Published: July 26, 2008 03:15 pm      

A new sheriff in town? Election day coming fast

Voters in Pittsburg County will go to the polls to choose a new sheriff during Tuesday’s Primary election, while voters in District 3 will be electing a new Pittsburg County commissioner.

The sheriff’s race and county commission race are Democratic primaries. All of the candidates in both races are Democrats, so whoever wins the primary — or a runoff election set for Aug. 26 — wins the office.

All registered voters in Pittsburg County are eligible to cast ballots for the proposed quarter-cent sales tax to benefit fire departments in the county — regardless of whether they’re Democrats, Republicans, independents or members of some other political party.

The tax, which would be permanent, would be administered by the Pittsburg County commissioners and would be for “such fire protection as may be deemed necessary by the board of county commissioners.”

The election resolution says it’s for funding fire departments in: Alderson, Arrowhead Estates, Ashland, Blanco, Blue, Bugtussle, Canadian, Canadian Shores, Crowder, Elm Point and Gaines Creek.

Also, Haileyville, Hartshorne, Haywood-Arpelar, High Hill, Highway 9, Indianola, Kiowa, Krebs, McAlester, Pittsburg, Quinton, Sam’s Point, Savanna, Shady Grove, Tannehill and Union Chappell.

It also includes a provision for “others hereinafter established.”

Four candidates are vying for the seat currently held by Sheriff Jerome “Snookie” Amaranto, who is not seeking re-election. Candidates are current Undersheriff Richard Sexton, retired McAlester Police Officer Nathan Bond, former sheriff’s Dep. Joel Kerns and Hartshorne Police Chief Jimmy Don Wilson.

Another race is for the District 3 Pittsburg County Commission seat left vacant by the resignation of Randy Crone.

Candidates are Trent Myers, who is the director of the Pittsburg County Office of Emergency Management; Don Mathis, who is the road foreman for District 1, and Doug Rose, who is the current foreman for District 3.

Also on the Democratic ballot is a primary race between District 2 U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, and his challenger, little-known Kevin Coleman, of Grove. The winner of the Boren-Coleman primary will face Republican candidate Raymond J. Wickson, of Okmulgee, in November.

Primaries are on both the Republican and Democratic ballots for the office currently held by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa.

Inhofe has three challengers on the Republican side: Evelyn L. Rogers, Tulsa; Dennis Lopez, Thackerville, and Ted Ryals, of Oklahoma City.

On the Democratic side, the primary for the U.S. Senate seat has two candidates: District 46 state Sen. Andrew Rice, of Oklahoma City, and Jim Rogers, of Midwest City.

The two winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will join independent candidate Stephen P. Wallace, of Tulsa, on the November General Election ballot.

Also on the Republican primary ballot, a race is set to select a candidate for an unexpired term on the state Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities.

Dana Murphy, who is a former administrative law judge for the Corporation Commission, and District 59 state Rep. Rob Johnson, R-Kingfisher, are vying for the right to face Democrat Jim Roth in November.

Roth had been appointed to the post by Gov. Brad Henry to fill an unexpired term left vacant when Republican Denise Bode resigned from the commission.

One race generating a lot of local interest won’t be on the ballot until later this year.

Disrict 7 state Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Kenny Sherrill. Because neither candidate had a primary opponent, they won’t face each other until the November General Election.

Meanwhile, early in-person absentee ballot voting will continue from 8.am. until 6 p.m. in the Pittsburg County Election Board’s temporary offices at 10 E. Washington Ave., adjacent to McAlester City Hall.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.