Oklahoma Governor Will Not Run Again; Faced Impeachment

Gov. David Walters, who faced calls for his impeachment after he agreed to a plea bargain that dismissed eight felony campaign violation charges, said Monday he won’t seek reelection.

The first-term Democrat, whose three years in office have been marked by turbulence and tragedy, had said he would make a reelection decision in December. But he made his decision after consulting with his family during the weekend, especially his wife, Rhonda.

“She woke me up last night and told me it was time,” Walters said. “As a result of that, I’ve decided not to be a candidate in 1994.”

Walters, 41, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Oct. 21, admitting he violated state campaign laws by encouraging a contributor to give $13,500 more than the $5,000 campaign limit. Eight felony counts, including six perjury charges tied to signing campaign reports, were dismissed.

Walters was fined $1,000, given a one-year deferred sentence and ordered to give the state Ethics Commission all unspent funds from his 1994 campaign. On Thursday, his campaign wired $136,488 to the state treasurer.