They cast ballots to decide school bonds, pick mayors and reshape city councils. Below are many of the notable results. The full results are available on the state Department of Elections website.
Norman city council member secures mayoral race
Norman’s longest-serving city council member will now be the city’s mayor after Stephen Tyler Holman unseated incumbent Larry Heikkila.
Holman received 61% of the vote, while Heikkila received 35%. Political newcomer and attorney Riley Mullinix received under 4% of the vote.
Prior to this election, Holman served as the city council member for Ward 7 for nearly 12 years. His campaign focused on affordable housing, protecting the Lake Thunderbird watershed, and enhancing public services.
“Thank you, Norman. I’m incredibly humbled and honored to be trusted to lead my hometown as their next mayor,” Holman said in a statement to NonDoc. “Norman chose experience and leadership tonight. I’m excited to work with the new council to make Norman a transparent, accountable, accessible — and truly inclusive — community.”
Norman City Council
Residents of odd-numbered wards in Norman voted on their council members.
In Ward 1, David Gandesbery unseated incumbent council member Austin Ball, receiving just under 65% of the vote. Ball, who served one term, was charged in Cleveland County with embezzlement late last month and was also facing accusations of child abuse in Colorado.
Wards 3 and 5 voted to keep their current council members, Bree Montoya and Michael Nash, respectively. Both received over 50% of the vote.
Two new candidates ran for incumbent Ward 7 council member Holman’s seat, as he chose to run for mayor instead. In the end, Kimberly Blodgett defeated Amanda Chaffin, receiving more than 61% of the vote.
OKC Wards 3 and 7 to see changes on city council
Voters in Wards 3 and 7 of Oklahoma City decided on contested elections for city council members.
In Ward 3, incumbent Barbara Peck lost her seat to challenger Katrina Bedell Avers. Peck earned 26% of the vote, while Avers earned 74%.
Peck’s defeat comes as Ward 3 residents have expressed dissatisfaction on multiple fronts. Understaffed law enforcement and urban growth that has left rural areas feeling stifled have been addressed by both candidates on the campaign trail.
After four candidates entered the race for the open seat in Ward 7, two will advance to a runoff on April 1 since no one candidate earned the majority of the vote. Camal Pennington and John Pettis, Jr. were the two most popular candidates, earning 46% and 30% of the vote, respectively.
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 Free Press OKC that his priorities as a council member would be economic development, safety and infrastructure.
The two faced challengers in Masood A. Haqq and Andrea Holman, who earned 15% and 9% of the vote.
Incumbent council members for Wards 1 and 4 retained their seats automatically after facing no opponents. Bradley Carter, who represents Ward 1, owns Grounds 4 Compassion, a coffee roaster in Bethany. Todd Stone of Ward 4 is the president and CEO of Dub Stone Construction, a home building company based in OKC.
State representative wins county commissioner primary
Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, won the Democratic primary for Oklahoma County Commissioner in District 1. With 41% of the vote, Lowe will advance to face independent candidate Jed Green on April 1.
The special election was triggered by the exit of former Commissioner Carrie Blumert, who stepped down in the middle of her second term to become CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma.
Although Lowe did not secure 50% of the vote, the conditions of the special election were that the candidate with the plurality of votes would advance to the next stage.
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.
Lowe faced challenges from former state legislator Anastasia Pittman and Sara Bana, who serves on the city council of Midwest City. Pittman received 32% of the vote and Bana earned 28%.
Gov. Kevin Stitt would need to set a date for a special election to replace Lowe in the legislature if he defeats Green.
Edmond, Ponca City vote on new mayors
In a four-way race for the next mayor of Edmond, Mark Nash and Tom Robins emerged as the top two candidates. Nash earned 34.89% of the vote, while Robins earned 34.25% of the vote. The gap between the two amounted to a mere 45 ballots.
After the defeat of Edmond’s on the GO bond package in November, Nash ran 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.
The two will face off in a general election in April. David Hornbeek and Leonard Scott also ran for the position but did not advance to the next stage.
Ponca City voters elected Kelsey Wagner as their next mayor, giving her over 70% of the vote. Wagner beat out opponent Diane Anderson, as well as Alan Keller, who had filed to run but did not actively campaign leading up to the race.
Wagner currently sits on the Ponca City Commission and holds the title of vice mayor. On her campaign website, she lists priorities like economic development, promoting tourism and youth engagement.
School bonds see mixed results
School bonds were up for vote in districts across the state. To pass, the proposals need at least 60% of the vote.
The 60% passage rate is especially relevant in Owasso. A majority of voters in the Owasso Public Schools district voted in favor of two bond proposals worth almost $200 million.
However, the larger bond for 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—was rejected because it received 58.5% of the vote. A separate, smaller bond to pay for bus improvements passed with 61% of voters approving.
Passed:
- Oklahoma City’s Putnam City Public Schools $200 million “innovation bond” received support from voters on both parts. The first part will raise nearly $187 million to improve facilities and fund the construction of two new campuses: a transition center for students with disabilities and an “innovation campus,” including a health and wellness center. It earned a “yes” from over 70% of voters. The second part, worth $12 million, will be used for student transportation. It earned support from nearly 68% of voters.
- Voters in Vinita approved a $10.6 million bond package for a tornado shelter, water abatement and roof repair at local schools. The first part of the measure, covering $10.3 million, secured support from 64% of voters. Nearly two-thirds of voters supported a second part valued at $360,000 for new vehicles.
- Cashion voters approved a $39.9 million project for new classrooms, a cafeteria and a storm shelter.
- Jenks voters supported a $19.6 million bond for classroom space, new technology, textbooks, improvements to the Performing Arts Center and more.
Rejected:
- Voters in the Union City Public Schools rejected a bond issue to unify all its school divisions into one central campus. The project would have cost $46.5 million. The district says it will explore bringing in portable classrooms and will continue to update existing buildings.
- Amber-Pocasset voters declined a property tax increase to fund $23 million for a safe room, improvements to the gym and ag buildings, and baseball and softball facilities.
Sales taxes around Oklahoma
Several cities and counties proposed sales taxes to fund infrastructure and facilities.
Passed:
- Wynnewood voters chose to retain a one-cent sales tax for street projects. Over 70% of voters gave the measure a thumbs-up.
- Choctaw voters overwhelmingly passed a one-cent sales tax for water, wastewater and roads. It earned nearly 85% of the vote.
Rejected:
- Garvin County voters rejected a one-cent sales tax for a new jail. After 15 years or the payment of the loans taken out for the project — whichever came first — a half cent of the tax would have remained permanently for maintenance. City council members in Pauls Valley had previously expressed their distaste for the tax, as it would bring the city’s total tax rate to 10.75%.
- Eufaula’s proposal for a one-cent sales tax to fund street repairs only accrued 47% of the vote.
