Voters Cast Their Ballots In Oklahoma Primary Election

Republican races for U.S. Senate and Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction have drawn much of the attention in Tuesday's primary election.

Tuesday, June 24th 2014, 8:19 am

By: News On 6

Voters Cast Their Ballots In Oklahoma Primary Election

Republican races for U.S. Senate and Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction have drawn much of the attention in Tuesday's primary election. James Lankford won the Republican party's nomination to replace Senator Tom Coburn while Joy Hofmeister beat out incumbent Janet Barresi.

Tuesday's winners will either advance to an August 26, 2014, runoff election or the November 4, 2014, general election, depending on the percentage of votes they receive.

Eleven candidates vied for their parties' nominations to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Muskogee. The leading candidates were Republican 5th District Congressman James Lankford and the former speaker of the Oklahoma state House, T.W. Shannon. Democrats will face a runoff election.

Another statewide race attracting major interest was the primary for state Superintendent of Public Instruction where the incumbent, Janet Barresi lost to Joy Hofmeister of Tulsa. John Cox and Freida Deskin will advance to a runoff.

Governor Mary Fallin easily defeated her opponents for the Republican ticket.

District 4 City Councilor Blake Ewing won a decisive victory to retain his seat. He finished with 73.7 percent of the vote or 4,127. Jack Henderson retained his District 1 seat with 60 percent of votes cast.

Jeannie Cue received 69 percent of the vote in Council District 2.

No candidate got 50 percent of the vote in District 7, so there will be a runoff election between Anna America and Arianna Moore.

Neither of the two Republican candidates vying for the Tulsa County District Attorney position received the required 50 percent to win outright, but Steve Kunzweiler and Fred Jordan still may not meet in a runoff election in August.

Kunzweiler filed a petition last week saying a vote his opponent cast made him ineligible. He said Jordan voted to increase state judges and district attorneys pay. Kunzweiler said the state constitution says legislators can't run for an office the same year they vote to raise pay.

If the ruling goes in Kunzweiler's favor, he would take over as the DA without a runoff election being held.

Jordan said he could remain in the race because the election process won't be made official until January 2015 and his term would be finished by then.

Voting records show Jordan didn't vote in favor for the pay raise, he essentially abstained from the vote.

A third candidate, State Senator Brian Crain, was on the ballot but withdrew from the race. Kunzweiler said he, too, voted for the pay raise, but voting records say he essentially abstained as well.

NewsOn6.com has the latest election results.