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  • MARK SCHLACHTENHAUFEN | THE EDMOND SUN Kevin Calvey gestures toward his wife Toni and their new son Thomas as he addresses supporters Tuesday night.

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Discussion

August 24, 2010

Calvey concedes 5th District

Mark Schlachtenhaufen The Edmond Sun

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Calvey conceded to James Lankford in the 5th District race, saying he would not have done much differently and that Lankford now has his support.

With 324 of 324 precincts reporting, Lankford had received 29,814 votes, 65 percent of the total. Calvey received 15,899 votes, 34 percent of the total. The results will not include provisional ballot results until after 5 p.m. Friday, and they are neither final nor official until they are certified by the State Election Board.

At about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, Calvey arrived with his wife Toni and their new baby Thomas at his north Oklahoma City watch party, and addressed supporters. Calvey opened his remarks with a prayer, and then congratulated Lankford on his victory.

Lankford won because he had a loyal network of supporters through his church, because he worked hard and skillfully to inspire them into action, Calvey said.

“He deserves it. He has my support. I wish him well. And I will continue to pray for him and his family,” Calvey said.

Calvey said his team worked equally hard and would have deserved the victory had he won.

“There aren’t a whole lot of things I would have done differently,” he said. “There’s a few. But not that many. I don’t think that if we’d done things differently that it would have made a big difference.”

Calvey thanked his supporters, and said he and his wife talked about the campaign, and the related family issues, including the coming birth of their son. The campaign was a calling for them, and an offering to God, he said.

A Catholic, Calvey said he poured out everything into this race because it was his “calling.” He said he is confident he has done what God wanted him to do.

“This is not the time for bitterness, for regret or ‘what if,’” Calvey said. “This is a time for celebration of what it means to serve one’s country within a calling from God. The Lord has something different in mind for Toni and us now. I don’t know what that is.”

Calvey said it has always been an honor to serve whether it was in the state Legislature, in the military, in his church — The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist in Edmond — or as a husband, father or neighbor.

Now, Calvey said, he will focus on the latter roles, and he hoped to continue relationships forged with his supporters, a bond of “patriotic conservatism.”

They included Steve Kern, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

Kern said being the husband of a politician, state Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, he dreads primaries since there are always a lot of good people running. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner per party, Kern said.

“And I felt like in this particular race there were two really good candidates, and either one would have been very good whichever one won,” Kern said. “I was just really proud of Kevin and the way he responded this evening. I felt it showed a lot of class.”

Calvey was a good, solid conservative who served his country well and stood for conservative principles, Kern said.

Regarding supporting Lankford, Kern said he considers both Calvey and Lankford good friends.

“I won’t have any problems supporting James,” Kern said. “I believe that he’ll do a great job.”

Another Calvey supporter, Edie Shelton, of Del City, said she would have to think about whether or not she would support Lankford.

“I think James Lankford is a wonderful man,” she said. “I know he has given a lot to the state and to the youth at Falls Creek as the director. And I admire and respect him very much for that.”

Shelton said Calvey is true to character, a man of very high moral standards and commitment.

“He’s very consistent and that shows right now with his speech,” she said. “His dedication is not self-serving. He really truly is for his country and for the people and for the Lord.”

Faith was an important issue for her, Shelton said. She said the election showed that people with thoughts, ideas and beliefs don’t need to stay at home, but get out and vote.

Kern said now it is time to focus on the Democratic opponent.

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