Oklahomans in 71 of the state’s 77 counties will head to the polls on April 1 to decide on legislative primaries in both chambers, city council races, school board seats and more.
Recent fire weather has upended the lives of many residents. The State Election Board reports a polling location in Oilton in North Central Oklahoma suffered wind damage, leaving it unsafe for voters. Those originally scheduled to cast their ballots at the city’s community room can head to Hope Freewill Baptist Church on A Street instead. No other polling places were impacted.
Election Day is Tuesday, April 1, when polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To find your polling location and view a full list of elections, head to the state election board website and check the voter portal.
Primary elections held in three legislative districts
Senate District 8: Okfuskee, Creek, Okmulgee, Muskogee and McIntosh Counties
GOP voters in state Senate District 8 will decide between two candidates for the general election in May. David Nelson and Bryan Logan emerged as the frontrunners in last month’s primary, earning them spots in this month’s runoff.
Nelson, of Morris, is currently the operator of Morris Tag Agency and previously worked in oil and gas. The Henryettan lists some of his priorities as health care, agriculture and energy. Nelson is cautiously optimistic about green energy projects but wants to ensure research is conducted on their long-term effects.
Logan, of Paden, has spent the last 20 years running a construction and carpentry business. He also serves in various leadership positions across sectors, such as American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance Okfuskee County Chapter Board, where he is president of the County and local #462 units. He is campaigning as a Christian conservative, stating his opposition to abortion. He also supports increasing teacher pay.
Logan edged out Nelson in the primary, earning 40.71% of the vote in comparison to Nelson’s 31.61%.
The Senate seat in District 8 was left open after former Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, resigned over the summer. Six weeks before filing his resignation, he had been removed as chairman of the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee. However, he told the nonprofit news outlet NonDoc he resigned to pursue business interests.
The winner will face Democrat Nathan Brewer and Independent Steve Sanford, both of Henryetta, in the general election on May 13.
House District 74: Tulsa and Rogers Counties
Five Republican candidates are battling to face Democrat Amy Hossain in the race for the empty seat in House District 74.
Former Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, left the position before the legislative session began to serve as deputy county commissioner to Lonnie Sims in Tulsa.
Vancuren’s wife, Sheila Vancuren, is among the candidates who have entered the race. One of her top priorities is education, and according to her website, she wants to work to reduce class sizes and ensure students have access to a breadth of extracurricular activities. Many of her other priorities reflect national-level Republican goals, like curbing illegal immigration and ending gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. It is currently illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming treatments to youth in Oklahoma.
Jonathon Shephard of Owasso is a veteran who founded Eagle OPS with his wife. The organization aims to support veterans as they transition back to civilian life. If elected to the statehouse, he wants to improve access to health care and mental health support for veterans. He also would aim to reduce regulations on small businesses.
Maggie Stearman of Owasso is campaigning on a platform to stay true to conservative ideals, admonishing unspecified Republicans who she says turned their back on their campaign promises after receiving lobbying money. Stearman has promised not to accept money from lobbyists during her campaign to prove her commitment to her platform. She has aligned her campaign with President Donald Trump, highlighting her support for his policies and her work as a conservative activist in Pennsylvania during the 2022 midterms.
Kevin Norwood is a youth minister. He is also an active community volunteer who earned the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Environmental Excellence Affiliate Champion designation for his work with Keep Owasso Beautiful. Norwood is endorsed by the state’s 2nd Amendment Association and Oklahoma Faith Leaders. He wants to reduce wasteful spending in the government, a popular Republican platform at the national and state levels.
Brad Peixotto owns Rogers County’s Servpro location, a cleanup business. This campaign marks his fourth time running for state legislature. He published a book on how to succeed in cannabis retail last year.
House District 71: Tulsa County
Seven candidates have filed to run for House District 71. Former Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, vacated the position late last year to be the City of Tulsa’s director of tribal policy and partnerships under Mayor Monroe Nichols.
With multiple candidates from both parties in the race, April’s elections will see both Republican and Democratic primaries for the seat.
On the Republican side, three candidates will compete. Heidemarie Fuentes, a retired businesswoman, wants to increase government transparency to reduce taxes. If elected, she promises to hold regular town hall meetings.
Tania Garza works for Tulsa Remote, a program funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation that offers $10,000 grants to remote workers who relocate to Tulsa. In her role, she helps new residents connect with opportunities to be involved in the Tulsa community. She is involved with The League of Women Voters and Tulsa's Young Professionals, among other organizations. Her platforms include strengthening infrastructure quality.
Lawyer Beverly Atteberry has run for the seat twice before. She has a law firm specializing in will, probate and criminal law. She told Oklahoma Voice that her priorities include improving roads and public education to draw more businesses to the state.
Four Democratic candidates have entered the race for District 71. Ben Riggs, a social studies teacher, wants to support public schools through increased funding and access to early childhood programs. He also wants to address the housing crisis through programs that increase housing availability, offer support to first-time homebuyers and protect tenants’ rights.
Amanda Clinton owns a communications firm and worked as the communications director for Nichols’ mayoral campaign last year. Nichols recently endorsed Clinton in the race.
On her website, Clinton touts her involvement with Planned Parenthood, running as a pro-choice candidate in a state where abortion is largely illegal. Clinton was previously an Emmy Award-winning creator and producer on the show Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People.
Hudson Harder is a 24-year-old teacher who, if elected, would be the youngest member of the state legislature. On his website, he expresses his opposition to Oklahoma’s school voucher program. He also wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, an idea proposed by a ballot initiative that will be voted on in June 2026.
