A Democratic candidate running for Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District seat died Sunday.
Earl Emmitt Everett, 81, was a retired school teacher and Korean War Veteran running an underdog race against first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin. He died from injuries sustained in a car accident, according to the Associated Press.
Everett was attempting to cross Highway 62 in Fort Gibson when he was hit broadside by a westbound vehicle, according to Fort Gibson Police Department investigator Stephen Farmer. He died at a Tulsa hospital Sunday, police said Monday.
Everett, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 2012, decided to run again because he felt Mullin hadn’t done enough for constituents in the district, which stretches across 26 eastern Oklahoma counties.
“We honor the memory of Mr. Everett, a Korean War veteran, and his desire to represent the people of eastern Oklahoma,” Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Wallace Collins said in a statement. “Anyone that is willing to put their name on a ballot in order to be voted on by their peers as a public servant deserves our admiration and respect.”
