Primary tough on local incumbents
Staff Report
Kay County voters took to the polls last Tuesday and delivered knock-outs to at least two incumbents.
There were 7,658 votes cast in Kay County for the June 16 Primary Election deciding mostly Republican contests. More than 575,000 votes were cast for candidates statewide.
Kay County will welcome a new county commissioner in January when Republican Dustin Schickram is sworn in. He defeated incumbent Kay County Commissioner for District 1 Shane Jones. There is no Democratic opposition. The district includes Ponca City.
Schickram won with 1,462 votes, with 58.53%, while Jones received 657 votes, 27.06%. Marion Harris, another challenger, came in third with 360 votes, and 14.41%.
Jones has been embroiled with legal issues since he was charged last year with one count of larceny of livestock and nine counts of branding with intent to defraud. His next court date is 10 a.m. July 17.
For District Judge, Office 1, incumbent Judge Lee Turner came in third behind challengers Scott Loftis and Rob Davis.
Davis received the most votes with 3,663 and 35.8%, with Loftis coming in second with 3,287 and 32.13%. Turner placed third with 3,279 and 32.06%. Since no candidate received at least 50%, there will be a run-off election in November with Davis and Loftis squaring off.
In Senate District 10, which includes Newkirk, Republican State Sen. Bill Coleman fended off primary challenger Jaden Terrazas with 6,319 votes or 59.04% to 4,386 votes and 40.96% for Terrazas.
The challenger fared better in Kay County, where he was endorsed by the local party and received 49% of the vote. But Coleman won handily among voters in Osage and Tulsa counties.
Coleman will now face Democrat Chayelynn R. Moore in November.
On the House side, Republican Rep. John Pfeiffer vacated the District 38 seat, which includes Newkirk, to run for Labor Commissioner. That created an opening that drew several Republican candidates.
Former Newkirk Mayor Brian Hobbs was one of the contenders. He placed third with 934 votes, or 13.20%. The top two candidates, Madison Bolay, with 2,232 votes and 31.55%, and Danielle Deterding, with 1,876 votes or 26.62%, will move on to the run-off scheduled for Aug. 25.
The winner faces Democrat Doyle Lewis in November.
In the race to replace Republican Ken Luttrell as State Representative for District 37, Kay County Game Warden Spencer Grace defeated Jeremy Sacket with 2,946 votes, 61.04%, to 1,880 votes, 38.96% for Sacket. Grace wins the seat with no Democrat in the race.
