Oklahoma voters to decide races for mayor, city council, county commissioner

Polls will be open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about where and when you can vote, visit the state voter portal.

Four wards in Oklahoma City will vote for representatives on the city council.

Ward 3 incumbent Barbara Peck faces a challenger in Katrina Bedell Avers, a business scientist at the Federal Aviation Administration. Avers is running on a platform to increase public safety resources, increase high-paying jobs in the area, and fix ward roads.

Incumbent Peck has served on the council since 2021, and her platforms mirror Avers's. Her website highlights addressing homelessness and “quality of life” as priorities. For the latter, she points to her prior opposition to the construction of a recycling center and concert venue in a residential neighborhood.

The race in Ward 7 will see four candidates battle for the vacant seat left by Nikki Nice, who was elected to the state Senate last year. Masood A. Haqq is a Muslim community leader who serves as board chairman of Oklahoma’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He and his wife opened a pediatric clinic in 2015. Haqq’s campaign website highlights priorities like poverty, health care insecurity and law enforcement reform for mental health calls.

Andrea Holman, the Park Estates North/Cashions Wildewood neighborhood president, has also entered the race. On Facebook, she’s pointed to education and community training as one of her top issues, stating she wants to offer more seminars to Ward 7 residents to address disparities. She also wants transparency in initiatives like general obligation bonds to ensure residents know how much they may have to pay.

Camal Pennington currently works as the executive director of the 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.

The final candidate in the race for the Ward 7 seat is John Pettis Jr., who resigned from the office in 2018 after facing charges of embezzlement and tax evasion. The embezzlement charges were dropped in 2019, but 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 election for County Commissioner. Pettis told Free Press OKC that his priorities as a council member would be economic development, safety and infrastructure.

If no candidate in the race earns 50% of the vote, a runoff election will take place April 1.

In Wards 1 and 4, incumbent candidates are running unopposed to keep their seats. Bradley Carter of Ward 1, who has sat on council since 2021, owns Grounds 4 Compassion, a coffee roaster in Bethany. Todd Stone of Ward 4 is nearing the end of his second term on council. He is the president and CEO of Dub Stone Construction, a homebuilding company based in OKC.

Both Carter and Stone will automatically retain their seats.

Three Democratic candidates have entered the primary election for Oklahoma County’s open commissioner seat in District 1.

Former Commissioner Carrie Blumert vacated the position in the fall to become CEO of Tulsa-based Mental Health Association Oklahoma. The primary winner will advance to face independent candidate Jed Green in the general election April 1. That candidate does not necessarily need to receive 50% of the vote.

The future of the Oklahoma County Jail, which has routinely failed inspections, is a focus of all candidates. There are plans to build a new jail, but construction is currently on hold after Oklahoma City Council denied the request to re-zone the designated area.

He 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.

Anastasia Pittman is a former state senator and representative now running to try her hand at county government. On her campaign website, she outlines priorities like senior centers and transportation, with a focus on economic development. Though she has focused less on jail than other candidates, she advocates for transparency with the project, as well as with criminal justice as a whole. She told The Oklahoman she believes the decision to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to construct its corresponding behavioral health center was the right move.

The final candidate in the primary is Sara Bana, a member of the City Council for Midwest City. In a forum hosted by non-profit media outlet NonDoc, Bana said she was against the construction of the behavioral health center to be accompanied by the new jail, as it would only serve people who had been arrested by the police. She told The Oklahoman that she opposes using ARPA funds for the center and believes they should go to infrastructure needs.

Three candidates are in the running to be the Mayor of Norman.

Incumbent Mayor Larry Heikkila was first elected in 2022. He was and continues to be endorsed by the Norman police and fire departments, and supporting first responders has been one of his main priorities during his first term. His campaign website lists him as a United States Navy veteran with 26 years of experience.

After more than a decade of serving on Norman's City Council, Ward 7 council member Stephen Tyler Holman is running for mayor. He is the longest-serving city council member, having served with four mayors and nearly 40 council colleagues. His campaign website lists public transportation and affordable housing among his top priorities for Norman.

