Five candidates have filed to run in a special Republican primary for the Oklahoma House District 35 seat vacated by former Rep. Ty Burns, who resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to three misdemeanors for domestic abuse and assault. One Democrat also filed for the seat prior to today’s 5 p.m. deadline to enter the special election.
The HD 35 special GOP primary election will be held Tuesday, Dec. 9, with a runoff slated for Jan. 13. The general election will be held Feb. 10. There will be no Democratic primary, with Luke Kruse, 40, being the lone candidate to file for his party’s nomination.
Burns announced his resignation Saturday, Aug. 30, two days after Attorney General Gentner Drummond revealed three misdemeanor charges and a plea agreement in Pawnee County District Court within a matter of minutes Aug. 28. The charges, which stemmed from two separate incidents months prior, had not even been posted on the Oklahoma State Courts Network before the plea agreement was approved by a judge.
Although he initially aimed to keep his elected position despite the violent events that caused his prosecution, Burns was urged to resign by Gov. Kevin Stitt and other state Republican leaders. Burns was first elected to the HD 35 seat in 2018. His resignation became effective Oct. 1, meaning Stitt was required to call a special election to fill the HD 35 seat, which runs from the east side of Perry through Pawnee County and to an area beyond Prue. Had Burns resigned after Jan. 1, the seat would have been filled through the regular 2026 election cycle.
HD 35 race draws a crowd for Republican primary
Amber Roberts, Dillon Travis, Mike Waters, James Winn and Kevin Wright filed for the GOP nomination ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.
Roberts, 43, previously ran for Senate District 10 in 2018. She advanced to the GOP runoff, where she lost to incumbent Sen. Bill Coleman (R-Ponca City). Currently, Roberts appears to have has no online presence promoting her HD 35 candidacy.
Travis, 33, is a farmer, rancher and business owner living in Maramec. According to his website, his business supplies hay to farmers and ranchers across the state.
Waters, 54, spent a quarter-century in law enforcement, previously serving as Pawnee County sheriff. He is a past president of the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association, according to his website.
Winn, 43, is a farmer and rancher who lives in Mannford, according to his Facebook page. Winn previously sought the GOP nomination for Senate District 21 last year, finishing last in a three-way GOP primary ultimately won by Sen. Randy Grellner (R-Cushing).
Wright, 58, is a former mayor of Jennings. He is also a small business owner and church leader, according to his website.
Kruse was the lone Democrat to file for his party’s nomination. He has served as a tenured professor at Northern Oklahoma College for nearly two decades, where he teaches political science and history. He also serves as a volunteer football coach. His website is listed as being under construction.
