EDMOND — Edmond Republicans will head to the statewide primary election ballot Tuesday in a field without Democrats.

“The number of eligible voters in Edmond for the June 26 election is 33,629,” said Doug Sanderson, Oklahoma County Election Board secretary. “Only Republicans are voting. Democrats and Independents in Edmond are not eligible to vote.”

Arcadia has 15 eligible voters, but the Arcadia precinct area around and including the town has 614 voters. The Deer Creek Public School District area has 6,688 voters, Sanderson said

In the Republican race for Senate District 41, incumbent Republican state Sen. Clark Jolley will face political newcomer Paul Blair of Edmond in a closely watched contest.

As a conservative, Jolley believes in governing responsibly, he said. Conservative government is taking Oklahoma in the right direction and should be an example to Congress in Washington, D.C., he said.

“What we’re doing in Oklahoma is governing the right way,” Jolley said. “Pretty much what Washington does, we do the opposite. Washington is raising our taxes. Oklahoma is lowering. Washington deficit spends. In Oklahoma we have a balanced budget requirement.”

Blair said he is running for state Senate because he is concerned for his grandchildren’s future.

“We have forgotten the purpose of government and the limitations of government,” Blair said.

Certain limited powers are trusted to a governing authority, Blair said. The government cannot supersede its power or give away something people own, he said.

“The problems we have today are trampling on the Constitution. We have over-regulation,” Blair said.

Incumbent Republican state Rep. Marian Cooksey goes against Republican Bob Dani in the House District 39 primary election. District 39 encompasses portions of west Edmond and north Oklahoma City.

“I have worked to ban lawmakers from taking any state jobs for two years after they leave politics,” Cooksey said. “I authored a law to protect the victims of human trafficking so women and children may receive sanctuary and healing.”

She also has fought to fund the Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s move to Edmond.

Cooksey has represented House of Representatives District 39 in northwest Oklahoma County since voters elected her to office in November 2004. She serves in House leadership as majority caucus secretary. Cooksey also serves as vice chairwoman of the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Public Health and Social Services. She is also a member of the Energy and Utility Regulation committee, the Higher Education and Career Tech committee, and Judiciary Committee.

Dani wants to be a public advocate for the average voter and business owner in House District 39.

This is Dani’s first run for public office. He wants to end the financial burden of being a taxpayer, to restrict the burden of overregulation on business owners and to create job opportunities in Oklahoma.

“I’m very much an advocate of reduced taxes in the state of Oklahoma, not only for business owners but the average taxpayer,” said Dani, owner of Robert N. Dani Inc., an investigative agency. “So when our government starts talking about maybe we should go to a zero-tax base — I’m all for that — it’s exactly what I believe in.”

Dani said he wants to be a vocal proponent who stands up to discuss issues openly and aggressively. Dani said he does not believe the Republican Party in the Legislature should be holding closed caucus sessions.

He grades the current state Legislature with a “D” for poor government in protecting Oklahoma’s “traditional Christian family values,” Dani said.

“Last year we had an abortion bill that passed the Legislature that says you can receive an abortion up to 20 weeks in the state of Oklahoma,” Dani said. “That’s not good enough for me. Those are unborn American citizens.”

In the Oklahoma House District 82 primary election, Oklahoma City incumbent Guy Liebmann, 75, faces Mike Turner of Edmond, 25.

Liebmann supports a strong transportation infrastructure for economic development. Turner said education is another incentive to improve Oklahoma’s economy with a dynamic work force.

Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony is vying for re-election against his fellow Republican Brooks Mitchell. Mitchell served nine years with the commission as director of administration, director of the Petroleum Storage Tank Division and as an administrative aide to former Commissioner Jeff Cloud.

Anthony’s TV ads tout “his tireless efforts on behalf of Oklahoma consumers,” stating that he “cares about families and small businesses” and that he is “the man we know, the name we trust.” Mitchell has called Anthony a part-time politician.

“None of my opponent’s attacks and distortions are worthy of a response,” Anthony said.

This is the only statewide Republican primary race on Tuesday’s ballot.



County race on ballot

Four Republican candidates are vying for Oklahoma County Court Clerk.

“The most important thing I can see on my horizon is to complete our transition to the new computer system with e-filing,” said Tim Rhodes, chief deputy court clerk. “We need to get out of the paper handling storage business.”

Candidates in the race also include Salome Vaughn of Edmond, as well as state Rep. Charles Key and Nathan Schlinke, all of Oklahoma City. Each of them complimented the progress made by retiring Court Clerk Patricia Presley, D-Oklahoma City.

Although still on the ballot, Kelly Berlean suspended his campaign late last month and has not been actively campaigning.

“Once we eliminate the influx of no paper, we can start to deal with the paper that we’ve been charged with preserving and making available that’s been at the courthouse since 1890,” Rhodes said.

Electronic filing of data will eliminate the expense of paper storage, and make the documents more readily available to the public, he added. The staff of the court clerk office could be reduced by attrition once this is accomplished, Rhodes said.

Key said he will find more ways to make the office of court clerk more available to the public. Users of the office should expect a less costly, quicker and smoother process when doing transactions at the court clerk’s office, said Key, owner of a financial services company.

Schlinke, an Oklahoma City attorney, said the first thing he would do would be to conduct an operational and financial audit of the office. He also would ask the staff what could be done to make their job better.

Vaughn said she believes that first-hand information needs to be accessible as soon as possible. Information needs to become accessible online, she said. Vaughn said she would use flex time to scan documents immediately.

The primary election goes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. More information on polling locations and early voting can be found at www.ok.gov/elections.

Do you live in Senate District 41?

Senate District 41 spans from Waterloo Road and Indian Meridian on the east, then west to North Santa Fe. From there District 41 goes south to Pinnacle Lane, east to Kelly Pointe Parkway, and south to Interstate 44, where it goes south of Oakdale Forest Road and south to 108th Street. The district then goes east to the Interstate 35 Service Road, then north to Northeast 122nd Street. From there, the district goes east where it stops at Hogback Road. From there it zigzags north and east to Indian Meridian.

REPORTERS Mark Schlachtenhaufen and Thad Ayers contributed to the report.