Dennis Baker is a retired FBI agent. He challenged Kevin Hern in last fall’s race for the U.S. House of Representatives. He ultimately lost to Hern, an incumbent, but did have the endorsement of the Tulsa World. Some of his platforms for the current race include supporting unions and incentivizing teachers through tuition reimbursements and retention bonuses.
Oklahoma County voters choose between Democrat and Independent for County Commissioner
Democrat Jason Lowe will face independent Jed Green in the race for an open seat on the Oklahoma County Commission. There is no Republican candidate in the race.
Former Commissioner Carrie Blumert vacated the position in the fall to become CEO of Tulsa-based Mental Health Association Oklahoma.
Lowe, who currently serves in the statehouse, told The Oklahoman that he wants to see the new county jail building, currently slated to be constructed near Del City, blend in with the rest of the area. He has advocated for the jail to stay downtown but understands that might not be possible. There have been concerns about the building's location and proximity to a residential neighborhood.
On his campaign website, Lowe also highlights mental health and infrastructure as his priorities.
Green is a political consultant and lobbyist. His organization, Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis, drafted and passed State Question 788, which legalized medical marijuana in 2018. He also worked as an organizer for SQ 818 and 819, initiatives that would have established a State Cannabis Commission and legalized recreational marijuana, respectively. Neither question made it to ballots. A separate initiative, SQ 820, proposed legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older but was rejected by voters in a March 2023 election.
Green told The Oklahoman that he believes the state legislature should help pay for the new county jail building. The estimated cost of the jail has risen since the passage of a bond package in 2022 securing $260 million to pay for it.
Runoff election held in OKC’s Ward 7
Camal Pennington and John Pettis, Jr., the two most popular candidates in February’s election for the Ward 7 seat on OKC’s city council, will face each other in a runoff election.
Pennington currently works as the executive director of It’s My Community Initiative, a nonprofit organization offering various programs, like one aimed at helping low-income fathers. Pennington’s campaign website emphasizes strengthening families and public safety. He boasts an endorsement from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
Pettis previously held the Ward 7 seat but resigned from the office in 2018 after facing charges of embezzlement and tax evasion. The embezzlement charges were dropped in 2019. Pettis did plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of tax evasion.
In a Facebook video announcing his new campaign, however, Pettis claims he was wrongly charged, with the accusations designed to cost him the 2018 election for County Commissioner. Pettis told Oklahoma City Free Press his priorities as a council member would be economic development, safety and infrastructure.
Top candidates for mayor of Edmond locked in tight race
In February’s four-way race for the next mayor of Edmond, Mark Nash and Tom Robins emerged as the top two candidates. The gap between the two amounted to a mere 45 ballots. They now advance to April’s runoff.
After the defeat of the city's "Edmond of the GO" bond package in November, Nash is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility. During the election period for the bond, he was a vocal opponent of the proposal and the 14.3% tax increase it would levy on Edmond residents.
Robins, a former Edmond City Council member, vacated his seat in order to run for mayor. His campaign website indicates four priorities: traffic, education, public safety and recreation. His website boasts accomplishments from his time on the city council, such as getting parental leave for first responder families.
City of Lindsay seeks 12 amendments to city charter
Voters in the City of Lindsay will see 12 proposed amendments to the city charter on the ballot. The amendments establish procedures for the city council to meet in the mayor’s absence, prohibit city council members from interfering in “administrative affairs” of the city manager, require bids for public works contracts over $100,000 and more.
According to a statement from the city’s attorney, Lindsay’s city charter has only received amendments in 7 of its 73 sections since its adoption in 1947. Certain sections of the charter are no longer consistent with state law, such as election dates and times. In addition, current policy mandates that public works projects costing $10,000 or more go through a competitive bidding process, which can prevent city administration from addressing smaller needs in a timely manner, the statement says.
A state audit of the city released last November found inadequate oversight and lack of record-keeping led Lindsay to miss out on over $1 million in grants between 2019 and 2022. The city also lost another $1 million via its utility program in that period. According to the statement from the city attorney, the proposed amendments are the beginnings of changes the city needs to implement to ensure its financial stability.
Blanchard proposes school bond for the third time
In the Blanchard Public Schools district, voters will decide on a $42 million bond package. Over the past year and a half, voters in the district rejected two bonds over $65 million.
With the dollar amount of the package reduced, the district is hoping it can raise the funds for some of the improvements it has proposed before.
The package is split into three parts. The first portion, totaling $19 million, would cover eight new classrooms for the high school and a gym that would double as a safe room. The second part, totaling $11.6 million, would build a new fieldhouse and classroom for athletic programs. The third, also ringing in at $11.6 million, would relocate baseball and softball facilities to the high school.
The bond package would not result in a tax increase if passed, but would keep the current tax rate going for the next 11 years.
Stillwater animal advocates hope for new shelter
Stillwater voters will decide on whether to approve a bond proposal that would fund a new animal welfare center in the city.
If approved, the $8.75 million proposal would increase taxes by about $5 a month — or $60 a year — for the average homeowner in Stillwater. The bond is projected to last 15 years.
The new building would clock in at three times the size of the old one, providing outdoor space for animals, as well as better ventilation. At the current facility, the staff rely on garage space to house overflow kennels. They also use paper records to mitigate unreliable Wi-Fi. At a new space, they would be able to track animals more conveniently.
Also on the ballot: city councils and school boards across the state
Counties across the state will also see a smattering of elections for city councils and school boards.
The full list of elections is available on the Oklahoma State Election Board website.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
