House candidates talk tourism
Oklahoma state House District 49 candidates talk tourism

ARDMORE — Two newcomers to state politics will face each other on November's ballot to represent state House District 49.

Sean Oliver, 37, is a Republican from Madill. He is a contract engineer for local telephone companies and a member of the Army reserves who returned from Iraq in May. He and his wife Jennifer have a daughter. Oliver served one year on the Oakland City Council before he was deployed.

Samson Buck, 42, is the Democratic candidate. He is an attorney with a private practice in Ardmore and lives on a farm in Carter County with his wife and son. He is a board member of the Southern Oklahoma Children's Shelter.

Incumbent Terry Hyman, D-Leon, had filed for a third term, but died in a farming accident in June. Buck was selected by the Oklahoma Democratic Party to replace him.

House District 49 covers parts of Carter, Love and Marshall counties. Lake Murray and Lake Texoma state parks are within the district.

As the number of residents and tourists increases in the district, major highways will need to be expanded, Oliver said. Many highways in the district are dangerous because they are too small to handle the traffic, he said. He wants to pursue widening projects for State Highway 70 and State Highway 199.

"These roads need to be improved for safety,” he said. "You can't drive down the road any more without seeing these crosses everywhere.” The crosses mark where people have died in car accidents, he said.

A major development is planned at Lake Texoma over the next 10 years. The district needs to be ready for growth, Oliver said.

"The district is changing. We still have lots of ranchers, but residential and commercial development is coming and we need to be prepared for it,” he said.

He also wants to improve programs, benefits and health care for veterans and low-income elderly residents; increase funding for schools; and remove excess government regulation that affects businesses.

Buck said he was honored to be selected as a candidate and that he's always wanted to serve the public. After attending Hyman's funeral, he realized the positive impact Hyman had on citizens' lives.

A lifelong farmer and rancher, Buck supports programs and legislation that will help the agriculture industry, he said. He also said public schools and higher education institutions need more state support because an educated and skilled work force is an important part of Oklahoma's future.

"My motto is to keep House District 49 moving forward, and I plan to do that with rural industry, higher education and tourism,” he said.

Development is planned around the lakes in the near future, and tourism will become an even bigger part of the area's economy, Buck said.

"It's a great place to live down here, and it's growing,” said Buck, "People want their way of life to be protected, and in the same sense don't want to be left behind.”

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