Last Updated on April 5, 2023, 10:38 PM | Published: April 5, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) —– In Tuesday’s special election, Oklahoma County voters narrowly elected Republican Maressa Treat to fill the vacant Oklahoma County clerk seat left by former County Clerk David Hooten.
According to the unofficial election results, Treat, the wife of Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, defeated Democrat Derrick Scobey by nearly 4 percent with all precincts reporting. Treat secured 51.8 percent of the votes, while Scobey followed close behind with 48.1 percent.
Treat’s campaign outspent Scobey’s by a wide margin and raised persistent questions about influence from organizations that had nothing to do with the work of the County Clerk.
‘Honor, integrity, transparency’
“I am humbled that the citizens of Oklahoma County have voted for me to serve as their next county clerk,” Treat said in a press release. “I pledge to bring honor, integrity, and transparency to this office while improving the overall working conditions for those who will be serving Oklahomans with me on a day-to-day basis.”
Treat did not respond to an interview request with the Free Press in time for publication.
“I plan to bring energy and vision to this office starting on day one,” She said following her victory.
Treat, who formerly served as finance and state outreach director for GR Pro, is the development director for GR Pro, a public affairs company that specializes in political finance and strategic communications. She also previously worked as a legislative liaison for the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy.
Treat ran her campaign around improving transparency, accountability, and community engagement. Treat garnered the most Election Day votes, with most of her support coming from the precincts surrounding the urban areas.
Scobey
Scobey, pastor and Oklahoma Jail Trust member, secured the most early and absentee ballot votes, which put him in the lead during a majority of the night.
Much of Scobey’s support came from the urban parts of the city, including Spencer, Midwest City, Jones, and Northeast OKC.
Similar to Treat, his campaign focused on enhancing transparency, accountability, and the overall workplace environment.
Treat raised big money
Campaign finance reports revealed that Treat held a significant financial advantage over her opponent after she raised well over $246,000 in contributions from conservative PACs and individual donors.
Treat easily won the special Republican primary, with 52.5 percent, over her opponents Gloria Banister and Jonathon Clour in February.
A special election was called to fill the Oklahoma County clerk vacancy after the former Oklahoma County Clerk, Hooten, stepped down in June 2022 following sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations that sparked an investigation by the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s office.
The Oklahoma County clerk assumes several public service duties for the county, which include serving as the clerk and custodian of records for the Board of County Commissioners and other county boards. The County Clerk also serves as the custodian of records registrar of deeds, and purchasing agent.
Election results are still subject to changes and are not considered final until they’re certified by the appropriate election board. State and federal election results will be certified no earlier than 5 p.m. on April 7, according to the State Election Board.
Brianna Garcia is a freelance journalist covering local politics and culture for Free Press. She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma.
