Carson defeats Settle, now faces Ewing for 2nd district seat - Complete election results

<A HREF="http://kotv.com/elections/racelist.htm">Click Here For Complete Election Results</a><br> <br>First-time politician Brad Carson has won a Democratic runoff for U.S. House district two. Carson

Tuesday, September 19th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Click Here For Complete Election Results

First-time politician Brad Carson has won a Democratic runoff for U.S. House district two. Carson beat State Representative Bill Settle of Muskogee in Tuesdays Democratic nomination runoff.

Carson, the Claremore attorney, will face Republican Andy Ewing of Muskogee in the November general election. The winner will take the place of departed Republican U.S. Representative Dr. Tom Coburn.

Settle campaigned on his record as a city councilman and legislator. He was elected to the House in 1990 and rose to chairman of the important House Appropriations Committee. He was most proud of his sponsorship of HMO reform and education programs

Carson, a former Rhodes Scholar, also stressed health care issues and campaign finance reform.

Both men emphasized their Indian heritage in a bid for votes in the district, which has pockets of heavy concentrations of American Indians.

Libertarian Neil Mavis of Tulsa also will be on the 2nd District general election ballot in November.

Oklahoma Democrats are counting on a victory in the 2nd District to crack the GOP hold on the state's congressional delegation. The outcome of the election also could figure in the national fight between Republicans and Democrats for control of the U.S. House.

The seat had been held by Democrats for decades before Coburn, a well-known Muskogee doctor, was elected in 1994. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the northeastern Oklahoma district, 5-2.

This is Carson's first attempt at winning public office.