Incumbent McIntosh County District 2 County Commissioner Monty Grider will face challenger Clifford McElhaney in a run-off primary election on August 27.
Grider received 229 votes (36.23 percent) in Tuesday’s primary election to McElhaney’s 213 (33.7 percent).
Kevin Drake received 190 votes, (30.06 percent).
Winner of the Dist. 15 State Representative five-person race was Tim Turner, who received 1,866 votes (52.64 percent).
Incumbent Neil Hays easily won re-election in the State Representative District 13 race, receiving 1,542 votes (78.83 percent) to challenger Jarod Mendenhall’s 414 (21.17 percent).
In other races, J. Brian Bingman received 666 votes (51.31 percent) in McIntosh County. Statewide he received 126,737 (53.42 percent).
Incumbent District 13 State Representative Neil Hays received 186 votes (86.92 percent) in the county to Jarod Mendenhall’s 28 (13.08 percent).
District wide, Hays received 1,542 (78.83 percent) to Mendenhall’s 414 (21.17 percent).
Sheriff races of interest In Pittsburg County, incumbent Sheriff Chris Morris won reelection even though he is facing a number of embezzlement charges filed against him a month before the election.
Morris received 56.68 percent of the GOP primary vote against Randy Hass, the son of a former sheriff, who finished with only 43.32 percent. In total, 4,328 Pittsburg County Republican residents voted. Morris’ position as sheriff now rests with the court, which scheduled a June 26 preliminary hearing conference for his removal trial. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 19.
In another sheriff’s race, one which drew nationwide attention, McCurtain County Incumbent Sheriff Kevin Clardy, who was caught on a recording talking about lynching Black residents last year, finished last in Tuesday’s election with only 18.26 percent of the primary vote.
Bruce W. Shirey, a former McCurtain County deputy sheriff, earned 49.43 percent of the vote and will head to a runoff election against local businessman Jason Ricketts, who obtained 32.31 percent.