Political newcomer Riley Mulinix is an attorney. His campaign website lists environmental goals for Norman, including ending the city’s use of Roundup and investing in permaculture and food forests.

Incumbent Ward 1, 3, and 5 council members are seeking reelection.

Ward 1:

Incumbent council member Austin Ball is running against challenger David Gandesbery in a section of Southeast Norman.

Ball is a Marine Corps veteran whose key priorities include public safety, business growth and supporting the Griffin Development project in East Norman.

Ball was charged with misdemeanor embezzlement last week following a probe by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation over using campaign donations for personal expenses. He turned himself in on Feb. 3, and denies any wrongdoing. His wife Kayla Ball was also charged with one count of embezzlement.

Gandesbery, the challenger, is running on solutions to homelessness, access to mental health care and food insecurity. He also supports bringing the Rock Creek Entertainment District to a public vote and has expressed opposition to the ACCESS Oklahoma turnpike expansion.

Ward 3:

Incumbent council member Bree Montoya is running against challenger Sandra Artman in Northwest Norman.

Montoya has sat on the council since 2023. She voted against the controversial Rock Creek Entertainment District, saying that her constituents are against moving tax revenue from the general fund required to pay for the project. The project is currently awaiting a public vote.

The OU Daily reports Montoya has supported housing projects during her tenure to make living in the city more affordable.

Artman’s website brands her as a conservative candidate. She wants to reduce crime, pointing specifically to drug use among unhoused people. She also wants to support small businesses.

Ward 5:

Incumbent council member Michael Nash has two challengers, Trey Kirby and Cindi Tuccillo, to find out who will represent rural East Norman, which includes all land surrounding Lake Thunderbird.

Nash was elected to serve Ward 5 in 2023 after a previous tenure in 2020 and 2021. His stated goals include addressing homelessness and protecting Norman's water supply. He also has opposed turnpike expansion and the current entertainment district proposal

Kirby is running on addressing homelessness and water quality. He wants a public vote on the entertainment district and claims how it’s set to be funded forces financial burdens on residents without their consent.

Tuccillo says Norman should prioritize funding for emergency services, limit tax increases and end taxpayer spending on homelessness.

Ward 7:

Longtime council member Stephen Tyler Holman is not running for reelection as he instead runs for mayor. Kim Blodgett and Amanda Chaffin are running against each other to replace Holman in Southeast Norman.

Blodgett is an elementary teacher focusing on housing instability, mental health support, and decreasing violent crime, among other issues.

Chaffin's priorities include lowering crime rates, supporting affordable housing initiatives and lowering taxes.

Four candidates have entered the race for Edmond’s mayoral seat after current Mayor Darrell Davis declined to run again.

After the defeat of an Edmond on the GO bond package in November, candidate Mark Nash is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility. During the election period, he was a vocal opponent of the proposal and the 14.3% tax increase it would levy on Edmond residents. Nash has spent his career in management consulting, as well as in finance for the state government. He has also served on the Edmond Economic Development Authority board of trustees.

Former Edmond City Council member Tom Robins vacated his seat in order to run for mayor. His campaign website indicates four priorities: traffic, education, public safety and recreation. He’s been endorsed by the Edmond Federation of Police and the Edmond Firefighters Association. His website boasts accomplishments from his time on the city council, such as getting parental leave for first responder families.

For candidate Leonard Scott, a veteran, a top issue is making government recalls easier to achieve. He has advocated for a recall election of Edmond’s city council members but has been unable to make one happen.

City documents state that 10% of registered voters must file an affidavit, and then 35% of registered voters in the city must sign a petition for a recall election. Scott has expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s response and closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also accused current Mayor Davis of making the city a "political, liberal progressive regime advocating for (a) woke radical ideology agenda,” per The Oklahoman.

Architect David Hornbeek is warning the city of an impending financial crisis. Two taxes in the city are set to expire in 2027, including one that provides about 62% of the money for the city’s General Fund. That money is used to pay employees like police officers and firefighters, NonDoc reports. To resolve the looming devastation, Hornbeek advocates for stabilizing revenue. He has been endorsed by former Oklahoma State University president Burns Hargis.

