IDABEL, Okl. (KTAL/KMSS) – Results from a special election held in McCurtain County have now been released to the public.
The election will fill the seat of Mark Jennings, who resigned earlier this year after a controversial conversation was recorded and released to the public by the McCurtain Gazette-News. In the conversation, Jennings is one of the officials (there is no video) that discussed killing reporters and hanging black people.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt stated he was appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County. He also promised not to stand idly by while such a thing takes place.
Stitt called for the immediate resignation of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings, Investigator Alicia Manning, and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix.
Large protests broke out after the release of the recorded conversation, but Sheriff Kevin Clardy and others are still in office after refusing to resign at the Governor’s prompting. Only Jennings resigned.
The special election held on June 13 is to replace Jennings, whose former seat as McCurtain County Commissioner, District 2, is up for grabs.
As of 8:51 p.m. on election night, June 13, 100% of the precincts are reporting and Republicans Tina Foshee-Thomas received 75.05% of the vote, with Terry Wendt bringing in 17.15% and Byron Hamil at 7.8%. On the Democrat ticket, with 100% reporting from all precincts, Tony Hill received 72.3% of the vote, and Ronald Gene Barnes came in at 27.17%.
Click here to understand the process of electing candidates in McCurtain County.
