Air Force Pilot Wins GOP Runoff For Senate District 41

In a hotly contested, local race, Air Force pilot Adam Pugh edged out well-known Edmond Baptist minister Paul Blair in the GOP runoff for state Senate District 41. 

Pugh won the runoff election with 54 percent of the vote. The election became heated soon after the primary and reached a boiling point in mid-July.

In mid-July, an altered photo of Blair in KKK garb showed up on the Internet. 

Blair said it was character assassination, and Pugh said he didn’t know anything about it. 

On Tuesday night, Blair said he wasn’t going to harbor any grudge, but he looks forward to visiting with Pugh, once the race is over.

“It was unnecessary that we had to spend so much time just to defend ourselves and clean up what has been an impeccable reputation, an impeccable name,” he said. “So other than having to waste time on nonsense, I don’t have any hard feelings.” 

“It’s certainly been a hard process and it’s tough. I mean, you put yourself and your family through a lot. You open yourself and your family up to scrutiny,” Pugh said.  

Pugh will square off against Edmond teacher Kevin McDonald in November’s general election.