Legislative Glitch Forces Candidate To Drop Out Of Tulsa Race
Senator drops out of Tulsa County district attorney race, narrowing field to two
By Dylan Goforth World Staff Writer
The race to replace Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris was whittled to two Friday after one of the candidates for the office voluntarily withdrew.
State Sen. Brian Crain said he had pulled out of the race, leaving state Rep. Fred Jordan and chief Tulsa County prosecutor Steve Kunzweiler as the only remaining candidates.
Crain, sounding disappointed, said he discovered Thursday morning that a judicial pay raise, approved by the state Legislature on Wednesday, had made him ineligible.
House Joint Resolution 1096 would increase the salaries of Oklahoma district judges and therefore also increase the salaries of all state district attorneys. Crain said he discovered Thursday morning that the Oklahoma Constitution forbids someone serving in the Legislature when a pay raise is approved from running for the position receiving the hike.