Primaries are June 28th – VOTE!

It's crowded out there.  But don’t let that stop you from voting on Tuesday June 28th.  The crowds are on the ballots, not in the polling places.  With a record number of candidates vying for your vote, it is important that everyone’s choice for a wide variety of elected offices is counted.

For governor, there are four candidates on the Republican side and two on the Democratic ticket.  The biggest race is for the unexpired term of U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, where there are 13 Republican candidates vying for this hotly contested congressional seat. 

Overall, in the primaries there are 54 republican candidates pursuing 14 offices and 19 democrats chasing seven offices.  Not surprising to many political observers is that democrats are sending seven candidates directly to the general election in November; most notable is Kendra Horn running for Senator Jim Inhofe’s seat.   And let’s not forget about those judges.  There are nine candidates competing for three judiciary seats.

While voting for elected officials and judges is important, the most critical items on the ballot for those of us in Oklahoma County includes the open District Attorney seat, with David Prater retiring, which has drawn multiple republicans and two democrats in the primary.  

In addition to the D.A. race, a County Question to incur indebtedness to build a new county jail is on the ballet.  The albatross that has hung around the necks of the citizens of Oklahoma County for the past 30+ years may finally come to an end.  Maybe.  The current jail completed in 1991 was supposed to solve Oklahoma County’s detention problems.  Instead, within the first 10 weeks of the jail being in operation, two inmates had already escaped from the “inescapable” new detention center.  There is a lot of distrust over the current jail’s very existence.  Perhaps this new effort can mend those ill feelings and get the county jail out from under Federal oversight. Yet, once again voters may be skeptical.  No site has been selected, no design selected, or actual cost estimate provided to the voters. 

There’s a lot on the ballot.  It is crowded.  But don’t let that stop your participation in one of our greatest civic opportunities.  Vote on June 28th.  It doesn’t matter how you vote, or who you vote for.  Just exercise your right and vote.