Mann earns another county term

June 27--Voters in Garvin County's eastern district said yes in a big way this week to keeping a longtime commissioner in place for another term.

District 3 Commissioner Johnny Mann easily earned a new four-year term in office with a win Tuesday over challenger Mike DeArman of Paoli.

Mann picked up nearly 77 percent of the votes cast during the June 24 primary election.

That comes to 684 votes for Mann, while his challenger, a former member of Paoli's school board, finished with 205 votes.

For DeArman it was just over 23 percent support.

"I'm proud to get to serve Garvin County for another four years," Mann said on Wednesday as he earns his seventh term in the office.

"I lay a lot of that on my crew, all my people. We do our best and I guess the voters saw that," he said.

"I appreciate all my supporters, all my helpers and my campaign crew.

"I just want people to know how much I appreciate them and that we'll just keep doing our best with what we've got."

For Mann and his wife, former county clerk Gina Mann, the results of Tuesday election were known before they made a trip to the courthouse in Pauls Valley.

From there they and some supporters gathered to celebrate with dinner at a PV restaurant.

The race was slightly closer but not by much as Santee Wade claimed a spot on the Stratford Board of Trustees.

Wade finished with 149 votes, or nearly 66 percent, to gain the unexpired term.

That compares to 77 votes (34.1 percent) for Stephanie Butenhof.

In other primaries Republican voters in Garvin County supported longtime U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who easily won the party's nomination.

The county also supported James Lankford, who won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate office being vacated by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn.

On the Democratic side of the race for Coburn's seat, Connie Johnson and Jim Rogers are set for a runoff election in late August.

Whichever candidate claims the office will serve the last two years of Coburn's term.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Cole also picked up support here as he cruised to the Republican nomination for his District 4 office.

Cole is now set to go against Bert Smith, who won the Democratic nomination, in the general election this fall.

The race for state school superintendent finished with incumbent Janet Costello Barresi finishing third for Republicans both in Garvin County and statewide. Joy Hofmeister won the nomination.

For Democrats it's a runoff for the school office between former Pauls Valley educator Freda Deskin and John Cox later this summer.

Deskin easily claimed Garvin County but finished a close second on the Democratic ticket.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin got the Republican nod here and statewide. She will face Democrat Joe Dorman this fall.

Voters here and statewide supported Insurance Commissioner John Doak, who earned a new four-year term with the primary win.

Todd Hiett didn't draw full support in Garvin County, but he did claim the Republican race for corporation commission. With no other candidates Hiett won a term outright.

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