From staff, AP reports
news@joplinglobe.com
OKLAHOMA CITY — The two races for seats on Oklahoma’s Corporation Commission were as different as night and day.
For a long-term, six-year seat, Republican incumbent Jeff Cloud held a commanding lead Tuesday over Democratic challenger Charles Gray, according to unofficial results from the state’s election board.
Democrat incumbent Jim Roth was locked in a struggle with Republican challenger Dana Murphy for the short-term, two-year seat.
With 2,085 of 2,231 precincts reporting, Cloud held a 60.6 percent to 39.4 percent lead over Gray. Cloud received 758,559 votes to Gray’s 493,199.
Murphy held a slimmer lead over Roth — 51.6 percent to 48.2 percent. Murphy received 651,941 votes, Roth received 607,612.
Roth was vying to become the first openly gay official elected to statewide office in Oklahoma.
The six-year terms on the panel that regulates the state’s utility companies, trucking and oil and gas industries are typically staggered, but Roth was appointed last year to fill a vacancy created when former Commissioner Denise Bode stepped down.
