State Rep. Mike Christian, R-Oklahoma City, has announced he will run for Oklahoma County sheriff.
Christian served in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for a decade before winning a state House seat in southwestern Oklahoma City. He’ll have to give up his office at the state Capitol to run in the Republican primary for Oklahoma County Sheriff.
Christian is chairman of the House Public Safety Committee.
Christian said there should be sweeping reforms at the sheriff’s office, starting with how the jail is operated. He referenced news about inmates being abused, cell doors not working properly and mental health treatments that aren’t provided to the inmates who need them.
Sheriff John Whetsel, a Democrat, has already announced he will run for re-election. He’s been sheriff of Oklahoma’s largest county since 1997. Christian and Whetsel could face each other in November if both win their primary.
In 2010, Christian was eyed in a corruption investigation alongside state Sen. Debbe Leftwich and Rep. Randy Terrill. The inquiry looked into suspicions that the lawmakers created a state job for Leftwich so that Christian could run for her vacant Senate seat. While the other two lawmakers were convicted of bribery, Christian was not charged with a crime and he did not run for Senate.
Whetsel is currently under investigation by the prosecutor and the state auditor on suspicions that his office mismanaged a healthcare contract for the jail.
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