Democratic Primary House District 68 has a winner

Background: House 68 election challenge hearing delayed; judge sets new date

A challenge to the House District 68 Democratic primary was withdrawn on Tuesday, leaving intact the four-vote victory of 28-year-old Tulsan Seth Watkins.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.

House 68 election challenge hearing delayed; judge sets new date

For background see - Hearing set for today in House 68 voting problem

A legal challenge to the results in the House District 68 Democratic primary was continued to Aug. 12 by Tulsa County District Judge William Kellough on Wednesday.

Because of scheduling conflicts, the hearing will be before Presiding District Judge Tom Thornbrugh.

Sand Springs insurance agent Troy Zickefoose, who lost the July 27 election by four votes to Tulsan Seth Watkins, is seeking a new election.

A recount Tuesday reaffirmed the four-vote margin.

An amended petition filed Wednesday by Zickefoose's attorney, Laurie Phillips, contests the eligibility of 35 primary-election voters who the petition says do not live at the addresses listed on voter registration rolls.

Phillips said she has not had time to subpoena more than a handful of the voters in question. Three appeared at Wednesday's hearing but did not testify.

For the courts to declare a new election, Zickefoose will have to show that sufficient ineligible ballots were cast to have potentially changed the election's outcome.

To be eligible, voters generally must live in the same district but not necessarily the same precinct as the one in which they're registered.

Election Board officials said a new election, if ordered, could not be held until Nov. 2, the date of the general election.

That would mean that a second special election would be needed later to pit the Democratic primary winner against Republican nominee Glen Mulready.

But Phillips said Gov. Brad Henry could call for a new primary in September or October.

District 68 includes Tulsa and Sand Springs west and south of the Arkansas River.