human resources professional Amy Hossain to represent the suburban HD 74. Hossain had a slight lead among absentee and early voters, a slight surprise in a conservative-leaning district, but Norwood handily won Election Day voters to win the seat. With 14 of 14 precincts reporting in HD 74, Norwood received 1,726 votes (64.6 percent) to Hossain’s 945 votes (36.4 percent).
Originally from Muskogee, Norwood has spent his career working as a pastor, primarily for youth. He is active in Owasso’s Christian community and works with various youth programs in the city. Oklahoma Watch reported on Rejoice Christian School’s involvement in the HD 74 Republican primary, which Norwood narrowly won over Sheila Vancuren. Norwood will succeed GOP Rep. Mark Vancuren, who resigned to serve as deputy county commissioner in Tulsa County under Lonnie Sims.
Norwood issued a statement late Tuesday night thanking his family and “the thousands of neighbors across the district who welcomed me at their doors — often more than once.”
“In over 30 years of serving this community, I’ve always believed it’s the people who make Owasso and our surrounding area so special. Every conversation during this campaign reminded me just how true that is,” Norwood said. “Whether we’ve known each other for decades or just met in the last few months, I want you to know this: When I head to the Capitol, I’ll carry the heart of Owasso with me. Every decision I make will be grounded in what’s best for our community’s future.”
Election results for the HD 71 and 74 special elections are unofficial until certified by the State Election Board. New legislators are expected to be sworn in before the next legislative session, meaning they may have the opportunity to participate in interim studies.
(Update: This article was updated at 8:44 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, to include final totals for the HD 74 special election. It was updated again at 8:44 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, to include comment from Norwood.)
