The Duncan Banner

Local News

August 26, 2012

Campaign fence has plenty of barbs

Mike Smith The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — The Republican runoff race between Peggy Davenport and Corey Brooks has gotten personal of late.

Davenport says she has not taken negative shots at Brooks, just raised legitimate questions about his being single, living with his parents, his job status and home ownership – or lack thereof.

“He is a young man and he is a nice young man, and I’ve never said anything bad about him,” Davenport said. “These are not derogatory, they are meant to just get people thinking. If experience does count, and it really does, that is why it’s important to kind of question what will be his point of reference.”

Brooks says unfortunately, Davenport has taken her focus off the issues and attacked him personally, slinging mud at a “decorated American Naval officer” through a flier she mailed out a couple of weeks ago.

On the flier, Davenport touts as attributes being a business owner, being married and a homeowner. Under a picture of Brooks, it lists in bullet points “not employed,” “lives with parents,” “single,” with a series of question marks below the statements.

In an interview, Davenport — who has been divorced twice — said there is nothing bad about being single.

“The thing is, how will he know the stresses that families get under in financial situations or in child custody situations?” she said. “How will he know how to evaluate those situations?”

Davenport said you can’t fault people that have gone through divorce because sometimes things don’t work out and people should not stay in unhealthy relationships. But having been married gives a legislator important insight into family issues, she said.

Lawmakers also legislate home ownership issues.

“If he has not ever owned a home or had a mortgage, how will he know which way is north?” Davenport said.

 By his own account, Davenport said, Brooks spent 10 years living outside Oklahoma, only coming back for visits before he returned here more permanently last winter. She questions how he could really have a handle on what’s been happening in Oklahoma and the issues it faces now.

In an interview and response flier he mailed out, Brooks said he believes in turning the other cheek but wants to share the real truth with the voters.

On marriage, he says he freely admits that he’s still looking for the right woman to marry and start a family.

“His desire is for a traditional, loving family – not a revolving door of relationships, and to Corey, that’s worth the wait,” his flier states. He said he believes in the Biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman, for a lifetime. Brooks said he has had uninterrupted employment since high school, is now in the Navy Reserve and helps operate his family’s ranch. He said he owns a home near the military base that was his last duty station — the Pentagon — and has paid a mortgage for several years.

He is currently living with his parents on the family ranch by choice, he said, because it has allowed him to devote time and resources to Oklahoma voters. And he says he has not made any negative comments about Davenport.

“I don’t think people are too concerned about those issues in general,” he said.

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