#Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Paul Tay charged with kidnapping, rape

A fringe candidate for Oklahoma governor was arrested Monday for allegedly kidnapping and raping a would-be campaign worker, police said.

Paul Tay, 58, is accused of attacking the woman on two separate occasions after she responded to a Craigslist ad on Sunday for a job on his campaign team, the Tulsa Police Department said in a news release.

Later Sunday, Tay picked up the woman, who didn’t have a car, and instead of heading to the intended destination of Oklahoma City, the candidate headed toward Tulsa, according to police.

The frightened woman tried to escape the vehicle, but Tay allegedly hit her in the head with a pipe and sexually assaulted her, according to cops.

Tay then ran out of gas, but managed to panhandle for money to fill his tank, the news release said.

With the woman still inside his car, Tay drove back to his Tulsa home and allegedly raped her, police said.

On Monday, the woman convinced Tay to drive her to Walmart for hygiene products. There, she flagged down help from store workers, who called the police.

Tay was caught by cops in the parking lot. He was charged with rape, kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Tay announced his long-shot bid for governor earlier this year, KFOR reported.