LAWTON — Four Republicans and two Democrats will compete this fall for the right to replace former state Sen. John Michael Montgomery in the Senate.
The six candidates are:
• Dusty Deevers, Republican.
A resident of Elgin, Deevers is a pastor at Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Elgin. He is also the CEO of Deevers Properties.
• Jennifer Ellis, Republican.
A native of Lawton, Ellis served as a Patriot Missile operator and mechanic in the U.S. Army, according to a news release announcing her campaign. But when she became pregnant with her youngest son, she decided to forgo her military career and return to civilian life.
Ellis currently works at Cosmetic Specialty Labs in Lawton, where she is the president and CEO.
• JJ Francais, Republican.
Francais is the associate publisher of Southwest Ledger and assistant vice president of external affairs for Hilliary Communications, the Lawton-based telecommunications company whose owners also own the Ledger.
Francais also serves as mayor of the city of Elgin. He is a member of the governing board of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum, as well as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents.
• Dr. Jean Hausheer, Republican.
Hausheer retired from the University of Oklahoma’s Dean McGee Eye Institute after practicing medicine for more than 40 years, according to her campaign website. She retired so she could focus on opening a free eye clinic at Hearts That Care, a free medical and dental clinic in Lawton.
• Larry Bush, Democrat.
Bush is the chairman and CEO of the Lawton-based Larry Bush Insurance Agency, according to his personal Facebook page.
He campaigned unsuccessfully for the District 62 seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2016 and again in 2018, according to Ballotpedia.org.
• Johnny Jernigan, Democrat.
Jernigan, a Lawton native who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the District 32 seat in 2022, is running for the post again this year. He is a certified nursing assistant.
The candidates will square off in the Oct. 10 primary special election. If none of the candidates captures a majority of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff election on Dec. 12.
A Republican from Lawton, Montgomery resigned his legislative seat in July to become the president and CEO of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.