TULSA, Okla., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Cathy Keating, the wife of Gov. Frank Keating, abruptly withdrew from the 1st Congressional District race in northeast Oklahoma, the Tulsa World reported Friday.
Keating on Tuesday was forced into a run-off for the Republican nomination with state Rep. John Sullivan. Keating was favored in early polls but the Tulsa legislator outpolled her, winning 46 percent of the vote to her 31 percent and nearly winning the nomination outright.
"After much prayer, discussions with friends and family, and a hard look at the political landscape, I have decided to withdraw from the race for Congress in the 1st District," she said in a statement, according to the World.
"While this has been a tough decision, I am convinced it is the right decision for my family, my supporters, the Republican Party and the voters of the First District."
Sullivan is now the official GOP nominee for the race, and he will face Democrat Doug Dodd, a former Tulsa school board member, in the general election Jan. 8.
The special election was called when four-term Rep. Steve Largent, a Republican, announced he would resign Feb. 15 to run for Oklahoma governor. Frank Keating is serving his final term.
