Open Oklahoma congressional seat attracts primary races [The Joplin Globe, Mo.]

June 23--Party nominees for an open position in Oklahoma's2nd Congressional District are among those to be decided by primary voters on Tuesday in Oklahoma.

The Republican nominee for Oklahoma Corporation Commission also will be decided by Republicans statewide.

Three Democrats and six Republicans filed for the Northeast Oklahoma congressional position, which became open when Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Boren decided not to seek a fifth term.

DEMOCRATS

Rob Wallace, Wayne Herriman and Earl E. Everett are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Wallace, 48, of Fort Gibson, has lived most of his life in the congressional district. He most recently worked as a prosecutor in the Pittsburg County district attorney's office. He was elected district attorney for LeFlore and Latimer counties in 1998 and served in that post through 2004. He has undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma at Norman.

Herriman, 59, lives south of Muskogee, near Warner. He has lived his entire life in the congressional district, except for his time at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. He has a bachelor's degree from there. He owns and operates Sunburst Seed Co. and Holman Seed Farm.

This is his first run for any public office.

Everett, 78, of Fort Gibson, has lived in the congressional district about 70 years. He is a retired teacher and seismologist. He has a bachelor's degree in education from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. This is his first campaign.

REPUBLICANS

On the Republican ballot are Wayne Pettigrew, Dakota Wood, Markwayne stet Mullin, Dustin Rowe, Dwayne Thompson and George Faught.

Pettigrew, 49, lives in Piedmont, north of Oklahoma City. He has lived in the congressional district since 2008. He owns two insurance brokerages and manages a life insurance business. He earned bachelor's degrees from East Central University, Ada. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1994 to 2004.

Wood, 49, of Claremore, has lived in the district since August. He is a retired Navy officer, most recently working as a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He has a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree from the Naval War College. This is his first political campaign.

Mullin, 34, lives in Westville. He has lived in the congressional district most of his life. He has an associate's degree from Oklahoma State University'sInstitute of Technology, Okmulgee. He owns Mullin Plumbing, Mullin Farms, Mullin Properties and Mullin Services. This is his first run for elected office.

Rowe, 36, of Tishomingo, has lived in the district his entire life. He is a lawyer with a private practice. He received his bachelor's degree from East Central University, Ada, and his law degree from the Universtiy of Oklahoma, Norman. He was elected mayor of Tishomingo at age 18 and served two terms in that position.

Thompson, 53, lives between Fort Gibson and Tahlequah. He has lived in the district since 2001. He is pastor of Fusion Church in Muskogee. He has a bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, and a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. He had previously been elected to two-year term on a school board in the state of Montana.

Faught, 49, has lived in Muskogee all his life. He has a carpet cleaning and disaster restoration business. He is a graduate of Muskogee High School, and he graduated in 1987 from Bryan Institute, a technical college. He was elected to three terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

CORPORATION COMMISSION

Brooks MitchellBob Anthony are on the Republican ballot, seeking the party's nomination for a statewide position on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The commission regulates the state's utilities, and also the oil and gas industry.

Mitchell, 51, lives in Oklahoma City. He has lived in Oklahoma for 34 years, growing up in Wichita, Kan. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Oklahoma. A licensed accountant, Mitchell worked at the Corporation Commission for nine years, resigning to run for the position. This is his first campaign.

Anthony, 64, of Oklahoma City, has lived in Oklahoma his whole life, except for his college career. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and master's degrees from the London School of Economics, Harvard University and Yale University.

He has served four six-year terms on the Corporation Commission and had served on the city council in Oklahoma City in 1979 and 1980.

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(c)2012 The Joplin Globe (Joplin, Mo.)

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