Comanche County Election Board certifies results of Republican runoff for sheriff

It’s official.

Michael Merritt was certified Friday as the winner of the Republican runoff election for Comanche County sheriff.

The three-member Comanche County Election Board certified the election results Friday, ending a process that normally would have been concluded the Friday after the Aug. 27 election but continued another two weeks after election results were challenged. Comanche County District Attorney Kyle Cabelka filed a petition Aug. 30, asking Comanche County District Court to deny certification of the election because he said it was not possible to certify election results with mathematical certainty due to irregularities that had occurred on election day. He said those irregularities included instances of people who were not Republicans voting for sheriff (that race was limited to Republicans because both candidates are Republicans) or at least one person who should have received a ballot to vote but did not.

Comanche County and Oklahoma State election board officials disagreed with the arguments, saying not only did Cabelka not have the right to challenge the election results (only candidates may do that) and didn’t follow state-mandated procedures, but the total number of irregularities found after an investigative audit not not sufficient to affect the outcome of the race. Merritt beat challenger Andy Moon by a 628-vote margin, while the audit identified eight irregularities.

Comanche County District Judge Jay Walker agreed last week, saying after a morning of arguments he hadn’t heard any evidence supporting the requirements that the results of the election could not be determined with certainty. Walker said the difference was not close to what would have had to happen to affect the winner of the runoff and after denying the petition, ordered the Comanche County Election Board to certify the election results.

Election board members took that step Friday, voting unanimously to certify results that gives Merritt the opportunity to proceed to the Nov. 5 General Election and face Democrat David Stroud for the Comanche County sheriff’s seat. The winner of that election will take his oaths of office in January, replacing long-time Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley. Stradley didn’t seek re-election and will leave office after serving as sheriff for more than 30 years.

At last week’s meeting of the Comanche County Board of Commissioners, commissioners unanimously accepted Stradley’s sworn statement designating Merritt as undersheriff for a period time between Sept. 5 and June 30, 2025.