Comanche County sheriff’s race heads to runoff

Two Comanche County men will face each other in a runoff for sheriff, while voters in Duncan changed how economic development funds will be distributed, after voters went to the polls Tuesday.

Michael Merritt and Andy Moon will proceed to an Aug. 27 runoff election, after narrowing the Republican field Tuesday in the race for Comanche County sheriff.

The two, along with Dell Galloway, are the Republican candidates vying for the chance to face Democratic challenger David Stroud in the November general election that will designate a new sheriff for Comanche County for the first time in more than 30 years, after Sheriff Kenny Stradley decided he would not seek re-election.

In the final tally Tuesday, 51 votes separated Merritt and Moon, with Merritt winning 2,512 votes (44.13 percent of the total cast) and Moon winning 2,461 (43.24 percent). Dell Galloway won 719 votes, or 12.63 percent of the 5,692 Republican votes cast for sheriff.

Moon and Merritt said they are prepared for another round of campaigning as they head for the August runoff.

“The first thing I want to say is thank you to my family, my campaign team and all the supporters that have been with me through the whole campaign trail,” Moon said. “I wouldn’t be here without all their support.”

Moon said if he had to identify a deciding factor in the race, it would be residents deciding what kind of change they want to see in the Sheriff’s Office, adding their ultimate choice for sheriff will depend on that decision.

“The next person is going into uncharted territory for the first little bit. No one has been in that position except Kenny Stradley,” he said, of Stradley’s long tenure.

Moon said he isn’t planning any changes in his campaign, adding he was honored to work with Galloway and Merritt and complimenting both for their campaigns.

“Moving forward, we will continue to reach out to the citizens and listen to their concerns and addressing their concerns,” he said.

Merritt had a simple reaction to Tuesday’s news.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he said, adding his plans for the summer will be the same techniques he used for the primary election.

“We’re going to keep knocking on doors and spreading the word,” he said, adding his goal is to explain to people what he wants to do and how he plans to do it, in terms of “protecting the citizens and serving the citizens of Comanche County.”

Merritt said he’s aware that the next sheriff will be stepping into big shoes as Stradley steps down after 36 years as sheriff.

“I’ll attempt to fill those shoes,” he said, adding some of the changes he wants to make include modernizing the department and bringing it into the electronic age.

Merritt said he doesn’t really think there was one deciding factor in the race, crediting God for his influence and vowing God will continue to be an influence in the department.

“I think God was a deciding factor,” adding he credits God for prevailing while also acknowledging the people who have backed and supported him. “In God We Trust. The sheriff has always stood behind that, and we still believe that.”

Galloway sent his congratulations to Merritt and Moon for proceeding to the next step in the campaign.

“The citizens of the county made their choice and I respect them for it,” he said. “Now, I get back to work.”

Joking he might have a little more free time now, Galloway pledged to remain involved with county law enforcement.

“I will continue to train and mentor officers, which is what I truly love,” he said. “I will continue to be involved, 100 percent.

In Duncan, voters agreed, by a 45-vote margin, to transfer control of economic development funds from the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation to the Duncan Area Economic Development Trust, which will be controlled by the City of Duncan. According to the ballot proposition, one quarter of one-half percent of the sales tax will be used for infrastructure and one quarter of one-half percent will be used for economic development. The tax will end July 31, 2029.

In other county races:

CADDO COUNTY

Sheriff: Spencer Davis, 991 (62.80 percent); Brynn Barnett, 587 (37.20 percent).

COTTON COUNTY

Court Clerk, Republican: Terry Kelley, 433 (60.56 percent); Gina King 282 (39.44 percent).

County Clerk, Republican: Joseph Schappert, 475 (67.09 percent); Shawn Strange, 233 (32.91 percent).

County Commissioner District No. 2, Republican: Benny Smallwood, 44 (17.96 percent); Kevin Grimes, 201 (82.04 percent).

KIOWA COUNTY

County Commissioner District 2, Republican: Daniel Rogers, 146 (45.34 percent); Brent Straub, 176 (54.66 percent). Straub will face independent candidate Ricky Mcollom, Hobart, in the general election in November.

STEPHENS COUNTY

County Commissioner District 2, Republican: Todd Churchman, 1,349 (64.67 percent); Stephen Upchurch, 737 (35.33 percent).

CITY OF DUNCAN

Proposition 1: (PSO franchise): Yes: 2,582 (79.13 percent); No: 681, (20.87 percent).

Proposition 2: (economic development): Yes: 1,662 (50.69 percent); No: 1,617 (49.31 percent).

TILLMAN COUNTY

Sheriff: Oscar Juanes, 568, (66.36 percent); Robert Wallace, 288 (33.64 percent).

STATE SENATE

District 31, Republican: Pamela McNall-Granier, 1,215 (17.09 percent); Rick Wolfe, 2,294 (32.37 percent); Spencer Kern, 3,599 (50.63 percent).

District 43, Republican: Kendal Sacchieri, 5,139 (53.25 percent); Jessica Garvin, 4,511 (46.75 percent).

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

District 50, Republican: Andrew Aldridge, 1,519 (31.93 percent); Clayton T. Pickard, 906 (19.05 percent); Jayce Daniel Miller, 310 (6.52 percent); Stacy Jo Adams, 2,022 (42.51 percent). Since no candidate won 50 percent of the vote, Adams and Aldridge will advance to a runoff Aug. 27.

District 65, Republican: William Ratley, 1,002 (40.08 percent); Toni Hasenbeck, 1,498 (59.92 percent).

U.S. CONGRESS

District 4, Republican: Nick Hankins, 1,256 (2.01 percent); Andrew Hayes, 2,549 (4.08 percent); Tom Cole, 40,380 (64.63 percent); Paul Bondar, 16,120 (25.80 percent); Rick Whitebear Harris, 2,170 (3.47 percent).

District 4, Democrat: Kody Macaulay, 5,526 (39.32 percent); Mary Brannon, 8,523 (60.68 percent).

Tom Cole and Mary Brannon will face each other in the general election in November for the District 4 seat.

OKLAHOMA CORPORATION COMMISSIONER

Republican: J. Brian Bingman, 126,733 (53.42 percent); Russell Ray, 42,498 (17.91 percent); Justin Hornback, 68,003 (28.66 percent).