Updated January 13, 11:45 a.m.
There will be a new Democrat in the Oklahoma Senate when the legislative session gets underway next month.
Unofficial results show teacher J.J. Dossett defeated Republican businessman David McLain. Dossett received 56 percent of the vote to McLain's 44 percent. Just under 3,900 voters turned out for the special election to fill the seat vacated by Rick Brinkley.The Owasso Republican resigned last year after pleading guilty to federal charges relating to embezzlement.
Voters in Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties also approved a bond issue that will pay for safe rooms and a gymnasium expansion in Little Axe schools. In Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie counties, a bond issue to provide distance learning for area school districts also passed.
Original Post
Voters in northeast Oklahoma head to the polls Tuesday to elect a successor to a former state Senator who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
Democrat J.J. Dossett and Republican David McLain are vying for the Senate District 34 seat that covers Rogers and Tulsa counties.
Dossett is an American and World History teacher and a football coach at Owasso High School. He told the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange's Matt Trotter he doesn't expect an advantage in the race due to Brinkley's conviction:
"Rick is a solid guy in Owasso and Collinsville, both communities, and everyone liked Rick, so I think that doesn't have anything to do with it," Dossett said. Education is one of Dossett's major campaign issues. "Right now, our public education needs more support," Dossett said. "Our state's not doing a great job as far as taking care of our future, which is our kids and our future workforce, and it's a very important thing that we're neglecting." Dossett said he’s not too worried about being ineffective because of legislative gridlock if elected. "The budget deficit and our lack of funding our core functions of government seem to be an issue on both sides of the aisle," Dossett said.
McLain is a Navy veteran who also owns a small construction business in Skiatook. He did not respond to Trotter's request for an interview:
In a Facebook video, he said with Barack Obama in the White House, the state legislature needs strong Republican leaders. In other posts, he boasts of receiving high marks from gun advocacy groups and opposes Common Core.
In August, Brinkley admitted to taking $1.8 million from the Better Business Bureau in Tulsa, where he spent more than 16 years in leadership positions, Trotter reported in August:
[U.S. Attorney Danny] Williams said Brinkley spent the money he stole on his living expenses, credit card bills and gambling.
"There were significant amounts of money, several hundreds of thousands of dollars of monies, withdrawn from ATMs from different casinos, Vegas trips, things of that nature," Williams said.
The case may not stop with the federal charges, either. "We will consider additional possible charges that we will present, possibly, to District Attorney [Steve] Kunzweiler, who will then make a determination as to whether or not additional charges on the state level may or may not be filed," said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Stan Florence. Brinkley is also being sued, in civil court, by the BBB.
Brinkley’s sentencing hearing had been set for January 22, but on Monday U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan postponed it until March 4. The move came at the request of defense attorney Mack Martin following the death of his father. Brinkley faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the six federal counts.
The Owasso Republican was first elected to the state Senate in 2010. He held several leadership positions, including assistant majority floor leader, and chairman of the Senate Pensions Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He stepped down from those roles in June, and ultimately resigned from the Senate after pleading guilty in August due to a state statute that convicted felons cannot run for a state position within 15 years after the completion of a sentence.
Central Oklahoma Bond Issues
Voters in the Little Axe school district are voting on a ballot issue Tuesday designed to pay for more classroom space, an expanded gymnasium, and safe rooms for severe weather events.
In a letter to district residents, Superintendent Jay Thomas cited May 10, 2010 and May 19, 2013 tornadoes that affected eastern Cleveland and western Pottawatomie counties in urging the adoption of the two safe rooms:
The first will be seven classrooms attached to the elementary school. The building is large enough to safely hold all elementary students and staff in severe weather.
The other facility will be a multi-purpose facility attached to the gym as well as the west side of the High School. It will contain a lobby, locker rooms, showers and restrooms. The use of-these facilities will allow high school and middle school students to take shelter in the event of a tornado. Also, the administration will ensure that someone is on call at all times to open the shelters for the community outside of school hours.
Voters in eastern Oklahoma County are also considering a bond issue for the Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center. If approved, it will provide distance learning and internet services for the Harrah, Jones, Luther, and Choctaw-Nicoma Park school districts.
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