Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame inductee Robert Franklin is set to face off with educator and pastor James Taylor in the Republican runoff election for state superintendent of public instruction.
With all precincts reporting after 11 p.m. Tuesday, Franklin finished atop the seven-way race with 22.6 percent support. Taylor, who overcame a financial disadvantage to finish ahead of two sitting legislators and a four-time candidate, received 19.7 percent of the 373,405. That figure represented a roughly 7.3 percent undervote from the Republican gubernatorial race.
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View precinct and county-level data about Oklahoma’s June 16 statewide primary election results at ok26onlytothinking.com.
John Cox finished closely behind Taylor, but ultimately placed third in his fourth run for the position. Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, who unsuccessfully attempted to remove Sen. Adam Pugh from the ballot, finished in fourth place at 16.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Pugh finished with 11.5 percent. Debra Herlihy placed sixth with 9.5 percent of the vote. William Crozier finished last with 1.8 percent support.
Franklin and Taylor will advance to the Aug. 25 runoff election, the winner of which will face Jennettie Marshall, who won the Democratic primary with 57.7 percent support over Craig McVay.
Marshall gained notoriety as one of the Tulsa Public Schools Board members who blew the whistle on alleged conspiracy, embezzlement and kickbacks related to the administration of bond projects financed by local property taxes.
Charges were filed against Former TPS director of bond and energy management Chris Hudgins, and Allied Engineering partners Thomas McKenna and Gayle Gwinup the day after Marshall and McVay participated in a debate.
T.W. Shannon wins lieutenant governor primary
T.W. Shannon, a senior advisor to the U.S. secretary of agriculture for rural prosperity who received endorsements from President Donald Trump and recently appointed Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, claimed more than 53 percent of the GOP primary vote Tuesday, eliminating five Republican candidates and winning the GOP nomination outright.
Shannon received 53.8 percent of the vote. Sen. Darrell Weaver finished in second place with 13 percent, followed by Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey, who campaigned with a Bigfoot impersonator and claimed 12.6 percent of the vote.
Despite an ad blitz in the race he entered on the final day of filing, David Ostrowe, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s chief operating officer, pulled 9.2 percent, placing him above Rep. Brian Hill who accumulated 7.6 percent support. First-time candidate Victor Flores landed in last at 3.9 percent.
Shannon will go on to face Kelly Forbes, the lone Democratic candidate, in November.
Sullivan, Quinn advance to GOP runoff
In the Republican race for insurance commissioner, Bob Sullivan and former Sen. Marty Quinn are headed to the Aug. 25 runoff. Sullivan, a certified risk assessment manager, received 37.3 percent support Tuesday. Quinn, an insurance professional, drew 27.7 percent.
Meanwhile, Greta Shuler, a Shawnee city councilwoman, and Chris Merideth, an insurance policy analyst, nearly tied with just more than 17 percent given to each.
The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Craig MacIntyre in November.
Corporation commission primaries decided
Rhonda Eastman defeated her two Democratic opponents by obtaining just under 70 percent of her party’s vote Tuesday. She will advance to the general election in November against Rep. Brad Boles, who won 55.3 percent in the Republican primary against Justin Hornback, a three-time candidate who accumulated 44.7 percent.
Harold Spradling, who made his fifth campaign for the office at age 91, collected 20.1 percent of votes. Consultant Donald Clytus finished just shy of the 10 percent mark
Legislators make runoff in GOP labor commissioner race
Rep. Kevin West and Rep. John Pfeiffer are set to face off in the August runoff in their pursuit of the labor commissioner seat.
Pfeiffer, whom some voters may recognize from a TV ad poking fun at his last name, received 35.2 percent of the vote, while West finished in first place with 41.8 percent. The runoff winner will face Democrat Kevin Dawson and Libertarian Mike Hall in November.
Lisa Janloo, a small business owner, came in third place with 14.5 percent, and Keith Swinton, a retired U.S. Postal Service employee making his third bid for the statewide position, finished last at 8.44 percent.
