The race is on

Candidates numerous for Senate District 45 seat

By M. Scott Carter

Transcript Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An area state Senate race has drawn five candidates and generated more than $145,000 in total contributions, state Ethics Commission documents show.

With the filing period just days away, five Republicans have announced for the Senate District 45 seat held by out-going Republican Senator Kathleen Wilcoxson. The district covers south Oklahoma City and includes portions of Moore.

Wilcoxson is being forced to retire because of term limits.

As of Wednesday, Republicans Steve Russell, Melinda Daugherty, Kyle Loveless, Jerry Foshee and Marty Gormley all have filed statements of organization and, according to their reports, are raising money for a summer campaign.

So far, Foshee and Russell lead the fundraising efforts.

Foshee, a former Oklahoma City councilman who announced for the seat last year, has raised $72,895. Of that figure, $40,749 was generated in personal contributions to his campaign and $15,200 was received from political action committees.

Records show Foshee carried $23,835 forward from a previous campaign report and also loaned his campaign a total of $15,200.

Foshee reported spending a total of $43,507.

For the Jan. 1 through March 31 filing period, Foshee reported $9,500 in personal contributions and $7,500 in contributions from political action committees.

For the first quarter of this year, Foshee reported spending $11,447 and he lists $29,387 in remaining funds.

Foshee attributed some of that success to his prior service as a member of the Oklahoma City council.

"For 13 years, I was a member of the city council in Oklahoma City which covers about 50 percent of the Senate district," he said. "People are aware of what I did as councilman."

Yet even with that strong name recognition, Foshee said raising money for this year's campaign cycle hasn't been easy.

"The economy today makes it (fundraising) difficult," he said. "When you're having trouble feeding your family you don't think about making a contribution to a political candidate. When gas is $4 a gallon, you're more worried about taking your kids to their Little League games than about making political contributions."

Still, Foshee said he expected his opponents to generate large amounts of campaign funds.

"I look for the others to have large money coming in," he said. "I think they'll end up raising lots of money."

Foshee's donors include: Oklahoma City author and attorney Bob Burke -- $1,000; attorney Blake Yaffee -- $1,000; attorney John Forbes -- $1,000; Williams Vassar, an Oklahoma City attorney -- $1,000; the Working Oklahomans Alliance political action committee -- $2,500 and the Oklahoma City Firefighters Association PAC -- $5,000.

Russell, who made his official campaign announcement this week at the State Capitol building, reported raising $38,921 to date, which includes $37,205 in personal contributions to his campaign, $1,000 in funds from political action committees and $716 in in-kind contributions.

Russell reported $16,592 in carryover funds from his previous report and listed $15,728 in total expenditures.

For the first quarter of 2008, records show Russell's campaign generated $9,170 in personal contributions, $1,000 in contributions from political action committees and $262 in in-kind contributions. He reported spending $4,286 from Jan. 1 through March 31 and, documents show, has $22,476 in remaining funds.

Russell said he was "thrilled by the grassroots support."

"We've been successful because we're getting support and donations from the local voters," he said. "We've had a great outpouring from individual donors, we're drawing them from all walks of life."

And while Russell, like Foshee, said the large number of candidates has affected his money efforts, he said the SD 45 contest is about "who is the best candidate for the primary."

"The number of candidates did, initially, have an impact," he said, "because people are kind of hedging their bets. But I think there's a lot of interest in the race. I've been very encouraged after having only returned to Oklahoma a year-and-a-half ago from being in the military. I'm thrilled with the amount of support I've been given."

Donors to the Russell campaign include: Tom Love, CEO of Love's Travel Stops -- $1,000; Del City Baptist minister Ken Pittman -- $100; rancher Alice Price -- $500; former Republican state Rep. Forrest Claunch -- $200; the United Community Bankers political action committee -- $500 and the American Fidelity Corp. political action committee -- $500.

Loveless, a former official with the Cleveland County Republican Party, listed $27,438 raised for his race. Documents show Loveless had $14,080 in personal contributions, $250 in contributions from political action committees and $13,108 in in-kind contributions.

State records show Loveless carried $3,042 forward from his previous report, spent a total of $9,619 and has $4,710 in remaining funds.

So far this year, Loveless reported $3,500 in personal campaign contributions, $250 in contributions from political action committees and $2,818 in in-kind contributions. During the same period, Loveless reported spending $2,082.

Loveless said he "felt good" about those efforts.

"I think that the people of Senate District 45 will see the difference in a grassroots candidate, regardless of how much money he raises," he said. "Fundraising is important, no doubt about it, but I feel quite confident."

And while he, too, acknowledged the large GOP primary had limited donors, he predicted voters in the district will see "a full and vibrant campaign."

"There's no doubt about it," he said. "A big race makes it a little more tough to raise money. But I think people know that, more than likely, the winner of the GOP primary will be the district's next senator."

Individuals contributing to Loveless' campaign include Brandon and Tamaira Loveless -- $500; Lew Ward, CEO of Ward Petroleum -- $500; Doyle and Cynthia Gregory -- $1,000; Gary and Denise Loveless -- $1,000 and the New Centennial political action committee -- $250.

Daugherty, from Oklahoma City, reported $9,736 in campaign contributions, including $8,540 in personal contributions and $1,196 in in-kind contributions.

Records show Daugherty carried $5,903 forward from her last report and spent a total of $2,012. She listed $6,527 in remaining funds.

From Jan. 1 to March 31, Daugherty reported generating $1,400 in personal contributions and $834 in in-kind contributions for a total of $2,234. Spending for the quarter, her filing shows, was $776.

Daugherty's contributors include: Richard and Patty Thompson -- $1,000; Norman insurance agent Louis Hemphill, Jr., -- $100; Moore resident John Davis -- $100 and Leon and Mary Brining -- $100.

Gormley, from Moore, listed $2,223 in contributions; with $583 in loans, $1,420 in personal contributions and $220 in in-kind contributions.

Total expenditures, his documents show, were $1,857. Gormley listed $146 in funds carried forward from last report and $146 in remaining funds.

For the first quarter of this year, Gormely reported $300 in personal contributions and $128 in loans. Expenditures for the quarter totaled $428.

Gormley's contributors include Bob Goodwin -- $300 and Gormley, himself -- $128.

Neither Gormley nor Daugherty could be reached for comment.

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