Oklahoma
Vicki Behenna beats Kevin Calvey in hotly contested Oklahoma County DA race
Democrat Vicki Behenna defeated Republican Kevin Calvey in a hotly contested race for Oklahoma County district lawyer Tuesday.
All through her marketing campaign, Behenna touted her credentials as a former federal prosecutor concerned within the conviction of Oklahoma Metropolis bomber Timothy McVeigh. A withering TV advert within the closing days of the marketing campaign painted Calvey as too erratic to carry the place of district lawyer.
With all precincts reporting, Behenna received 54.4 % of the vote to Calvey’s 45.61 %.
“There’s part of me that wishes to begin crying, however there’s part of me that’s so grateful that you just all in Oklahoma County imagine in me and imagine within the mission of justice that you just made me the primary feminine district lawyer,” Behenna stated at her watch celebration Tuesday evening.
Behenna instructed supporters she took her time in making a call on whether or not to run.
“I imply, I’m trying across the room proper now, individuals who got here to me in April of final 12 months saying, ‘Vicki, it is advisable to run for district lawyer.’ I took me a very long time to achieve this determination,” she stated. “I really feel so humbled that folks imagine in me and imagine in my integrity and have elected me to this place.”
Behenna will succeed David Prater, who introduced his retirement final 12 months after 16 years within the place.
Within the advert that aired on native tv stations, Behenna used Calvey’s previous feedback about abortion within the Oklahoma Legislature towards him.
“If I weren’t a Christian, and didn’t have a prohibition towards suicide, I’d stroll throughout the road and douse myself in gasoline and set myself on fireplace!” Calvey shouted in 2015 whereas serving as a state consultant.
Behnna additionally hit Calvey laborious on his previous statements about prosecuting regulation enforcement throughout an Oct. 12 debate hosted by NonDoc. Calvey stated he wouldn’t prosecute officers within the capturing dying of Stavian Rodriguez. Prater charged 5 officers with first-degree manslaughter within the November 2020 capturing.
“Fairly actually, Mr. Calvey’s statements are pandering to regulation enforcement, with a purpose to get their vote,” Behenna stated within the October debate. “No one of their proper thoughts who has ever prosecuted a case would take a look at a video on TV and determine that these expenses weren’t correct. That’s what makes him so harmful as a district lawyer.”
A number of unfavorable headlines additionally plagued Calvey, who superior to the overall election by beating Oklahoma County Assistant DA Gayland Gieger in an August runoff. Days earlier than he confronted Gieger, The Oklahoman reported Calvey was below investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation concerning the alleged use of public funds for marketing campaign expenditures.
In a wierd press convention Aug. 22 exterior Prater’s workplace, Calvey blamed Prater for the investigation and for leaking it to media. Prater crashed the press convention and denied speaking to journalists in regards to the inquiry.
Within the days main as much as Tuesday’s election, Calvey returned cash from a donor who has been accused of molesting youngsters and it awaiting a retrial, in keeping with a report in The Oklahoman.
The 56-year-old Calvey is the present Oklahoma County District 3 Commissioner, however he elected to not run for an additional time period in that place this 12 months. He’s additionally a member of the Oklahoma County Legal Justice Authority, which has come below fireplace for its administration of the Oklahoma County Jail. The jail has seen 28 deaths within the final two years because the belief took over its day-to-day operations.
Behenna served on the staff of federal prosecutors that convicted Timothy McVeigh in 1997. Outdoors the courtroom, Behenna additionally defended her son who was convicted of murdering Ali Mansur Mohamed throughout the occupation of Iraq in 2008. Michael Behenna maintained his innocence however was later despatched to army jail. He was pardoned by former President Donald Trump in early 2021.
Extra lately, Behenna labored in non-public apply specializing in white collar protection, authorities relations and well being care circumstances.
Stein holds on in county assessor race
Republican incumbent Larry Stein held on to defeat Democrat Nick Singer within the race for Oklahoma County assessor. Stein picked up 55 % of the vote to 45 for Singer.
The Oklahoma County tax assessor is answerable for setting property values, each business and residential, within the county.
Stein was first elected in 2018, narrowly defeating former Democratic Rep. Mike Shelton. Among the many points Stein campaigned on was the modernization of his workplace.
“We’re setting the usual for know-how, and due to that know-how we’re saving taxpayers cash day by day as a result of we’ve got 52 fewer staff than the Tax Fee estimates we’d must deal with the duties that we tackle,” Stein instructed The Oklahoman.
Singer is a realtor and govt director of Oklahoma Progress Now, a progressive coverage group.
Freeman wins ninth time period as treasurer
Republican incumbent Oklahoma County Treasurer Butch Freeman received a ninth time period in workplace Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Brandon Kirkpatrick.
Freeman, who was first elected in 1993, obtained 55.3 % of the vote to 44.7 for Kirkpatrick, who grew up in Oklahoma Metropolis and Edmond and is a enterprise individual, in keeping with his web site.
Singleton defeats Kirby in decide race
Challenger Angela Singleton defeated incumbent Affiliate District Decide Richard Kirby, successful 58.7 % of the vote to 41.3 for Kirby.
Singleton graduated College of Oregon regulation college in 2011 and labored as an assistant district lawyer in Oklahoma County previous to working for decide. She prosecuted homicides and different violent crimes whereas working within the Oklahoma County DA workplace.
Kirby was first elected as an affiliate district decide in Oklahoma County in 2007, and he initially served because the supervising decide for juvenile courts and later probate, adoptions and guardianships.
Savage wins District 7 decide race
In a battle of two Oklahoma County particular judges, Kathryn Savage defeated James Siderias.
Savage obtained 65 % of the vote to 35 % for Siderias with about 96 % of precincts reporting.
Savage has been a particular decide since 2017 and beforehand labored as an assistant district lawyer in Pottawatomie and Muskogee counties.
Siderias has been a particular decide since 2020 dealing with youngster abuse and intercourse abuse circumstances.
