All three Lawton City Council seats have candidates

Two more residents added their names to Lawton City Council races on Tuesday, assuring all three seats have at least one candidate and giving Ward 7 four candidates.

And in the Oklahoma Senate District 32 race, the man who was the Democratic candidate opposing former Sen. John Michael Montgomery in November 2022, filed Tuesday for the now-open seat.

In Lawton, residents are filing for the Wards 6, 7 and 8 seats on City Council.

Tuesday, Christal Thompkins filed for Ward 7, the south and west Lawton ward now represented by Onreka Johnson. Johnson filed her intent to seek a new term Monday, while two other candidates also filed: Sherene L. Williams and Cindy Edgar.

Malden Smith also filed his declaration of candidacy Tuesday for west Lawton’s Ward 8. Smith is the only candidate for that seat; Ward 8 Councilman Randy Warren has said he will not seek re-election.

Robert Weger also remains the only candidate for the west Lawton Ward 6 seat he has held since being appointed by the council in May to fill the unexpired term of former Councilman Sean Fortenbaugh.

In the race for Oklahoma Senate District 32, two new candidates filed their declarations of candidacy Tuesday, giving that race four Republicans and its first Democrat: Johnny Jernigan, Lawton. Jernigan was the Democratic candidate when Montgomery, a Republican, won the seat in November. Montgomery formally ceded the seat Tuesday, the same day he formally began his duties as president/CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.

Dusty Deevers, an Elgin Republican, also filed his declaration of candidacy Tuesday, joining three other Republicans who filed Monday: Jean Hausheer, Lawton; J.J. Francais, Elgin; and Jennifer Ellis, Medicine Park.

Residents have until 5 p.m. today to file declarations of candidacy in all four races. Candidates for City Council will file at the Comanche County Election Board, located in the Comanche County Courthouse at Southwest 5th and C; Senate candidates will file with the Oklahoma State Election Board in Oklahoma City.

Forms for all the races are available on the state election board website: oklahoma.gov/elections.html