In Republican leaning Oklahoma, primary extremely important in choosing top state officials

Oklahoma City (AP) — Republicans who head to the polls for tomorrow’s primary election will choose Oklahoma's next regulators of both the insurance industry and a wide range of other businesses overseen by the three-member Oklahoma Corporation Commission, including the important oil and gas sector.

Term-limited state Sen. Cliff Branan of Oklahoma City and former Oklahoma House Speaker Todd Hiett of Kellyville square off in a winner-take-all Republican primary in the race for a six-year term on the Corporation Commission, which oversees oil and gas production, public utilities, pipelines, trucking and railroads, among others. Both are seeking to replace Republican Commissioner Patrice Douglas, who is running for Congress.

Another statewide officeholder who will be determined in next Tuesday's election is Oklahoma's insurance commissioner. Republican incumbent John Doak of Tulsa, who rode a tea party wave to oust a Democratic incumbent in 2010, faces a primary challenge from Bill Viner, a longtime insurance examiner with more than 30 years in the industry.

No Democrats or independents are running either for the corporation commission or as insurance commissioner, so the winner of the Republican primary is effectively elected to the post.

Oklahoma has a closed primary election system, so for several high level state offices, they are locked out of taking part in the choice of who governs the state. In many states, voters can vote in the primary of whichever party they wish, regardless of their party of registration. Although that has led to electoral mischief in some states, it at least gives all voters the chance to have a say in their elected officials. The alternative is for voters to change their registration.

That’s exactly what has happened in the contest for state Superintendent of Education. Because sentiment among educators runs strongly against incumbent superintendent Janet Barresi, some estimates are that more than 1,200 educators changed their registration from Democrat to Republican, so they could vote against Barresi in the primary election.

According to a story in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix & Times-Democrat, “As the state superintendent, Barresi has sustained withering attacks from the education community since she was elected four years ago. She’s led a State Department of Education that has been criticized for the way it implemented student testing and evaluated school districts. She faces a well-funded primary opponent in Joy Hofmeister, who described Barresi’s first term as a ‘reign of terror.’”Hofmeister had been a member of the state Board of Education. There are both Democratic and Republican primaries in the race for education superintendent.

Several statewide elected officials in Oklahoma drew no opponent this cycle, including Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, and Treasurer Ken Miller.

Races for lieutenant governor and commissioner of labor will be decided in November's general election.

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This story includes writing by Sean Murphy, Associated Press, Dale Denwalt, CNHI, and The Gayly staff.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – June 23, 2014 @ 9:40am