June 13 was a special election day throughout Oklahoma. Here's how several counties voted.
During special elections Tuesday, voters in Cleveland County, McCurtain County and elsewhere decided on commissioner candidates, water rates and more.
Results so far are preliminary, election board officials said, but final results are expected to be certified Friday.
The McCurtain County election Tuesday was a primary to fill the District 2 seat left by Mark Jennings, who resigned in April after a controversial recording of an alleged conversation was released by the McCurtain Gazette-News. In the conversation, Jennings is one among several officials accused of plotting the killing of reporters and discussing the lynchings of Black people.
Stitt called for the special election after also calling for the McCurtain County officials at the heart of the scandal to resign. So far, Jennings has been the only one to do so.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 100% of the precincts were reporting Republican Tina Foshee-Thomas received 75% of the vote, with Terry Wendt bringing in 17.2% and Byron Hamil at 7.8%.
On the Democratic ticket, with 100% reporting from all precincts, Tony Hill received 73% of the vote, and Ronald Gene Barnes came in at 27%.
Foshee-Thomas and Hill will be facing off on Sept. 12 for the general election, officials say.
Related: Jesse Jackson says the McCurtain County sheriff should resign. No one is certain he will.
Cleveland County votes on commissioner, water rate hikes
Meanwhile, in Cleveland County, voters decided whether Norman residents would see a water rate increase and which candidates for the vacant commissioner position would advance toward the general election.
After not having seen utility rates change in eight years, water customers in Norman should now expect their base fees to increase by $4.90. The Water Rate Proposition passed with 56.3% of the vote.
Beginning Sept. 1, the Water Rate Proposition, unanimously approved by Norman's city council, also would increase water volume rates by 11 cents for up to 5,000 gallons; 40 cents for up to 15,000 gallons; and $1.55 for up to 20,000 gallons.
Estimates show the rate increase could bring an additional $6.7 million to the water fund to pay for capital projects. The extra revenue is expected to go toward bonds for chlorination projects and water line replacements to keep the city compliant with state and federal requirements.
After longtime Cleveland County District 2 Commissioner Darry Stacy, a former Norman police officer, resigned in April, Stitt set a special election to fill the remainder of Stacy’s term until 2024.
Two Republicans appeared on the ballot: Jacob McHughes, deputy commissioner for Cleveland County District 1 Commissioner Rod Cleveland, and John Bowman, also a former police officer and animal welfare supervisor.
McHughes won 76.56% of the vote against Bowman's 23.44%. McHughes will face Libertarian candidate Clint Rapp, a quality assurance technician for the Oklahoma City-based oil field equipment supplier Kimray, on Sept. 12.
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Pottawatomie County, Shawnee voters approve charter amendments
Shawnee voters also approved several charter amendments for the city of Shawnee while deciding the special election for Pottawatomie County District 2 County Commissioner.
For nearly every one of the seven propositions on the ballot Tuesday, Shawnee residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of changing the city's charter language to address local issues.
The topics addressed by the propositions included:
Switching to ward-specific voting for commissioners
Clarifying the competitive bidding process
Adjusting the start date for newly-elected mayors and commissioners
Aligning requirements for city employees with that of the state
Modernizing conflict-of-interest policies
Aligning the recreational use policy for the Shawnee Twin Lakes Reservoir with city codes
Modernizing the policy for the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund
The most contentious proposition was the sixth, the Twin Lakes Regulations proposition, which would update charter language regarding swimming, water skiing, surfboard riding and other recreational activities at the Twin Lakes. Clarification of the necessary regulations at the Twin Lakes has been a local battle for years, and only 54.6% of voters actually approved of the measure Tuesday.
More: Lake residents hash over ordinance proposal with city reps
The special election for the Pottawatomie County District 2 County Commissioner was also close, with a total of four Republicans running to fill the vacant seat after the early retirement of longtime commissioner Randy Thomas. Ultimately, with 100% precincts reporting, Greg Rush was elected with 37.91% of the vote to Scott Hawkins' 36.50%. John Stanley gained 13.50% of the vote, and Terry Gregory 12.09%.
Other elections, propositions in Logan, Kiowa, Grady counties
In Logan County, voters also decided who would become the county's District 2 commissioner after the resignation of Kody Ellis, who was found guilty of embezzlement in March.
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Charlie Meadows won the election with nearly 47% of the vote, while rival Republicans Floyd Coffman and Wayne Elder garnered nearly 28% and 25%, respectively, of the vote. The term does not expire until December 2025.
In Kiowa County, voters approved a special 1% sales tax for a new county jail, with nearly 56% of the vote.
And voters in Blanchard overwhelmingly approved a 5% tax on hotels and motels, with 70.2% of the vote. But a similar proposition in the small Grady County town of Minco appears to have resulted in a tie, with fewer than 100 people voting on the measure. If a recount is ordered and the results are the same, the proposal could fail.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: June 13 special election: McCurtain County, Cleveland County water
