SW Oklahoma voters elect new legislator, force another into a runoff; elect 5 sheriffs; pass SQ 802; approve 22 of 23 Altus charter changes; recount a possibility in Kiowa County commissioner’s race

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  • Ledger photo by Curtis Awbrey    Altus CPA Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, hugs his wife, Cynthia, after winning the state House District 52 race Tuesday night.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Altus CPA Gerrid Kendrix overwhelmed restaurant manager and former Altus city councilman Scot Simco in Tuesday’s primary election to capture the state House District 52 seat.

Final, unofficial results from the 28 precincts in four counties (Jackson, Greer, Harmon, and Kiowa) that comprise HD 52, show that Kendrix received 2,319 votes (64%) to 1,297 for Simco (36%). Since no one else filed for the post, Kendrix will assume the office in November; he succeeds Rep. Charles Ortega, R-Altus, who “termed out” after 12 years in the Legislature.

In the Republican primary election for state Senate District 43, controversial Sen. Paul Scott of Duncan was forced into a runoff with Jessica Garvin, also of Duncan. Scott received 5,683 votes to 4,470 for Garvin and 1,235 for Kaity Keith of Purcell. The winner will face Democrat Terri Reimer of Marlow in the November general election.

State Rep. Daniel Pae of Lawton trounced his House District 62 Republican primary opponent, Robert Johns of Lawton, 1,243-423. Next, Pae faces Democrat Larry Bush of Lawton in the November general election.

In the Republican primary for state House District 56, Dick Lowe of Amber defeated Randy Talley of Chickasha, 1,803-1,568. Lowe now has a Democrat opponent, Craig Parham of Amber, in the November general election.

Voters in Altus approved all but one of the 23 proposed changes to their seven-year-old municipal charter Tuesday.

A recount appears likely in the race for Kiowa County District 2 Commissioner. Incumbent Stan Funkhouser edged challenger Brent Straub by just two votes, 196-194. Straub has until 5 p.m. Friday to make a decision. He would have to post a $600 deposit to request a recount, election board officials confirmed.

Voters in five area counties elected sheriffs.

Jackson County Sheriff Roger LeVick, R-Blair, trounced his challenger, Glenn Coker, R-Elmer, 2,360-350, to win re-election to another four-year term. Of the final, unofficial 2,710 ballots cast in the race, LeVick breezed with 87% of the vote to 13% for Coker. Incumbent Kiowa County Sheriff Joe Janz defeated challenger Brynn Barnett, 545-435, to win re-election.

In Tillman County, Bill Ingram defeated Bill Hunt by a vote of 546-328 to succeed Bobby Whittington as sheriff. Ingram formerly worked for the Frederick Police Department and transferred to the Tillman County Sheriff’s Office a year ago. Hunt, a Frederick native, joined the Frederick Police Department in 2013, transferred to the Tillman County Sheriff’s Office, and most recently has been the police chief in Tipton. Whittington has announced his pending retirement.

In Cotton County, Tim King, who was appointed sheriff last fall to replace Sheriff Kent Simpson after the latter resigned while facing an ouster proceeding, was elected to a full four-year term. King shellacked Bobby Sparks, Simpson’s undersheriff, by a vote of 699-146.

And Stephens County Sheriff Wayne McKinney defeated FBI retiree Cris Lang, 4,092 to 2,262.

State Question 802, the Medicaid expansion question passed, but it was carried by only one county in southwest Oklahoma: Comanche. Voters in Jackson, Stephens, Cotton, Greer, Harmon, Jefferson, Kiowa and Caddo counties all turned thumbs down on the proposal.

Altus voters approved 22 of 23 proposed city charter amendments.

Proposition 12 was the lone issue rejected. It would have removed the residency requirement for the city manager. The current city manager, former State Auditor & Inspector Gary Jones, lives in Comanche County, southwest of Cache about halfway between Indiahoma and Chattanooga. That measure was defeated by a vote of 1,078 yes (48.91%) to 1,126 no (51,09%).

Proposition 2, requiring removal of a councilmember who “ceases to be a resident of the ward” he/she was elected to serve, received the most votes among all of the proposals: 2,308 (or 33% of the 6,980 active voters in Altus). Proposition #2 was endorsed by 2,006 voters (86.92%) and was spurned by 302 voters (13.08%).

The biggest margin of approval was for Proposition 16, requiring candidates for elected city offices (mayor, city council, police chief, street commissioner, and city clerk-treasurer) to file their declaration of candidacy with the Jackson County Election Board. Of the 2,184 ballots cast on that measure, 1,900 were yes (87%) and 284 were no (13%).

Proposition 23 was the next most-popular proposal. It adds elected officials to the list of people who must avoid conflicts of interest “in selling or bartering anything to the City of Altus” and subjecting elected officials to forfeiture of their office in the event of a conflict of interest. Of the 2,146 ballots counted on that measure, 1,849 voted for it (86.16%) and 297 voted against it (13.84%).

Proposition 9, creating a municipal Budget Committee comprised of the city manager, police chief, the clerk-treasurer, the street commissioner, the city’s chief financial officer, and the city attorney, was approved by a 4-to-1 margin: 1,828 yes to 451 no.

The thinnest margin of approval was for Proposition 1, amending the Altus City Charter to describe the form of government as “the charter form” rather than “the council-manager form”. It was approved by a vote of 1,318 yes to 944 no or 58.27%-41.73%.

Proposition 1 is merely a matter of semantics. In fact, Altus already has a city charter – the current one was adopted by city voters in 2013 – and will continue to have a hybrid council-manager form of government.

In all, 12 of the propositions passed by margins of 80+%, and nine were supported by margins of 70+%.