4 GOP primary races for Oklahoma statewide offices to go to runoffs

Jun. 30—Oklahoma voters turned out to the polls during Tuesday's primary election to tab their GOP nominees for six statewide offices, but four of those must await runoff elections in August for final decisions.

Aside from governor, the offices of attorney general, state auditor, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, corporation commissioner and labor commissioner were on the ballot Tuesday, with GOP primary races developing. Because no candidate in four of those races obtained at least 50% of the vote, they will be decided in runoff elections Aug. 23.

Below are the complete but unofficial results from Tuesday with all 1,984 precincts reporting:

Attorney general

Tulsa attorney and businessman Gentner F. Drummond defeated incumbent Attorney General John M. O'Connor in the Republican primary for attorney general. Drummond received 180,338 votes, or 50.88%, and O'Connor received 174,125 votes, or 49.12% in a close race.

Drummond, 58, of Hominy, will face off against Libertarian Lynda Steele, 31, of Warr Acres, for attorney general in November.

State treasurer

State Rep. Todd Russ, of Cordell, and former state Sen. Clark Jolley, of Oklahoma City, will advance to a runoff for state treasurer. Former Oklahoma County Clerk David B. Hooten came in third in that GOP primary race.

Russ received 164,260 votes, or 48.50%; Jolley 114,707 votes, or 33.87%; Hooten 59,686 votes, or 17.62%.

Russ, 61, who has been a state representative for the 55th District since 2009, or Jolley, 51, who had served as a state senator from 2004 to 2016, will face Democrat Charles De Coune, 50, of Oklahoma City, and Libertarian Gregory J. Sadler, 49, of Newalla, in the general election Nov. 8.

State auditor and inspector

Incumbent State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd won the Republican primary for the GOP nomination against challenger Steven W. McQuillen, a fixed asset accountant for Tulsa Public Schools. Byrd, 49, of Coalgate, has served as the state auditor and inspector since 2018.

In the race, she received 244,285 votes, or 70.05%, and McQuillen received 104,455 votes, or 29.95%. Byrd will be unopposed in the general election.

Superintendent of public instruction

Oklahoma Education Secretary Ryan Walters, 36, of Edmond, and Shawnee Public Schools Superintendent April Grace, 56, of Norman, will advance to a runoff for superintendent of public instruction. A total of four GOP candidates filed for the race.

Walters, who was named the secretary of public education in 2020, received 142,540 votes, or 41.46%. Grace received 105,303 votes, or 30.63%. Peggs Public Schools Superintendent John Cox received 83,012 votes, or 24.15%. William E. Crozier received 12,936 votes, or 3.76%.

The GOP runoff nominee will go against Democrat Jena Nelson, 44, of Edmond, the former Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, in the November election.

Commissioner of labor

Incumbent Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn and state Rep. Sean Roberts will advance to the runoff election.

Osborn, 58, of Mustang, was elected as the state labor commissioner in 2018. She led the primary race with 160,661 votes, or 47.82%. Roberts, 48, of Hominy, has served as a state representative for District 36 for 12 years. He received 128,578 votes, or 38.27%. Keith Swinton came in third with 46,719 votes, or 13.91%.

The GOP winner in August will face Democrat Jack Henderson, 71, of Tulsa, and Libertarian Will Daugherty, 28, of Yukon, in November.

Corporation commissionerState Sen. Kim David, 61, of Porter, and Todd Thomsen, 55, of Ada, will advance to a runoff for a decision on the GOP nominee for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Justin Hornback and Harold D. Spradling came in third and fourth, respectively, in the primary.

David has served as a state senator for District 18 since 2010. She won 135,629 votes, or 41.07%. Thomsen served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for District 25 from 2006 to 2018. He received 85,828 votes, or 25.99%. Hornback received 67,214 votes, or 20.35%. Spradling received 41,588 votes, or 12.59%.

The winner of the GOP runoff will go against Democrat Margaret Warigia Bowman, 53, of Tulsa, and independent Don Underwood, 71, of Inola, in November.