It appears an oversight concerning his Oklahoma voter registration will keep former Oklahoma Senator and businessman Leo Kingston from running for Labor Commissioner in 2018. The McCarville Report has learned that Kingston was removed from the voter registration rolls in April 2017. According to the Oklahoma State Election Board, an address confirmation was mailed to Kingston in 2013. After four years of not receiving a response, and not voting in Oklahoma since 2009, he was purged. Kingston registered to vote in Florida in 2010 and remains an active voter in that state.
Oklahoma Statue, Title 26, Section 5-105, part A reads:
“To file as a candidate for nomination by a political party to any state or county office, a person must have been a registered voter of that party for the six-month period immediately preceding the first day of the filing period prescribed by law and, under oath, so state.”
Filing begins April 11th. It is too late for Kingston to update his voter registration and qualify as a candidate.
The news came as a surprise to Kingston when The McCarville Report asked him about his voter registration status. After learning the news, he provided the following statement:
“I have decided that the best use of my time and money is to give back to the community. Paulette and I gave my consideration of a race for Labor Commissioner a lot of thought and prayer. The decision has been made not to run and not to register in Oklahoma. We are so pleased to make generous contributions to very worthy Oklahoma non-profits,” said Kingston.
The other candidates who have set up campaign committees, Cathy Costello and Rep. Leslie Osborn, are currently registered to vote in Oklahoma according to the Oklahoma State Election Board.
