A year ago the City and County of Tulsa gained national and international notoriety for all the wrong reasons when a crime suspect was shot and killed by a reserve sheriff’s deputy that mistook his firearm for his taser. The ensuing scandal resulted in a genuine field day in the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. Tuesday’s election was to replace former Sheriff Stanley Glanz after his resignation last year in the face indictments handed down by a grand jury. As of this posting, the voters of Tulsa County have given the nod to Republican Vic Regalado. Regalado emerged the favorite of some seven candidates total in the GOP primary. Truth be known, the job before him of remaking the image of the TCSO is not an enviable one.
The Democratic candidate, Rex Berry, actively campaigned for just over three weeks. The votes are still being counted but it appears around a 60-40 pattern in heavily Republican Tulsa County. A heavy thunderstorm that hit the Democratic bastion of North Tulsa may have had something to do with a lower than expected voter turnout.
Yours truly poll checked for the Berry campaign in seven south Tulsa precincts and I noted Berry only carried one of them and barely at that. At the Berry for Sheriff watch party it was learned that Mr. Berry will stand down for the here and now. We can however look forward to his candidacy for public office again in the fall. Imagine what a dynamic candidate can do with a well funded campaign and full season to make his case for office.
It was noted by local media that respect permeated the campaign for this partial term. Both candidates should be commended for their focus on the issues. It is my hope that will be the spirit moving forward. Rex Berry may have conceded the Sheriff’s Office race tonight but he is a quality candidate and a solid public servant with a wealth of experience in law enforcement. We in Oklahoma have too many problems which beset our state and a legislature failing to adequately address them. We will see what kind of change Mr. Regalado can effect in his new post until time for him to defend his incumbency in November. I hereby extend him my hearty congratulations. Judging by what the World saw from our last sheriff, I don’t think he could do much worse.