Oklahoma County DA candidate Kevin Calvey asks for recount of Republican primary vote

Nolan Clay, Oklahoman
·2 min read
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Kevin Calvey had to wait a long time at his watch party in Oklahoma City Tuesday night for the results of the primary election to come in. He asked Friday for a recount.
Kevin Calvey had to wait a long time at his watch party in Oklahoma City Tuesday night for the results of the primary election to come in. He asked Friday for a recount.

The top vote-getter in the Republican primary election for Oklahoma County district attorney is asking for a manual recount.

Kevin Calvey will avoid a runoff if he gets over 50% of the primary vote. He stayed Friday at 49.97% after provisional ballots were added to Tuesday's total.

If he remains below 50%, Calvey will face Gayland Gieger in a runoff Aug. 23. Already on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in the DA spot is Democrat Vicki Behenna.

Calvey, an Oklahoma County commissioner, is not alleging voter fraud. His two-page petition had contained an accusation of irregularities but he crossed that part out.

"It's just due diligence," he said Friday. "Machines make mistakes."

Oklahoma election results: Kevin Calvey, Gayland Gieger head to Aug. 23 runoff in GOP race for Oklahoma County DA

Gieger, a longtime Oklahoma County assistant district attorney, said he expects to still be in the runoff after the recount is over.

"I have complete confidence in our voting system," Gieger said. "I believe Oklahoma's voting system is accurate."

All four GOP DA hopefuls gained a few votes after the Oklahoma County Election Board met Friday to review provisional ballots and accept or reject them.

More: Kevin Stitt, Joy Hofmeister to face off in Oklahoma governor's race come November

Calvey ended up with 26,983 votes. Gieger had 12,552, defense attorney Jacqui Ford had 7,804 and defense attorney Robert W. Gray had 6,658.

Calvey would have avoided a runoff if 16 of the votes that went to his opponents had been cast for him instead.

He said he paid $12,000 for the recount which begins Wednesday.

Behenna is a former U.S. attorney who helped prosecute Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh at his trial in Denver in 1997. She easily defeated Mark Myles in the Democratic primary Tuesday, winning 64% of the vote.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County DA candidate Kevin Calvey asks for recount