LAWTON – Comanche County voters will choose a new sheriff when they go to the polls Nov. 5.
Republican candidate Michael Merritt will face his Democratic opponent, David Stroud, in the race to replace outgoing Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley. Stradley is retiring after 34 years in the sheriff’s office.
Michael Merritt Merritt spent 25 years as a firefighter with the Lawton Fire Department, where he served as a captain and chief of training, according to his campaign’s Facebook page. He later served as the county’s emergency management director before becoming a deputy with the sheriff ’s office.
He has served as the undersheriff since early September, according to his campaign’s Facebook page.
Merritt and his Republican challenger Andy Moon finished atop a three-person field in the GOP primary election in June. The two men faced each other again in the Republican runoff election in August.
Merritt won the primary runoff race, but District Attorney Kyle Cabelka challenged the results of the election. Citing allegations of voting irregularities, Cabelka filed a legal petition asking the court to throw out the results and conduct another runoff vote.
District Judge Jay Walker denied the petition in September and ordered the election board to certify the runoff results, Southwest Ledger reported on Sept. 12.
Stroud did not draw an opponent in the Democratic primary race, so he advanced to the November ballot.
David Stroud A native of Sterling, Stroud moved to Freeport, Texas, with his aunt and uncle, according to his campaign’s website. While in Texas, he worked as a stevedore, operating cranes and heavy equipment.
Stroud moved back to Oklahoma in 2004 and began working for the Comanche County Detention Center. He later went to work for Stradley’s office.
After graduating from the Council for Law Enforcement Education and Training in Ada, Stroud continued working for the sheriff ’s office, according to the website. He has worked in several divisions of that office, including patrol, extradition transport and courthouse security.