Jul 27, 2010

Voters head to polls in Oklahoma

08:05 AM

In an otherwise slow month for primary elections, voters head to the polls today in Oklahoma to pick nominees for governor, Senate and five House seats.

Among the most high-profile races are the state's gubernatorial primaries, where Rep. Mary Fallin faces state lawmaker Randy Brogdon for the GOP nomination and state Attorney General Drew Edmondson is running against Lt. Gov. Jari Askins for the Democrats' spot on the November ballot.

A July poll for the Tulsa World, found Fallin leading Brogdon 56%-18%. The same poll had Edmondson ahead of Askins by 16 percentage points.

Fallin and Askins are vying to be the state's first female governor.

Fallin has the backing of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Edmondson, a Vietnam veteran, comes from a prominent political family. His father was a congressman from 1953 through 1972 and his uncle is a former governor and U.S. senator.

Askins, meanwhile, has the support of Barry Switzer, former football coach for the University of Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys.

Oklahoma's current governor, Democrat Brad Henry, is term-limited. The non-partisan Cook Political Report rates the gubernatorial race as leaning Republican.

Fallin leaves an open seat in central Oklahoma's solidly Republican 5th Congressional District. The race has drawn several GOP contenders, including former state representative Kevin Calvey, urologist Johnny Roy and state lawmakers Mike Thompson and Shane Jett.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... oklahoma/1