One race that could be decided Tuesday, barring the need for an August run-off, is the legislative office of District 18 State Representative. As current District 18 State Representative Terry Harrison gives up his post at the end of his term, opting instead to run for district attorney, no incumbent is included on the ballot.
The House district covers much of western Pittsburg County, as well as the southern portion of McIntosh County. It includes the respective county seats of McAlester and Eufaula.
Candidates are Donnie Condit, John M. Freeman, Carolyn McNatt Hill and Roger Shirley.
Roger Shirley
Roger Shirley said he wants to be the next District 18 state representative  — and he plans on bringing  a common sense approach with him.
Shirley lives in the Indianola area, is a heavy equipment operator with his own business and also operates a small ranch.
“A friend of mine in Eufaula said I’m an independent thinker,” Shirley said.
“I do my best to look at something objectively and see what it is,” he said.
“I like to think about things.
“Just because somebody says something doesn’t make it so.”
Shirley added he is a strong supporter of public education, as well as of law enforcement.
He sums up his political philosophy in three ways.
“I’m a Christian, I’m a Democrat and I own a gun,” Shirley said.
“That covers it.”
Carolyn McNatt Hill
Carolyn McNatt Hill says she’s ready to  take on the post of  District 18 state representative. Hill lives in the rural Shady Grove community north of McAlester.
Having worked in the Department of Corrections for 12 years, her jobs with the DOC included an entry level correctional officer, a senior case manager and a probation officer.
She said she’s spoken across the nation giving her criticisms of private prisons, as opposed to the state-operated facilities.
Hill said she’s also spent 18 years working as an assistant to the late Joe Longoria at Camp PLEA.
She believes her background helps her identify with many working Oklahomans.
“I’ve sold cars, waited tables, worked at Sears and Komar,” said Hill. “It’s life experience.”
John M. Freeman
John Freeman, who currently operates a real estate business and has a background in banking, feels like now is the time to run for the District 18 state representative’s post.
He believes he’s well suited for the job for several reasons, including “maturity and experience.”
With the Republican Party holding the majority in the state House of Representatives, he said as a Democrat it’s important to work with the other party.
“Being in the minority party, it’s important that we have someone who can work in the system,” Freeman said. “I know some of the Republican representatives and I feel like I can work with them.”
Donnie Condit
Donnie Condit, the first to announce his intentions to run for the state representative’s office last fall, has worked at a variety of positions in McAlester Public Schools and served on the McAlester City Council from July 2004 until this past June. Condit opted to step down from the position on the city council in order to pursue the legislative office.
“My experience on the council, my 29-plus years as an educator and 11 as an administrator has prepared me to serve as a state legislator,” he said. “Dealing with students, parents, fellow teachers and fellow administrators has helped prepare me to serve as the District 18 state representative. I will be a full-time state legislator,” Condit said.
“I think our country is where it is today because of strong public education,” Condit said. “I think Oklahoma needs to continue that and when elected, I will continue that.”

