Eugenicist Coburn becomes Oklahoma Senator

Coburn Wins Bruising Okla. Senate Race


Wednesday November 3, 2004 2:16 AM

By RON JENKINS

Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Former three-term Rep. Tom Coburn kept a U.S. Senate seat in GOP hands Tuesday, defeating Rep. Brad Carson despite allegations that the Republican, an obstetrician, once sterilized a woman without her permission.

Coburn replaces GOP Sen. Don Nickles, who is retiring after 24 years in office.

During the bruising campaign, Coburn vehemently denied the allegations by a woman who said he had sterilized her several years ago. Coburn branded Carson a liberal and aligned him with prominent Democrats, running ads that showed the Democrat as a puppet with John Kerry pulling the strings.

Carson, 37, an attorney and a Rhodes scholar, wore cowboy boots on the campaign trail and tooled around in a beat-up pickup truck. He said he would fight for Oklahomans, create jobs and never embarrass the state, drawing a distinction between himself and the outspoken Coburn.

During the campaign, Coburn, 56, said he favored the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions and mentioned hearing of ``rampant lesbianism'' in southeastern Oklahoma schools. Referring to state legislators, Coburn said the state had not prospered because of ``crapheads in Oklahoma City.''

Coburn represented a heavily Democratic congressional district in Oklahoma for six years before stepping down to honor his pledge to serve no more than three terms. The Muskogee doctor was succeeded by Carson in 2001.

Known as one of the most conservative members of Congress, Coburn helped lead a revolt against then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich by conservatives unhappy with concessions made to Democrats.

Coburn asked voters to send him back to Washington so he could fight big spenders and ensure ``that our children and grandchildren have a future.''

Carson had sought to become the first Democratic senator from Oklahoma in a decade - since David Boren resigned after 16 years in office.