Voters Choose Istook to Take On Okla. Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 25 -- After seven terms in Congress, Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. swept away three Republican primary foes Tuesday and began an uphill fight to oust Gov. Brad Henry (D).

With 94 percent of precincts reported, Istook received 56 percent of the vote; millionaire Tulsa businessman Bob Sullivan trailed with 30 percent.

Istook, a social conservative known for pushing prayer in public schools and a federal balanced-budget amendment, ran a low-key campaign, staying mostly in Washington and campaigning on the weekends back home.

Sullivan got support from the most conservative elements of the state Republican Party for pushing such ideas as eliminating the income tax, severely restricting government growth and changing how school money is spent.

He attacked Istook for voting for pork-barrel spending, and ran a commercial that featured a comedian in an Istook mask and the sound of a pig grunting.

In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Henry won renomination, handily defeating Andrew W. Marr Jr. with 86 percent of the vote. The governor had a favorable rating of 75 percent in a recent poll and can boast of signing record tax cuts over the past two years.

In the race to succeed Istook in the conservative 5th District, outgoing Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett qualified for an Aug. 22 runoff for the GOP nomination.

They topped a field of six, with Fallin taking 35 percent of the vote and Cornett 24 percent.

Istook had faced no serious challenge in the district, which includes Oklahoma City, once he was elected in 1992.

In the 1st District, two-term Rep. John Sullivan trounced two rivals in the GOP primary.