Congratulations to Roger Ballenger and the Senate Democrats

Democratic candidate for Senate District 8 Roger Ballenger won't have a Republican challenger after all.

Ballenger, an Okmulgee County commissioner, will represent state Senate District 8 in the regular session of the Legislature that begins in February after Jeremy Moore, a Beggs Republican, withdrew from the race for the District 8 seat, leaving Ballenger as the only candidate.

The seat is being vacated through term-limits by Senator Frank Shurden who is now running for the Democratic nomination for State Labor Commissioner.

The seat is one of seven "open" Democratic seats. The other six are

• SD 2 (Mayes* and Rogers* counties);
• SD 10 (Kay*, Osage*, Pawnee, Payne*, Tulsa*);
• SD 12 (Creek*, Okfuskee);
• SD 16 (Cleveland*, McClain*);
• SD 26 (Beckham*, Caddo*, Greer*, Jackson*, Kiowa, Tillman, Washita)
• SD 46 (Oklahoma*)

* partial counties

Complete candidate brackets can be viewed on OKINSIDER at http://okinsider.com/candidatebrackets.oki.