Sand Springs Councilman Brian Jackson lost big in Tuesday’s Republican primary race in Senate District 37, which includes Sand Springs and parts of Tulsa.
The incumbent, Sen. Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa, bested Jackson by winning 69 percent of the vote, compared with Jackson’s 20 percent.
Jackson was arguably part of the “teacher caucus” of candidates vying for a legislative seat because he supports greater funding for education and his wife has taught in Sand Springs Public Schools for 14 years. Jackson also has said he will support the Democrat who will face Newberry in the November general election. That will be another “teacher caucus” challenger, Lloyd Snow, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday with 77 percent of the vote. Snow is retiring superintendent of the Sand Springs school district.
In an interview, Jackson talked about the loss and whether this year’s surge of newcomer candidates who are educators and former educators will have any impact.