By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

MIAMI, Okla. — Ottawa County voters in Oklahoma’s primary election on Tuesday will elect a new county commissioner for District 2.

Commerce voters will elect a new mayor to succeed Kenneth Duboise, who died while in office.

County Commission

Democratic incumbent Kenneth Palmer will run against challenger Gary Wyrick in the primary election. The winner will be unopposed in the November general election, and virtually assured of election.

The annual salary for the position is $32,000. Commissioners serve four-year terms.

n Palmer, 63, is a construction-equipment company owner and has served as District 2 Commissioner since 2004. The Miami resident has an associate of arts degree from Northeast Oklahoma A&M College in Miami.

n Wyrick, 56, is a truck driver for a Minnesota-based company and worked as a road foreman for the county for 11 years. The Wyandotte resident has a diploma from Wyandotte High School.

Commerce mayor

Two men will square off in a special election for mayor of Commerce. Kenneth L. Leggett Jr. and Michael Hart are vying for the post.

The unexpired term of Duboise will end in 2011. The position pays $100 a month.

n Leggett, 56, is a maintenance worker in the Ottawa County Courthouse. He retired from a 20-year career in the National Guard in 2002.

The lifelong Commerce resident also served on the council from 1999 to 2005, including a 10-month stint as mayor. He retired from the council because of health-related reasons. This is his third time running in a mayoral election; he lost the previous two times.

n Hart, 25, recently finished a tour of duty with the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division. The lifelong Commerce resident is a student at NEO studying early childhood education, and the assistant director of Jelly Bean Kids Childcare.