Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson faces electoral challenge from previous foe

Local voters will have just one Oklahoma County race to vote on when they go to the polls in November to select the nation's next president.

Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III, 35, was the only incumbent elected county official who drew an opponent, while County Commissioner Brian Maughan, County Clerk Maressa Treat and County Court Clerk Rick Warren were assured new terms after no one filed to run against them.

Sheriff Johnson, a Republican, will face Wayland Cubit, 54, the director of security at Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Cubit is a Democrat who ran against Johnson in 2020's general election. He lost that race by 16,000 votes.

Challenger focuses on youth safety as campaign issue

Cubit retired from the Oklahoma City Police Department in 2022 to take a position as Oklahoma Public Schools' security director, the Oklahoma City Free Press reported then.

When announcing his candidacy April 4, Cubit said he intends to bring respect, innovation and transparency to both the campaign and office if he is elected.

“I know what our community needs. They need a sheriff who has real professional experience, who will be strong, trustworthy, and knowledgeable; but most importantly — one who will keep all of our citizens safe and protect our kids,” Cubit said.

More: Oklahoma County transforming former Krowse Army Reserve building into sheriff offices

A resident of Forest Park, Cubit said he has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience in Oklahoma County, most of that on Oklahoma City's police force.

“I’ve been on the beat as an officer, have managed fellow officers, directed budgets, and worked outside of law enforcement as a community servant. Most importantly though, I’m a father and grandfather who goes to sleep and wakes up with one priority: to keep my family and our community safe,” he said.

Tommie Johnson's time during first term as Oklahoma County's Sheriff eventful

Johnson, who edged out incumbent Sheriff P.D. Taylor in a primary runoff before he beat Cubit, stepped into the job just months after Taylor relinquished control of Oklahoma County's jail and its detainees to a recently formed Criminal Justice Authority.

Though Johnson's agency no longer runs the jail, he serves as a member of the public trust that oversees its operations.

Not long after he took office, Oklahoma County's Sheriff's deputies called on Oklahoma City's police to help it control a hostage situation on the county's jail's 10th floor after a detainee complaining about conditions inside the jail held a detention officer hostage. Police shot and killed the detainee as he was holding something to the officer's neck.

"Unfortunately, a life was lost to save a life," Johnson later said after reviewing videos of the altercation.

When a multicounty grand jury recommended the jail's operation be returned to the sheriff in March 2023, Johnson said while he didn't want the obligation, he would take it and "do the best damn job I possibly can" if the responsibility were forced upon him.

Outside of jail related issues, Johnson was able to get Oklahoma County's Board of County Commissioners to approve his request to buy body cameras for his deputies.

In March 2022, his deputies seized a large amount of fentanyl after stopping a suspicious vehicle on an interstate. Later that same year, he launched a multi-agency partnership to increase safety for schools in eastern parts of the county.

While his agency experienced tragedy in August 2022 when one deputy was killed and another was hurt as they attempted to serve an eviction notice in south Oklahoma City, it also celebrated the following month after a deputy who also is a doctor saved another man's life when the victim overdosed in a vehicle traveling the Kickapoo Turnpike.

In 2023, Oklahoma County's Sheriff's Office moved its dispatch center from Midwest City to to a newly built, storm-resistant building at Metro Technology Centers' South Bryant Avenue campus. Johnson said the move increased the reliability of its communications systems and boosted training opportunities for future dispatchers attending school there.

Currently, it is working with contractors to remodel the Krowse Building, its northeast Oklahoma City headquarters it moved to after the agency surrendered control of the county jail to the trust.

After taking his oath in January 2021, Johnson promised a brighter future for the agency, saying, "I look forward to pioneering a new era in law enforcement in which public safety and community respect go hand-in-hand.”

He announced he would stand for re-election in a Facebook post he made in August.

"Together, we have restored trust in the sheriff's office. We have improved services and implemented new technology that keep people safe and ensure accountability, while combatting crime," Johnson said.

"We have accomplished a lot, and there is more work to do."

Three 2024 races in Oklahoma County decided after no opponents filed

Court Clerk Warren won a special election in 2016 after Court Clerk Tim Rhodes resigned to become the top administrator of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. He will serve a third, four-year term in the office.

While he didn't provide a statement to The Oklahoman about not drawing an opponent, his re-election website states he puts customer service ahead of party politics.

"There's a difference between politicians and public servants — the public servant runs to accomplish a task for the people and not just be looking for their next political opportunity," he said.

County Clerk Treat won a special election a year ago to replace David Hooten in that post after his resignation. Treat, who said it had been her honor to serve out Hooten's unexpired term, said she is excited about the future.

"I’m grateful to all my supporters for making this possible. Thank you for your valued trust!" Treat said.

Commissioner Maughan, who has spent the past year struggling to find a site for a new county jail with fellow commissioners, surprisingly drew no opponent. Maughan already has served four, four-year terms as commissioner and will begin his fifth in January. This is the second time he has stood for re-election without drawing an opponent, he said.

"I'm humbled beyond words to be given another term without facing an election," he said. "I am looking forward to finishing building the new jail and continuing to expand the SHINE (Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere) program."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Wayland Cubit will run second time against Sheriff Johnson in November