Background: House 68 election challenge hearing delayed; judge sets new dateA challenge to the House District 68 Democratic primary was withdrawn on Tuesday, leaving intact the four-vote victory of 28-year-old Tulsan Seth Watkins.
"After meeting with Seth Watkins this morning, my decision to end my challenge is based on the needs of Sand Springs and west Tulsa," Troy Zickefoose said in a statement issued through his attorney. "To work hard and come up four votes short is not easy, but the choice of endorsing Seth Watkins is an easy one."
Watkins could not be reached for comment, but according to the statement he has asked Zickefoose to chair his campaign.
Zickefoose, a 48-year-old Sand Springs insurance agent and former steel worker, had challenged the eligibility of 35 voters in the July 27 primary. His attorney, Laurie Phillips, said she was confident more than enough of those ballots could have been disqualified to force a new election.
But, she said, the new election was likely to come too near the Nov. 2 general election for the winner to campaign effectively against Republican nominee Glen Mulready.
Zickefoose said Watkins is "a fellow who knows what it means to work for a living. I will work with Seth and encourage all my friends and neighbors to support Seth's campaign. We need folks like Seth to throw the money changers out of the Capitol."
Zickefoose repeated earlier claims that Mulready, an insurance broker and consultant, is a lobbyist for the insurance industry.
Mulready is not registered as a lobbyist with the Oklahoma State Ethics Commission and said he has never worked as one. He said he is active in a professional association that has lobbied the Legislature.
House District 68 is currently represented by Republican House Speaker Chris Benge, who is term-limited. The district includes Tulsa and Sand Springs west and south of the Arkansas River.
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