Candidates fund own campaigns
Given little time for fundraising, all the Senate candidates up for election Tuesday have been putting their own money into their campaigns.
Seven Republicans and two Democrats are vying in special primaries Tuesday for the vacant Senate District 45 seat.
The odd-shaped district stretches across far south Oklahoma City from Mustang to Valley Brook.
Among the GOP candidates, physician Diane Means gave the most — loaning her campaign $100,000 in May and spending $102 to register her campaign committee, campaign reports show.
Former Oklahoma City Councilman Brian Walters was next, with a $43,897 loan, reports show. Real estate agent Paul Rosino was third with $36,600 in loans and a $2,700 donation.
Attorney Scott Harris made four loans to his campaign — totaling $16,100.
Kerry Pettingill, a former chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol,
loaned $12,500 to his campaign and donated $351. Duane Smith, a water resources consultant, had $18,050 in campaign loans.
Mathew Hamrick, the chief purchasing officer at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, loaned $503 to his campaign.
A conservative group called Foundation for Economic Prosperity Inc. is backing Hamrick. It has spent more than $21,000 in support of him, according to its “independent expenditures” reports.
Only one Democrat reported making loans to his campaign.
Steven Vincent, a dispatcher at the Oklahoma City Police Department, reported loaning his campaign $2,561.
His opponent, Noah Ynclan, simply donated to his campaign — $274 in all.
The Senate District 45 seat became open when Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, abruptly resigned.
Loveless quit April 27 after being confronted with evidence he embezzled more than $100,000 from his 2012 and 2016 campaigns. He pleaded guilty last week to three felonies and is on probation.
Also Tuesday is the special primary election for the House District 76 seat in southeast Tulsa. Only a couple of the candidates for that seat put their own money into their campaigns.
The seat became vacant in April when Republican incumbent David Brumbaugh died.
On GOP ballots are his widow, Shelley Brumbaugh, Cliff Johns, Brian Elliott, Ross Ford and Jess Guthrie.
On Democratic ballots are Chris Vanlandingham and Forrest Mayer.
Crowded ballots, as is the case for both Republican primaries, normally would mean a runoff was likely. But there are no runoffs with legislative special elections.
“It will be a winner-take-all primary,” said Bryan Dean, public information officer for the Oklahoma State Election Board. “The candidate with the most votes will move on to the general.”
The special general election in both races is Nov. 14.
This year — 2017 — has turned out to be a year of special elections with the death, some legislators leaving for better jobs and others resigning because of scandals.
Democrats were able to capitalize on two special elections last month as they flipped a state Senate seat and House seat.
Both the Senate District 45 seat and the House District 76 seat trend more Republican than the two wrestled away last month by the minority party at the Capitol.
“I don’t think these are really a harbinger of anything to come,” Republican strategist Pat McFerron said following last month’s elections. “If the other upcoming special elections seats don’t stay Republican, then you have a real trend.”