Oklahoma elections: Three incumbent district attorneys defeated in primaries

Brian Hermanson, who represented Nichols during his state trial, defeated Gibson 3,383 to 2,757 Tuesday according to complete but unofficial results from the state Election Board.

Hermanson said his legal representation of Nichols was raised as an issue in the campaign, "but I was able to put the issue to bed with the support I received from victims."

Hermanson will face Democrat Thomas Salisbury in the November general election. Hermanson, Salisbury and Gibson all are from Ponca City.

Gibson was joined in defeat by two other incumbent district attorneys Tuesday.

Bartlesville attorney Kevin Buchanan defeated incumbent District Attorney Rick Esser by a vote of 4,523 to 2,183 in the race for the Republican nomination for the prosecutor's post in Nowata and Washington counties.

Esser has been district attorney there for 16 years.

Buchanan will now face Democrat Alan Gentges in the general election.

In southeastern Oklahoma, incumbent District Attorney Laura Ross Wallis was drubbed by former assistant Mark Matloff in the race for the prosecutor's post over Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties.

Matloff had 6,470 votes, compared to 3,399 for Wallis. Doyle Blythe was a distant third with 833 votes. All candidates in that race were Democrats, so Matloff was elected.

Three incumbent district attorneys won their primaries, however.

Richard Smothermon, district attorney for Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties, defeated challenger Bill Roberson by a vote of 5,066 to 3,607. Roberson was a former district attorney for the area. Both candidates are Democrats and there is no Republican in the race, so Smotherman was re-elected.