McCurtain County Commissioner District 2 voters will go the polls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to cast ballots in a special primary election for the vacant District 2 county commissioner seat.
Five candidates are running on party ballots, two on the Democratic ballot and three on the Republican ballot.
Listed on the Democratic ballot are Ronald Barnes and Tony Hill
Running on the Republican ballot are Terry Wendt, Tina Foshee-Thomas and Byron Hamill.
The two leading candidates in the party voting Tuesday – along with independent candidate B.J. Davis – will face each other in a three-way general election Tuesday, Sept. 12.
The candidate with the highest number of votes in the general election is elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term (a majority vote is not required in a special election).
The position in the southeast McCurtain County district became vacant with the recent resignation of Mark Jennings, who was elected to a four-year term in 2020.
Early voting was conducted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the McCurtain County Election Board office in Idabel.
Election board officials reported 83 ballots had been cast as of 1 p.m. Friday, including 49 on Thursday and 34 additional ballots up to 1 p.m. Friday.
An article from the election board listing precinct locations and other information regarding the District 2 special election is found in this issue of the weekend Gazette.
Sixty people attended a candidate forum at Idabel’s Carl Sherman Plaza where candidates seeking a vacant McCurtain County Dist. 2 Commissioner seat answered questions. Four of the five on party ballots in Tuesday’s special election spoke. The fifth candidate, who was ill, was represented. Washington/Slater/Riverside Alumni Association and McCurtain County Democratic Party were forum sponsors. (Staff photo)
