By Carolyn Cole
Published on July 26, 2008

Canadian County’s political tides have turned, from its past Democrat leanings to this election cycle, where Mustang-area Democrats will consider two primary races, compared to seven on the Republican ballot.

For county official seats, Anna Hrdy and Sherry Murray were the only Democrats to file — both are vying for court clerk. Meanwhile, 11 GOP candidates represent their party in seeking county offices.

Races for sheriff and county clerk will be decided in Republican primary elections Tuesday, while the Canadian County Commissioner District 2 contest will likely be decided in an Aug. 26 Republican primary runoff.

In state Legislature races, five Republican candidates are seeking the state Senate District 45 race — no other candidates filed. District 45 includes Mustang, Moore and Southwest Oklahoma City neighborhoods.

For House District 47 three Republican candidates will face off in this week’s primary, and the winner faces Democrat Harold Jackson in the primary.

In the other primary election east Canadian County Democrats will help decidethe U.S. Senate seat, held by incumbent Republican Jim Inhofe. Andrew Rice and Jim Rogers meet in the Democrat primary, and face the victor in a four-way Republican race between Inhofe, Dennis Lopez, Evelyn Rogers and Ted Ryals as well as Independent candidate Stephen Wallace.

Jody Harlan, Canadian County Democrat Party chairwoman, said volunteers worked hard this election cycle to find qualified, quality candidates, but several possible contenders learned through the process their voter information was not up-to-date.

Volunteers are focusing on non-partisan voter registration drives, she said, while also encouraging concerned residents to get involved in their communities and seek election to local school boards and city councils to gain experience.

“We need to train our folks to be prepared and competitive,” she said.

In western Canadian County races, Harlan said her party found more success. Two Democrats are seeking the House District 57 seat, which includes northwest Canadian County as well as Custer and Blaine counties, and the winner will face one of four Republicans in the general election.

Democrat Donald Russell will face one of three Republicans, Tim Riddle, Mike Sanders and Chris Cameron, in the House District 59 race to represent northwest Canadian County, as well as Blaine, Dewey, Kingfisher, Major and Woodward counties.

While Rep. Ryan McMullen, D-Burns Flat, did not draw an opponent, neither did three incumbent Republicans — State Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, and Reps. Colby Schwartz, R-Yukon, and Phil Richardson, R-Minco.

“We need a strong two-party system,” Harlan said. “People need to have choices.”

The growth in eastern Canadian County neighborhoods has seemed to have fed the local Republican party, said Dorothy Riley, county election board secretary.

As of July 1, 55 percent of Canadian County’s 59,903 registered voters were Republican, 34 percent were Democrat and 10 percent were independent.

“It’s kind of one-sided,” Riley said. “Before that, it was one-sided the other direction.”

Twenty years ago, Pete Katzdorn, Canadian County GOP chairman, said the numbers fell the other way, with 35 percent of county voters registered Republican. He said he believes when people move and reregister their voter information, they are switching their affiliation to Republican because the party better matches Oklahomans’ values.
“I think we have a really strong brand name in Oklahoma with our growth in the state House of Representatives,” Katzdorn said.

In talking privately with some candidates, Harlan said, officials have told her they switched to the Republican party because of its surge in the growing eastern neighborhoods not because their ideals had changed.

“They felt they had a better chance of running as a Republican,” she said.

In rural areas, Harlan said she believes hometown loyalty and cross-county rivalries often play a larger role in voting decisions than political party membership. When she talks with voters, Harlan said she encourages them to select candidates who they believe will advocate for their community’s best interests.

“I feel like Democrats are more likely to protect interests of Canadian County,” she said. “Elected Republicans are more likely to vote party lines ... our interests get advanced when people who understand our needs get elected.”