Candidates Kevin Calvey, Vicki Behenna Make Their Cases As Oklahoma Co. DA Election Looms

The district attorney’s race for Oklahoma County is heating up. Kevin Calvey and Vicki Behenna are vying for the position soon-to-be vacated by the retiring David Prater.

Election Day is less than a week away and one of the big races to focus on is the District Attorney race.

Both Behenna and Calvey expressed their confidence they'll come out on top next Tuesday.

“This is not a job for a career politician who has never worked here in the criminal legal system in the United States,” Behenna, the Democratic candidate, said.

“I'm a Republican. I have huge support from Democrats, especially Democrats who know the Oklahoma County court system,” Calvey, the Republican candidate, said.

Behenna said what sets her apart is her skill set.

“I was a federal prosecutor for 25 years in Oklahoma City,” Behenna said. “I was part of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation and assigned by the attorney general of the United States to be on the prosecution team for Timothy McVeigh. I left the U.S. Attorney’s Office and went into private practice where I've been doing criminal defense work. I've done that for nine years.”

An Iraq war veteran, Calvey is currently Oklahoma County's Commissioner for District 3. He believes there needs to be changes in the DA office and said he's the one who can shift the culture.

“The problems with that district attorney’s office need to be solved by someone that needs to be able to go in and know the players in the system and, No. 2, be able to work with stakeholders in the system that funds the district attorney’s office and increase that,” Calvey said. “(Vicki) Behenna has no idea on how to do any of those things.”  

“Public safety is No. 1 for a district attorney,” Behenna said. “Most people understand that I have never run for political office before ever, and I did that now. And this time because I think experience matters.”