Next month, incumbent Commissioner Jason Lowe will face Kayla Baker in the Democratic primary to represent Oklahoma County's first district on the County Commission.
Lowe and Baker were the top two candidates in June's primary election for the role, which represents central Oklahoma County. Lowe earned 49.3% of the vote in June's primary election, and Baker followed with roughly 28%. State law mandates a runoff election when no candidate in a primary gets more than half the vote.
Because there are no Republican candidates for the role, the winner of the Aug. 25 runoff election will automatically claim the seat for a four-year term beginning in January.
Kayla Baker
Baker owns a government contracting firm based in Oklahoma City, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her campaign website highlights her working-class upbringing, career as an entrepreneur and her family's struggle navigating fertility insurance, experiences the website says help ground her campaign "in real life."
"County government should work for everyday people—not just those with power or connections," her campaign website reads, describing Baker's plan to support working families. "Kayla will focus on the basics that matter most: safe neighborhoods, reliable infrastructure, and a better quality of life for all families."
Baker's priorities also include expanded access to healthcare, more affordable housing and an approach to public safety that combines "accountability and care." Her website also describes a plan to improve transparency, accountability and responsible management in the county jail.
Jason Lowe
Lowe began his term as County Commissioner in April 2025 following a special election. Before then, he served more than eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he was a Chairman of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus and a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Lowe works as a criminal defense attorney, and much of his legislative work in the state house sought to reform the state's criminal justice system.
"Lowe believes that everyone should be judged equally under the law and that justice is best served when it heals societal gaps in underserved communities," according to his biography on the Oklahoma County website. "His administration's top priority will be ensuring that the new detention center and mental health facility effectively serve Oklahoma County's most underserved populations."
In March, Lowe moved to dissolve the county jail trust, citing controversies that have emerged at the Oklahoma County Detention Center under the trust's direction, including financial strain and high numbers of in-custody deaths.
He also clashed with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber over a sales tax he proposed that would have raised money to advance construction on a new jail complex, The Oklahoman reported in January. Baker criticized Lowe's proposal in a July Facebook post.
His re-election campaign site lists justice reform, improved infrastructure, mental healthcare and economic opportunity among his campaign priorities. It also describes a plan to establish a mental healthcare facility in the county jail.
During the August runoff, voters in northern Oklahoma County will choose the Republican nominee for Commissioner for the county's third district. The winner in that race will face Democrat Jennifer Mayo in November's general election.
