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Dead mayor on ballot for Oklahoma municipal election

In this March 30, 2019, photo, a campaign sign for the late mayor of Edmond, Oklahoma, Charles Lamb reminds residents of the Oklahoma City suburb that the deceased mayor is still on the ballot. Lamb died Dec. 11, 2018, but after the city's deadline to remove names from the ballot. He advanced from a primary in February and will face former Mayor Dan O'Neil on Tuesday, April 2 in a general election. (AP Photo/Ken Miller) ORG XMIT: RPKM101 (Ken Miller / AP)
By Ken Miller Associated Press

EDMOND, Okla. – Turnout appeared to be light Tuesday as voters in an Oklahoma City suburb choose a mayor from two men who held the job before, except that one of them is dead.

Edmond city rules require that the name of late Mayor Charles Lamb, who died Dec. 11 while in office, must appear on Tuesday’s ballot facing Dan O’Neil, who also served as mayor.

Lamb came in second to O’Neil in February’s primary, and if he wins, the City Council would appoint a mayor.

When Lamb died, the deadline to remove his name from the ballot or to add anyone else had passed, according to city spokesman Casey Moore.

Michelle Schaefer of Edmond organized a Facebook campaign backing Lamb because she wants City Councilman Nick Massey to be appointed and carry on the late mayor’s policies. Schaefer did not immediately return a phone call for comment Tuesday and previously referred questions to Massey, who said he would be “honored” to accept the appointment but would not campaign for people to vote for Lamb.

“If you like the direction the city has been taking over the last six, seven, eight years, you might consider voting for Charles and let the City Council decide who to appoint” to lead the city of nearly 92,000 people, Massey said.

At one precinct, John Benson said he voted for O’Neil.

“I’m not going to vote for a dead man. I think the City Council in the last few years has done a crappy … job so I don’t want them electing the mayor,” Benson said.

Carolyn Hines, 76, said she would have voted for Lamb had he not died, but instead cast her ballot for O’Neil.

“I don’t like that feeling of uncertainty in letting the council choose the mayor. I just was not comfortable with that,” Hines said.

Rusty Hollensbe, 81, said he’s unhappy with city officials who seem to support commercial development taking over residential neighborhoods, including the Coffee Creek golf course neighborhood where he lives. The now-closed course was sold in January 2017 to a developer who plans a housing addition on the grounds.

“They can put anything, anywhere, any kind of business anywhere,” Hollensbe said. “Most of the residents who live in Coffee Creek, live in Coffee Creek because they wanted to a golf course community.”

Polls are open until 7 p.m.