Coburn Leaving His Mark On This Election Cycle
Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn’s pending retirement leads to two major federal races
By Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Coburn’s decision to retire has ignited the political ambitions of rising stars and newcomers who want his seat and set off a chain reaction that will leave the Oklahoma City-area congressional seat open for the third time in eight years.
With candidate filing set to begin Wednesday at the Oklahoma Election Board, eight men and women from both parties have already signaled their intentions to run for Coburn’s seat by filing papers with the Federal Election Commission. More could definitely join the fray.
Dave Weston, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, said, “I made the mistake of saying on the Monday before Coburn’s announcement I was concerned about voter apathy and turnout. He took care of that for me. Be careful what you wish for.”
Coburn’s term doesn’t end until 2016, so a special election is being held — with all of the same operative dates as the rest of the elections — to fill the last two years.