The two women in the Republican runoff for Oklahoma Labor Commissioner have about two months before voters choose one to be their party’s candidate.
One is running largely on the name of her murdered husband who was Labor Commissioner at the time of his death. The other is running mostly on her experience as a member of the State House of Representatives.
Cathy Costello, widow of slain Labor Commissioner Mark Costello even borrowed from his campaign ads and used his voice from his radio advertisements for hers.
Rep. Leslie Osborn pointed to her experience in the legislature, with her campaign website describing her as “Uncommon Courage.”
Costello picked up 43.26% or 181,500 of the 419,578 votes cast in the election. Osborn received 35.92% or 150,713 votes.
While the two describe each other as conservative Republicans, Costello has openly called Osborn a liberal. She also has accused Osborn of opening her campaign with a lie, taken more than $226,545 from lobbyists and special interest groups and missing 25 percent of the votes in the recent legislative session.
Osborn in turn has not gone negative in her campaign website, saying she will “break the barriers of partisan politics” and “work with all sides to end excessive regulations, reform the tax code, support education and be a voice of reason that will diversity and grow our economy.”
Her website focused on the honors she gained as a legislator ranging from Legislator of the year from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the State Chamber of Commerce, the OSBI, the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the District Attorneys Council to Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Osborn maintains she was fired at the first Republican chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee because she called for real solutions to the budget crisis and an end to political pandering.
“Being relieved of my duties as chair only reinforced my desire to fight the good fight for Oklahomans who want to see destructive partisan politics, bickering and pettiness replaced with constructive conversations, fresh ideas and bold initiatives,” said Rep. Osborn.
Osborn and Costello defeated Keith Swinnton who received 20.82% of the votes. The winner of the Aug. 28 runoff will take on Democrat Fred Dorrell. He won his party’s nomination with 73.43% or 269,303 of the 366,726 votes cast in the race.
