Voters in dozens of Oklahoma counties went to the polls Tuesday to consider a wide array of candidates and issues.
While many state lawmakers are running unopposed for re-election, there were Republican primary runoffs that could have big implications during the next legislative session. Locally, residents in Oklahoma City considered a hotel tax increase, while Tulsans picked a replacement for outgoing mayor G.T. Bynum.
Many of the notable results are below. Full results are available via the state Department of Elections website.
Hotel taxes approved by OKC, Alva voters
Starting October 1, hotel bills will look slightly different. Oklahoma City residents voted to pass a hotel tax increase, raising the rate from 5.5% to 9.25%.
The 3.75% increase is projected to bring an additional $11.6 million toward tourism promotion, event sponsorships and improvements for OKC Fairgrounds and Convention Center. The 9.25% hotel tax would be in addition to a 4.5% state and 4.12% city sales tax for a 17.87% total rate.
Previously, OKC lagged behind regional peers like Tulsa and Wichita. The new rate will bring the city closer to them.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt had been championing the tax hike. He said the increase will improve the resources used toward tourism.
“I think this really represents the maturation of our tourism industry, something that barely existed here forty years ago,” Holt said in a phone interview. “But I think now we finally have the resources to really consider ourselves a legitimate tourist destination, and I love it. I can't wait to see how that plays out in the years ahead.”
Voters in Alva approved a hotel tax hike as well. More than two-thirds of voters there gave the measure a thumbs up. The hotel tax will increase the rate from 5% to 8% and proceeds will fund community events.
Tulsa mayoral race goes to runoff; raises for some city officials approved
With no candidate receiving 50% of the vote, the race for the mayor of Tulsa will enter a runoff during November’s general election. The top two polling candidates are Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith. Nichols received 33.1% of the vote, while Keith received 32.62%. But Brent VanNorman was a close third, earning 31.84% of the vote according to the unofficial results.
Keith is in her fourth term as the District 2 Tulsa County Commissioner. She said she wants to examine inspections and permitting, suggesting that Habitat for Humanity houses be pre-permitted.
Nichols is a state representative serving District 72. He said if elected, he aims to end homelessness by 2030. According to his website, he plans to achieve that outcome in part by establishing a flexible funding account to serve the variety of needs Tulsa’s homeless population may have.
Voters in Tulsa approved raises for the city auditor and city councilors. The raise for city councilors — which garnered over 62% of the electorate’s support — means city councilors will now earn $32,000. The passage of the raise of the city auditor increases their salary to 75% of the mayor’s salary. Next year, that amount will be $142,500, when the next mayor’s salary is raised to $190,000. The proposition earned over 56% of the vote.
State legislative races see House Budget leader ousted, tight margins
There were 10 Republican legislative primary runoff races on Tuesday, one of which — the House District 20 race between Mike Whaley and Jonathan Wilk — was won by two votes. Wilk, who beat out his fellow Republican, will face Democrat Mitchell Jacob to replace outgoing GOP incumbent Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle.
Here are some other notable results.
House 32
Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, lost the race to keep his district by 512 votes, or 8.7% of the vote. The winner, Chandler Republican Jim Shaw, also beat Wallace in the June primaries by just over 200 votes, setting the stage for his victory. And without a Democratic challenger in the General Election, Shaw takes the seat.
Shaw’s victory over the 10-year incumbent means disrupting fiscal leadership in the House, as Wallace served as the chamber Appropriations and Budget Committee chair. The position responsible for state budget negotiations with Senate leadership and the Governor’s office is among the most influential roles in the statehouse.
Whoever replaces Wallace in that job will have the power to set the House’s monetary priorities going forward. The House Republican Caucus will hold an internal vote selecting the next committee chair at the start of the next legislative session, as is customary.
Senate 47
Retired Colonel Kelly Hines will run against Democrat Erin Brewer in a race to replace termed-out incumbent and the Senate's top leader Sen. Greg Treat.
Hines defeated former intensive care nurse Jenny Schmitt by 1,141 votes or 20.6% of the total votes in the GOP primary on Tuesday.
Schmitt had received an endorsement from Gov. Kevin Stitt the day before the election.
Senate 15
Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is termed out of his time in office, so his wife, Lisa Standridge, ran for the seat to replace him and won — unofficially — by 51 votes. That’s less than 1%. She beat her Republican challenger Robert C. Keyes, and will now face Democrat, and city council member for Norman's Ward 6, Elizabeth Foreman in the General Election.
Fire protection districts gain millage increases, while infrastructure bonds fail in Piedmont
Voters in the Deer Creek Fire Protection District passed a millage increase, with the proposal receiving almost 70% of the vote. The funds will be used for equipment, staff expansion, constructing a third station, and ambulance services. The district currently contracts Miller EMS for ambulance service, but according to the DC Fire website, it would not have been able to guarantee its ability to provide ambulance services after 2026 without the millage increase.
In the Oak Cliff Fire Protection District in southern Logan County, voters passed a similar millage increase proposal, which received almost 80% of the vote. The district, like DC Fire, said it needed to pass the millage increase to continue providing ambulance services past 2026.
The millage increases in both districts will raise the rate to 10 mills on the dollar for properties in those areas.
Meanwhile, residents of Piedmont voted down a bond package worth more than $16 million for city-wide improvements, including road repair, the construction of a multi-sport complex and public facility expansion. Notably, nearly 85% of voters opposed the second proposition for the sports facility.
Controversial McCurtain County Sheriff primary ends in landslide
Bruce W. Shirey beat out challenger Jason Ricketts in the Republican primary runoff for McCurtain County Sheriff. Shirey earned support from over 80% of voters.
Kevin Clardy, McCurtain County’s current sheriff, earned less than 400 votes in his bid during the June primary election, leaving his challengers to face off this month. The outcome follows an incident last year in which the McCurtain Gazette obtained and published recordings of Clardy and three other county officials discussing lynching Black people and killing journalists.
Shirey will face Steve McKee, the Democratic nominee, in the November general election.
School bonds see mixed results; CareerTech annexation passed
Nearly 30 school districts proposed bonds for this election. For school bonds to pass, they needed to earn a 60% supermajority of the vote.
- Blanchard Public Schools: Voters did not pass a $66.1 million bond for Blanchard Public Schools. The proposal closely mirrors one that failed last year and would’ve gone toward constructing new athletics facilities.
- Hinton Public Schools: Voters in the Hinton Public Schools district did not pass a nearly $23.7 million bond, even though it received a majority of the votes. The bond needed more than 60% of voters to approve it to pass. Funds were planned for athletic facilities, a storm shelter and renovations.
- Guthrie Public Schools: Voters in the Guthrie Public School district passed a $45 million bond. Most of the funds the bond generates will go toward a new elementary school, with construction expected to start in 2029.
- Collinsville Public Schools: Voters approved a Collinsville Public Schools bond package to generate over $95 million for the district. Most of the funds will be used to cover the costs of new buildings to accommodate the district’s growing enrollment, including a new fifth-grade building.
- McLoud Public Schools: Two bond proposals for McLoud Public Schools did not pass. The bonds had targeted school district improvements and student transportation.
- Grove Public Schools: The third time was a charm in Grove. Voters passed a Grove Public Schools $9.8 million bond. Two previous similar attempts had failed to garner sufficient support.
Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
Seminole and Pottawatomie counties voters decided the Konawa School District should be annexed into the Pontotoc Technology Center district. This means secondary students and adults in the Konawa School District can enroll in Pontotoc courses without paying an out-of-district fee.
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.
