Democrats May Have Found Halligan Foe

Democrats may have found an opponent for Republican James Halligan in Stillwater's Senate District 21, it is being speculated today.

Identified as the Democrat of choice is Associate District Judge Robert M. Murphy, Jr., last elected to that post without opposition.

Halligan, former president of Oklahoma State University, seeks to replace Senator Mike Morgan, the Democrat who is co-president pro tem and who is term-limited.

Halligan, Republican insiders say, has been successful in raising money for his campaign and has the support of numerous Democrats in the Payne County district. Halligan's campaign finance report shows he has $181,000 in cash on hand. His campaign chairman is banker Rex Horning and treasurer is Lawrence Hammer.

Among Halligan's top donors ($5,000) is OSU benefactor Boone Pickens.

If Murphy indeed is the Democrat choice for the race, he may face questions about his removal as a judge in the Terry Nichols case. As The Oklahoman's Nolan Clay reported at the time, "A controversial judge will not be reinstated to the Oklahoma City bombing case. The Oklahoma Supreme Court refused 6-1 Tuesday to even consider whether the judge's ouster was justified. Judge Robert M. Murphy was disqualified in August on ethical grounds. He was to have presided over Terry Nichols' preliminary hearing. The ruling Tuesday was a victory for prosecutors who complained the associate district judge from Payne County was prejudiced against them. Both Nichols and Murphy asked the Supreme Court to overturn the ouster.... Murphy was disqualified for meeting with an Oklahoma City law firm May 19 about doing legal research for him on the bombing case. Prosecutors complained because two attorneys at the firm accused them of misconduct in other murder cases. The decision was made by District Judge Charles L. Goodwin of Clinton, who was appointed to hear prosecutors' complaints. He agreed Murphy violated ethical canons on judicial behavior. Murphy denied wrongdoing and described most of the meeting with the law firm as social. He said his 'good name and reputation' had been damaged."

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