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March 16, 2009

Cleveland elected county GOP chairman

By M. Scott Carter

Slaughterville Republican Bobby Cleveland was elected chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party last week -- by one vote.

And he earned a new nickname in the process.

"People are now calling me 'Landslide Cleveland'," he quipped, after defeating Norman resident Chad Williams for the county GOP's top spot.

Cleveland replaced outgoing county chairman Roger Warren, of Moore, who was chosen as the party's new District Committeeman.

About 190 delegates attended the event, which was held at Norman's J.D. McCarty Center.

Cleveland said he planned to use "some new ideas" to make Republicans more visible in the county. "I want to recruit more volunteers for precincts," he said. "And I hope to reach out to voters with mixers and cookouts to get more people involved."

As the head of the county's Republican organization, Cleveland -- who will serve a two year term -- said he would act as a "facilitator for the party."

"The chairman is responsible for raising money, finding a headquarters, helping candidates and getting new people into the party," he said.

Cleveland said he wasn't interested in the position until this year, when he decided to seek the office. "I never really had an interest before. But I've served in about every other capacity from the statewide level to the local level and this was the one position that I had not done."

Last winter, Cleveland served as an elector for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Other officers elected at last Saturday's convention include:

· Tessa Breder, a University of Oklahoma student, who was chosen as vice chairman.

· Steve Byas, of Norman, who was chosen as state committeeman.

· Barbara Beatty Johnson, of Norman, who was chosen as state committeewoman.

· Roger Warren, of Moore, who was chosen as district committeeman.

· Pat Tautfest, of Moore, who was chosen as district committeewoman.

"It was a very energized convention," Cleveland said. "People were excited. They were all pumped up and ready to go."

M. Scott Carter 366-3545 scarter@normantranscript.com

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