LAWTON – Two of the three candidates for the Comanche County sheriff’s position made it past the June 18 primary election and will square off again in a runoff primary election, set for Aug. 27.
Republican candidate Michael Merritt finished first in a three-way race for the GOP nomination, according to unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board. Merritt captured 2,512 votes, or 44.13% of the total.
Merritt’s Republican opponent Andy Moon came in second with 2,461 votes, or 43.24% of the total, according to the election, board.
The third Republican in the race, Dell Galloway, finished third with 719 votes, or 12.63%.
Moon said he had anticipated a close race, and his campaign was excited about the results.
“When we move forward, I believe we will win the whole race,” he said in a June 22 phone interview.
Moon said he wanted to thank his family, his campaign team and his supporters for voting in the primary election. He added that his strategy will not change leading up to the runoff vote.
“It’s going to address the concerns that the citizens have – the areas in which they feel we need improvement,” he said. “I’m going to continue to talk to all those citizens and keep gathering information.”
Moon currently works for the Comanche County Trust Authority and is assigned to a federal task force.
An attempt to reach Merritt for comment June 21 was unsuccessful.
Galloway, a patrolman for the Comanche Nation Police Department, congratulated Moon and Merritt on making it past the first round.
“Whoever gets elected sheriff, I hope they represent the county well,” he said.
Since neither Merritt nor Moon received more than 50% of the vote, both men will advance to the runoff ballot in August. The winner of that race will face Democratic candidate David Stroud in the November general election.
November’s winner will replace longtime Sheriff Kenny Stradley, who has served as the sheriff since 1989 but is not seeking reelection.
Stradley was inducted into the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Hall of Fame in 2014.