The top two candidates in the race will head to a general election in April, regardless of whether any candidate crosses the 50% vote threshold.

In Ponca City, two candidates are campaigning for the position of mayor. A third candidate, Alan Keller, had filed to run and will be on the ballot. But in a now-deleted Facebook post, Keller said he was dropping out of the race. He told KOSU he is not actively campaigning but will accept the position if elected.

Kelsey Wagner sits on the Ponca City Commission and holds the title of vice mayor. On her website, she lists priorities like economic development, promoting tourism and youth engagement. Diane Anderson, who has previously served as a city commissioner and vice mayor, is a retired communications coordinator with Phillips 66. She is campaigning on a platform of collaboration.

Several school districts are putting out bonds this election cycle. School bonds need 60% of the vote to pass.

Robby Korth

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KOSU

Putnam City

Putnam City voters will get to decide on a nearly $200 million bond that would include projects impacting every district school.

Dubbed the “innovation bond,” it encompasses a variety of ways in which the school district seeks to keep itself on the cutting edge. Many of the projects seek to upgrade HVAC, security and other facilities in the district. The funds would also allow for the construction of two new campuses: a transition center for students with disabilities and an “innovation campus,” including a health and wellness center.

The bond's passage would not result in a tax increase, as the funds would come from the extension of a tax approved by a previous bond. The full list of projects can be viewed on the Putnam City Schools website.

Owasso

Like Putnam City, Owasso Public Schools is requesting a nearly $200 million bond package that includes several big-ticket items. Among them are a new fifth-grade center — which would allow the district to create space for full-day pre-K offerings — a new fine arts center and a soccer complex. Several of the bond’s projects tackle infrastructure improvements throughout the district, and funds would also be allocated for new technology and art equipment.

If passed, the bond would increase the average homeowner’s taxes by $60 annually.

Western Heights

Western Heights Public Schools is looking to raise nearly $150 million via bonds for infrastructure improvements across the district.

These updates include the development of a college and career area in the high school’s current ninth-grade center, as well as updated libraries, gyms and playgrounds at a variety of schools. The district is also looking to construct secure entryways at several schools. The bond does not come with a tax increase.

Union City

Union City aims to unify all its school divisions into one central campus with a bond of $46.5 million.

The district says that constructing a new building will be more cost-effective than remodeling its older facilities, which would have to be updated to be ADA-compliant. However, the district estimates property taxes will increase by 22% to fund the project. For the average Union City homeowner, this would translate to more than a $200 increase in annual property taxes.

Garvin County proposes sales tax to fund new jail

Garvin County voters will decide whether to support the construction of a new jail in Pauls Valley.

If passed, the city would see a one-cent sales tax added, which would be used to secure a location for the jail and pay for its construction. Following the payment of the loan or 15 years — whichever comes first — a half-cent of the tax would remain permanently to pay for the maintenance of the facility.

School bonds seek storm shelters, roof repair and new classrooms:

• Cashion: $39.9 million for new classrooms, a cafeteria and a storm shelter.
• Amber-Pocassett: $23 million for a safe room, improvements to the gym and ag buildings, and baseball and softball facilities.
• Jenks: $19.6 million for classroom space, new technology, textbooks, improvements to the Performing Arts Center and more.
• Vinita: $10.6 million for a tornado shelter, water abatement and roof repair.

Cities propose sales taxes to fund infrastructure:

• Eufaula: one-cent sales tax to fund street repairs.
• Wynnewood: retaining a one-cent sales tax for street projects.
• Choctaw: one-cent sales tax for water, wastewater and roads.

Voters can learn more about this election by visiting their local election board or by seeing a sample ballot on their voter portal on the State Election Board website.

Updated: Feb. 6, 2025 at 11:47 a.m.
This story has been updated to reflect that Rep. Jason Lowe wants the jail to stay downtown. But because it has been approved for its current site on the Eastside of Oklahoma City, he hopes it can blend in with the community.