By Carolyn Cole
Published on August 7, 2008

State Senate candidate Kyle Loveless has challenged frontrunner Steve Russell to a series of debates, including an event in Mustang either Aug. 14 or Aug. 19 at Town Center.

Loveless said he has also reserved the Moore City Hall Council Chamber for Aug. 21.
“I’m going to be there regardless,” he said. “If Steve doesn’t show up, I’m going to have an hour to talk to people.”

Loveless said he is working to schedule a third event in south Oklahoma City before the primary runoff Aug. 26.

The two contenders rose from a field of five candidates in the July 29 primary, with Russell leading the way with 41 percent of the vote. Loveless captured 27 percent of the tally.

The district 45 seat is being vacated by Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, who cannot seek reelection due to term limits. No other candidates filed for the seat.

The candidates have met before in forums with the three other contenders, but Loveless said 2-minute sound bites aren’t adequate for answering complicated questions.

“I think it will be a lot easier, and you can have more of a substantive debate,” he said.

While Russell said he isn’t opposed to debates, he did take issue with Loveless starting the negotiations through e-mail. With less than three weeks left to campaign, Russell said he wanted more particulars about the debates before he could make any decisions.

“I have debated Loveless three times already and performed well in those debates,” he said.

Loveless suggested asking Mustang and Moore news editors to moderate the debates in their communities. Mustang Mayor Jeff Landrith was also listed as a possible moderator for his community.

In Oklahoma City, Loveless suggested asking Jerry Foshee, the third-place finisher in last week’s primary, to serve as moderator, even though Foshee and fellow former candidate Melinda Daugherty endorsed Russell earlier this week. If the condition would bring Russell to a debate, Loveless said he still supports asking Foshee to moderate.

“I am frustrated with it,” Loveless said. “Of course, he’s (Russell) committed to debating, but when push comes to shove, I can’t get him to agree.”

Loveless, 34, is manager of his family’s business, Loveless Shoes, and owns a consulting business. He has listed education and transportation reform as top issues of concern.

If elected, Loveless said he would push to trim the number of school districts in Oklahoma from 535 to 100 systems. He said combining school districts could allow administrators to be spread thinner and help schools share resources.

“We can consolidate school districts and not close one single school,” he said.
Loveless has proposed directing license fees and gasoline taxes directly to the state Transportation Department rather than filtering funds through the state’s general fund.

“I want to restore the faith of the people in their government,” he said. “When the government tells you they are taking it (taxes) for transportation and using it for other things, that’s wrong.”

Russell, 45, served 25 years in the Army, including deployments in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He said his top concern is the “assault on our families and traditional values.”

“It is one that has resonated with people,” he said.

For him, Russell said, the problems facing families are not abstractions. As a father of five children, three of whom his family adopted, Russell said he and his wife struggled to raise them on his soldier’s income.

His military experience, he said, gives him perspective on leadership and making decisions.

“I have faced enemies in battle and am not afraid of a debate, but I won’t be painted into a corner for someone’s political convenience,” he said. “As I said before, I would be happy to discuss it with him.”