Update on the Senate District 43 re-count

Election workers in two counties sifted through ballots Wednesday to determine the outcome of a contested Senate seat in a district that includes Oklahoma and Cleveland counties.

So far, Jim Reynolds has pick up a vote in Cleveland County and David Boren has pick up 4 votes in Oklahoma County, making a net gain for Boren of 3 votes. But sill very far from the 157 votes He needs.

Workers in Oklahoma County are expected to resume the count today in the race between Democrat David Boren and Republican incumbent Jim Reynolds.

Boren asked for a recount of the Nov. 4 election ballots in Senate District 43. The difference between the two candidates was 157 votes in latest unofficial vote totals, state election officials said.

Election workers in Cleveland County finished their recount just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Boren, a nurse who is not related to the University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren, said he wanted to make sure every vote was counted.

The recount began in Cleveland County shortly after a judge made a ruling at a morning hearing. In Oklahoma County, however, things did not go as smoothly.

A hearing on the recount and allegations of voter irregularities was delayed because Boren was not in court in time for the 10 a.m. hearing. Boren, who represented himself in court, said he was delayed because he was in Cleveland County. Boren arrived in the Oklahoma County courtroom about 10:50 a.m.

Both men had alleged voting irregularities occurred, but while waiting for Boren to arrive, Reynolds’ attorney Tom Prince agreed to drop that complaint.

A few minutes after the hearing was set to begin, District Judge Daniel Owens received a fax from the state Supreme Court advising him Boren asked that Owens be removed from the voter irregularity case.

Later in the day, the higher court assigned the voter irregularity case to Judge Bill Hetherington in Cleveland County. Hetherington is expected to hear arguments on the voter irregularities in Oklahoma County at 3 p.m. Monday.

The recount in Oklahoma County began shortly before noon and election workers were about halfway done when they recessed Wednesday evening.

Counting is expected to resume at 9 a.m. today at the Oklahoma County Election Board.

Reynolds, who has served in the Senate eight years, finished first in the election with 50.3 percent of the vote. Boren received 49.7 percent.