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide some offices in the upcoming primary election, while determining who goes on to vie for offices in the November General Election in other races.
Locally, the District 18 district attorney’s office, which covers Pittsburg and Haskell counties, will be decided during the upcoming primary election, since all three candidates are Democrats.
Candidates are Terry Harrison, the current District 18 state representative; Russell Tacheira, a current assistant district attorney for District 18; and Farley Ward, a current District 15 assistant district attorney in the Muskogee County district attorney’s office.
The current candidates face no incumbent, as current District 18 District Attorney Jim Bob Miller was prohibited from running for election in 2010 through a deferred prosecution agreement Miller made with state Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s office.
Farley Ward
Farley Ward cited his 23 years of experience as a prosecutor when he  announced his candidacy for the District 18 post, and added he’s a long-time resident of Haskell County, where he served as an assistant district attorney for District 18, primarily based in the district’s Stigler office.
Currently working as an assistant district attorney for the District 15 district attorney’s office in Muskogee, Ward said he recently purchased and moved into a home in McAlester.
“I was raised in this district and spent some of the best years of my life serving the people of this district as an assistant district attorney,” Ward said. “I’ve always considered it home and I’m excited to have the opportunity to come home and use my experience to make this district a safer place for all of us to live.”
In addition to his experience as a prosecutor, Ward has also spent two years as a special district judge, and said he considers himself a public servant rather than a politician.
“I know how important the integrity of our legal system is for not only dispensing justice, but in protecting citizens and I believe that the people in Pittsburg and Haskell counties want a DA who has high regard for upholding the integrity of the citizens,” Ward said.
Russell Tacheira
Russell Tacheira is currently an assistant prosecutor for District 18 District Attorney Jim Bob Miller, a position he’s held since 2006.
Tacheira primarily represents the district attorney’s office at the Haskell County courthouse in Stigler, although he’s occasionally had cases in Pittsburg County.
“If elected, a focus of my administration will be protecting our children,” Tacheira said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
Tacheira said he believes more can be done to identify serial offenders and referred to his work with a multi task force in Haskell County as an example of how those from different agencies can work together.
 “Good people sometimes get into trouble and they should be given a chance to redeem themselves. A small percentage of people live only to prey on others, and we need to be protected from those people.
“I believe a prosecutor should use his experience to determine which offenders can be set straight, which offenders need to be punished as severely as possible, and how best to use the available law and evidence to reach those ends.”
Terry Harrison
Terry Harrison was the first of the three Democratic candidates announcing his intentions to run for the District Attorney’s office for Pittsburg and Haskell counties in January 2011. If elected, he would start the job after his current two-year term in the House of Representatives has ended.
“I want every law enforcement agency in Pittsburg County to be on the same page as the DA’s office, for maybe the first time in a decade,” Harrison said. “We all want to stop crime and put bad people in jail.
“There is a lot of animosity between the DA’s office and law enforcement,” Harrison said. “I’m here to bring everyone back together.”
The winner of the election for district attorney’s office is set to be sworn into office in January 2011.

A special election will be held in conjunction with the primary election races Tuesday, slated to fill an unexpired term in the Pittsburg County Clerk’s office as a result of the resignation of current County Clerk Debbie Burch.
Candidates vying for the county clerk’s position are Janice Barker and Pat Cunningham, and both have a history with the county clerk’s office.
Pat Cunningham
Current Deputy County Assessor Pat Cunningham also has experience working in the county clerk’s office, as well as the assessor’s office, and said she believes her experience can improve on the effectiveness of the clerk’s office.
“I have no intention of firing anyone,” she said of her plans should she be voted into office.
“But I do think there needs to be some change. I think the office could be friendlier and more helpful.”
“I love working in the county, and I love helping people,” she continued. “That’s why I want the job.”
Janice Barker
Janice Barker has worked in the county clerk’s office for 17 years, and says she’d like to maintain the level of service she feels has been established over the years.
“I am currently the first deputy and have been for eight years,” Barker said.
“I’ve worked in every area of this department and I know everyone’s responsibilities and duties.”
Barker added she’d like to see the office continue to run efficiently and effectively.
“In the 17 years I’ve been here, we’ve never been wrote up by the auditors,” she said.
“We’re doing something right.”

In the Pittsburg County District 3 County Commissioner race, Ronnie Young hopes to unseat incumbent Donald Mathis. Both Mathis and Young are Democrats, with no Republicans filing for the District 3 County Commissioner post.
Ronnie Young
District 3 County Commissioner candidate Ronnie Young has owned and operated Young Auto Repair for the past 30 years, and said prior to that, he grew up working in construction in District 3, working as an equipment operator before going into automotive repair. He added he would like to apply that experience and knowledge to the job of county commissioner.
“I’d like to see things cleaned up, driveways cleared, and things looking neater,” he continued. “The roads need to be restored to the way they used to be.”
“I’m a hard worker, have been all my life,” Young said. “I’d like to get back into the county commissioner’s office and work hard there.”
Donald Mathis
Incumbent Donald Mathis is up for re-election to the position on the county commission he has held since 2008. Prior to coming onto the county commission, he was the District 1 road foreman.
“I have yet to be in office two years, so I really would like to get a full term where we could get some more accomplished,” Mathis said. “We’ve completed some projects, but there’s more to do.”
Mathis will complete the second of his two years in office in August, but said he hopes that’s not the end of his county service.
 “Like I said, we’ve got some other things we need to do, and I need four years to do them. I want to stay. I like my job.”