Tulsa’s Election Headquarters: No presidential surprises, Wagoner Co. tax props fail

TULSA — The 2024 presidential primary season has largely been bereft of drama or competition, one likely reason for the tepid turnout on Super Tuesday around the country.

In Tulsa County, only 2,005 voters turned up for in-person early voting, compared to roughly 5,000 in the 2020 primary.

Voter turnout Tuesday also appeared fairly sparse, with precincts around the county reporting lighter than expected traffic.

As for results, as expected President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump ran away with their respective races in Oklahoma, with especially low voter turnout among Democrats.

In the first-ever Libertarian presidential primary for the state, Chase Oliver beat Jacob Hornberger, garnering about 60% of the vote.

In Wagoner County, seven propositions which would have the county raised sales tax by half a percent were soundly defeated, as was a proposition which would have imposed a new 5% sales tax on accommodations like hotels, motels, and private vacation rentals.

Voters clearly indicated their disapproval of those measures, with the “no” votes averaging around 80% across the board.

Brent Watson, who helped lead the opposition to the sales tax proposals, told KRMG Tuesday night he was surprised, but gratified by the results.

“We had to overcome a campaign in which the county government spend $150,000 to push this tax hike,” Watson said. “To see a victory... basically four to one, is just amazing to me.”