Election filings starting today

By James Beaty
Senior Editor

June 02, 2008 11:56 am

— Pittsburg County Election Board Secretary Cathy Thornton arrived at work early today, but she already found a candidate waiting for her when she pulled up at her office.
“I just kind of wanted to get here early and get filed,” said Trent Myers, the Pittsburg County Emergency Management director who became the first local candidate to file for a county office as the three-day filing period opened this morning.
“I didn’t know how many people would be filing or how long it would take, since this is my first election,” Myers said.
Myers filed for the unexpired term for the seat left vacant when District 3 Pittsburg County Commissioner Randy Crone retired from the post in April.
It didn’t take long.
“They take your money; you sign on the dotted line and you’re good to go,” Myers said.
Myers had been followed by another candidate for the District 3 seat, Donald Mathis.
Mathis, who is the road foreman for District 1 County Commissioner Gene Rogers, said he lives in District 3 between Canadian and Indianola, and he decided to run for the District 3 post.
Pittsburg County Undersheriff Richard Sexton, who’s running for sheriff, became the third candidate to file for office this morning.
District 2 Commissioner Kevin Smith, who’s seeking re-election, had been next, followed by Nathan Bond, a retired McAlester police officer who’s running for sheriff.
Pittsburg County Court Clerk Cindy Eller filed for re-election, with former Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Dep. Joel Kerns also filing for the sheriff’s post.
When Pittsburg County Clerk Debbie Lenox Burch filed for re-election, this morning, it ensured that at least one candidate had already filed for every Pittsburg County office which will be on the ballot: Sheriff, District 2 commissioner, court clerk, county clerk and the special election to fill the unexpired term for the District 3 commission seat.
The filing period will extend until 5 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Pittsburg County Election Board’s temporary offices at 10 E. Washington Ave.
Filings for state and federal offices will extend until 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the state Election Board office in Oklahoma City.
The District 17 House seat held by Brian Renegar, D-Blanco, and the District 18 office held by Terry Harrison, D-McAlester, are both up for election. So is the District 7 state Senate seat held by Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne.
District 2 U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, and U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, are facing re-election this year, as is Republican Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony. A second Corporation Commission seat, held by Democrat Jim Roth, is also up for an unexpired term.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.