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Tuesday, August 29, 2006
By Marie Price
The Journal Record
OKLAHOMA CITY – They may not exactly prove the “six degrees of separation” hypothesis, but David Boren, Ernest Istook and Brad Henry have more in common than just owing key political wins in their lives to Oklahoma’s runoff election system – and wanting to be governor.
The “six degrees” concept was first posited in 1929 by Karinthy Frigyes, a Hungarian writer. The idea is that anyone can be connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances, with only five linking individuals. At each level, supposedly, the number of acquaintances grows exponentially, until at the top, the “circle of friends” includes everyone on Earth.
In 1974, David Boren came in second to U.S. Rep. Clem McSpadden in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, with scandal-beleaguered Gov. David Hall coming in third.
In 1992, state Rep. Ernest Istook took second in a congressional primary against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards with Bill Price finishing first.
In 2002, Henry garnered 28.5 percent of the vote to Vince Orza’s 44 percent at the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
All three went on to win runoffs and their respective general elections.
However, way back in October 1977, then-governor Boren tapped Istook, who passed the bar exam that April, to direct the old Alcoholic Beverage Laws Control Board. Board members agreed to Boren’s recommendation.
The state Senate had a different idea, and never confirmed Istook’s appointment. At the time, some said the appointment was rejected over a probe by Istook of the liquor industry. Others said opposition centered on Istook’s non-drinking Mormon background.
In April 1978, Istook joined Boren’s staff as a legal assistant, where Istook investigated allegations of misuse of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act federal funds. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the private practice of law with a firm that included one-time Boren attorney Robert Mitchell.
The ABC Board is now the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission.
A few years later, Istook ran successfully for the state House, serving from 1986 to 1992, when he came from behind to take the 5th Congressional District seat.
As Istook was moving on up and leaving the Legislature, Henry was moving into it.
Henry was first elected to the state Senate in 1992, where he served until his primary second-place finish in the 2002 governor’s race turned into a general election win.
Now president of the University of Oklahoma and a former U.S. senator, Boren started his political life as a state representative from Seminole, about 21 miles down the road from Shawnee, Brad Henry’s hometown. Boren was also a professor at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee.
Henry’s cousin, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert Henry, is also a former state representative and attorney general. Brad Henry’s father, Charles, was a judge and state representative.
Boren’s father, Lyle, was a congressman from Oklahoma. His son, Dan, is finishing up his first term in Congress, having also served in the state House.
Posted at 8/29/2006 10:18:00 AM  
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