EDMOND —
Chief Deputy Court Clerk Tim Rhodes and State Rep. Charles Key have some more campaigning to do.
In the race for Oklahoma County court clerk, Rhodes finished with 10,480 votes, 39.78 percent of the total 26,345 votes cast, while Key finished with 9,485 votes, 36.00 percent of the total. Since no candidate in the race received more than 50 percent of the vote, Rhodes and Key will face each other in an Aug. 28 runoff primary election.
Nathan Schlinke, 38, of Edmond, received 3,435 votes, 13.04 percent of the total. Salome Vaughn, 57, of Edmond, a deputy court clerk in the 1990s, received 1,226 votes, 4.65 percent of the total.
Oklahoma City attorney Kelly Barlean, 51, suspended his campaign for personal reasons last month, but it was too late to get his name removed from the ballot. Barlean received 1,719 votes, 6.52 percent of the total.
Final results in the race were not complete until after 11 p.m. The delay was blamed on a computer glitch.
The unofficial, unverified results do not include provisional ballot results until after 5 p.m. Friday. They are subject to contest and recount and are neither final nor official until they are so certified by the Oklahoma County Election Board.
No Democrat filed for the seat. The court clerk is elected every four years. The new term begins in January.
“It’s been a long night,” Rhodes said of the wait for the final total. “We’re very excited.”
Rhodes said he is proud of the effort to this point and he is looking forward to the runoff. He thanked his supporters, and said his experience with the court clerk’s office will help him in the position if he is elected.
“The work is important,” Rhodes said.
Key also said he was glad the results were in and that he expected to be in a runoff. He said he’s ready for the next phase.
“We’ll keep campaigning hard and take the issues to the voters who will decide who the next court clerk will be,” Key said.
Vaughn said she was disappointed by the low turnout, which she believes shows that many voters don’t turn out for primaries and many Americans feel as if their vote doesn’t count.
“Apathy is pretty big,” she said.
Vaughn said she frequently had to educate voters about what the county clerk does.
Primarily, the court clerk records and maintains court records filed in Oklahoma County. About 120,000 new court cases were filed in the county last year, more than any other state, local or federal court in Oklahoma, according to information posted on the office’s website. The number of new case filings increases about 5 percent each year. Most records kept by the office are open for public inspection.
Since 2002, a full time county clerk office has been staffed in Edmond at 28 E. Main Street.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
Local News
Rhodes, Key to duel in court clerk runoff
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EF-5 tornado called 'worst in history'
President Barack Obama pledged the federal government’s full support for disaster relief in what is being called one of the most devastating tornadoes in history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed a team to the state.
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Edmond detective describes tornado devastation
Like other Oklahomans, Edmond Police Detective Marion Cain was keeping an eye on the weather Monday.
The storm, which produced the tornado began at 2:45 p.m., about 4.4 miles west of Newcastle and its 20-mile long path went through Newcastle, Moore and south Oklahoma City. About 10 minutes after it formed, it was already causing EF4 damage. Maximum winds of the tornado, upgraded to an EF5, were 200-210 mph, according to information released at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday by the National Weather Service. Its estimated maximum width was 1.3 miles. -
UPDATE: How to donate, find drop-off locations for relief supplies
Below is a listing of where donations may be taken in the Edmond area to help the Moore/Oklahoma tornado victims:
• The Edmond Sun is serving as a drop-off location for the downtown Edmond area. Supplies only may be dropped off at 123 S. Broadway and residents may use the backdoor to enter the building. Parking is available behind the building at the Festival Market Place. From 5-10 p.m. donations may be taken to Café Evoke, 103 S. Broadway.
• Edmond North High School is serving as a drop-off location for bottled water through today
• Memorial High School is serving as a drop-off location for food through today.
• Santa Fe High School is serving as a drop-off location for supplies such as work gloves, tools, etc. through today. -
Edmond high schools aid Moore, OKC tornado victims
Sometimes good things come from texting.
Monday afternoon, Sydney Richardson, who will be Santa Fe’s student body president next year, was driving home and it was raining. Once home, she talked to her mother, who told her about the tornado in Moore. Then she began seeing the damage on TV.
“It was devastating,” Richardson said. “We watched it all night long. I just felt like we needed to do something immediately.” -
City schedules debris collection for May 28
The City of Edmond’s Field Services Division of Public Works will be collecting storm-related debris from the May 19 tornado in accordance with the City of Edmond’s Emergency Operation Plan’s Level Two Response.
Affected areas where debris pick up will occur include in the area beginning one-half mile south of 15th Street to 33rd Street and from Boulevard Avenue east to I-35; and the Territories and Timberlake additions. Please see the map for clarification. Pick up is available for residential homes located within the designated boundaries.
Tree debris must be cut into no more than 6-foot sections and must be placed by the curb of the residence no later than 8 a.m. May 28. Crews will begin collection on Tuesday and continue until they have covered the area. -
Storm shelter inquiries up; customers take a number
After the horrific tornado set down in Moore Monday afternoon, storm shelter inquiries hit new highs.
Tuesday Ashley Cunningham, office manager for Red Dirt Septic on Waterloo Road in Edmond, and Mark Webb, owner of the Armor Vault Tornado Shelter in Oklahoma City, said their phones have been ringing consistently starting Monday afternoon. -
Insurers respond to Moore disaster
Insurers, like other agencies related to the Moore tornado disaster, are assessing the damage.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department has made an emergency declaration, allowing out-of-state adjusters to work storm damaged areas, said agency spokeswoman Calley Herth. It’s too soon to have tabulated damage estimates, Herth said.
“We are working hard to collect any and all numbers, but it’s just too soon at this moment,” she said. -
AG issues charity fraud and schemes alert
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt Tuesday issued a warning for Oklahomans and donors around the country to beware of charity fraud and scams following the severe storms in Oklahoma.
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VIDEO: Pres. Obama's remarks on the Okla. tornado
President Obama speaks on Monday's deadly Okla. tornado.
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Photos: Aftermath of massive tornado in Moore
Storm victims were pulled from the rubble and residents began surveying the damage late Monday and early Tuesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where a powerful tornado destroyed entire neighborhoods and left dozens dead.
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