July 26, 2008 05:39 pm
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By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma is seeking his third full term.
The Republican primary ballot will have three other candidates on it, and the Democratic ballot will have two candidates. The primary election will be Tuesday.
The other Republicans are Evelyn L. Rogers, Dennis Lopez and Ted Ryals.
Andrew Rice, a state senator, will face off with Jim Rogers in the Democratic primary.
The winners will run against each other and independent candidate Stephen P. Wallace in the November general election. The winner of that race will serve a six-year term in the Senate, alongside Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn.
Republicans
n Inhofe, 73, has served in the Senate since 1994, when he was elected to fill the unexpired term of Sen. David Boren. He was elected in 1996 to a full term and was re-elected in 2002.
He graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in economics. In addition to service in the Army, he is a businessman who has worked in aviation, real estate and insurance.
n Evelyn Rogers, 55, is a librarian at Tulsa Community College. She has lived in Tulsa for the past 15 years.
She has an associate’s degree in nursing and psychology from Pasadena (Calif.) City College; a bachelor of science in health-care management from the University of La Verne (Calif.); a master of arts in practical theology from Oral Roberts University; and a master’s degree in library and information services from the University of Oklahoma.
n Lopez, 48, is a Southern Baptist pastor and works in a machine shop. He has lived in Thackervile for the past 12 years.
He served in the Navy from 1978 to 1982 and received an honorable discharge. He owned a construction company before becoming the pastor of Jimtown Baptist Church. He has led that congregation for the past two years.
n Ryals did not return calls from the Globe seeking comment about his campaign.
Democrats
n Rice, 35, has been a state senator from District 46, which covers portions of Oklahoma City, since 2006. He is a resident of Oklahoma City.
He has a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a minor in African-American studies from Colby College, Waterville, Maine, and a master’s in theological studies from Harvard University Divinity School.
n The Globe’s efforts to obtain information from Jim Rogers were unsuccessful.
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