OKC VeloCity | Learn more about Oklahoma City Council candidates on the Feb. 9 ballot
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Learn more about Oklahoma City Council candidates on the Feb. 9 ballot

By Sommer Terry and Kaylee McDaniel / Inside OKC / February 1, 2021

Oklahoma City residents have an opportunity to impact Oklahoma City’s future growth on Feb. 9 when they vote in Oklahoma City Council primary elections.

The nonpartisan election will decide who represents Wards 1, 3 and 4 on the Council for the next four-year term, which begins in April 2021. A total of 18 candidates filed to run for Oklahoma City Council elections, including incumbent Todd Stone (Ward 4). Other candidates are Jay Sherrill, Susan Kay Parisi, Shay Varnell, Bradley Carter, Megan Scott, Joshua W. Debolt, Richard Thomas Buchanan, Nana Abram Dankwa, and Bill Fleming in Ward 1; Kelli Payne, Barbara Young, Tim Long, Trey Bishop, Jessica Martinez-Brooks, and Allen Swanda in Ward 3; and Sam Wargin Grimaldo and Larry Hopper in Ward 4. In addition, incumbent Councilwoman Nikki Nice was the only candidate who filed to run in Ward 7.

While the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber does not endorse candidates for any city office, the Chamber asked all City Council candidates to complete a survey that would ascertain their stance on criminal justice reform, regional transit initiatives, the MAPS program, economic development programs and more. Learn more about each candidate and their responses below.

Ward 1 candidates

Ward 1 candidates who responded to the Chamber’s survey include Jay Sherrill, Susan Kay Parisi, Shay Varnell, Bradley Carter, Megan Scott, Joshua W. Debolt, Nana Abram Dankwa and Bill Fleming. Richard Thomas Buchanan did not respond.

Read the full responses of Carter, Dankwa, Debolt, Fleming, Scott, Sherrill, Parisi and Varnell.

Ward 3 candidates

Ward 3 candidates who responded to the Chamber’s survey include Kelli Payne, Barbara Young, Trey Bishop, Jessica Martinez-Brooks and Allen Swanda. Tim Long did not respond.

Read the full responses of Bishop, Martinez-Brooks, Payne, Swanda and Young.

Ward 4 candidates

Incumbent Todd Stone will face Sam Wargin Grimaldo and Larry Hopper at the polls on Feb. 9. All three candidates completed the Chamber survey, and their responses are summarized below.

Read the full responses of Grimaldo, Hopper and Stone.

Election information

All registered voters in Wards 1, 3 and 4 are eligible to vote in the Feb. 9 primary election. If a candidate earns more than half of the votes on Feb. 9, he or she is elected to office. No runoff is necessary.

If no candidate earns more than half of the votes on Feb. 9, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the April 6 runoff. The runoff winner is elected to office.

Learn more about the Feb. 9 OKCPS board elections.

To check or update your registration status, visit the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website at ok.gov/elections. Find your polling place on your voter ID card or use the online voter tool. You can also apply for an absentee ballot online before the deadline of 5 p.m. on Feb. 2. Please note that the special provisions for absentee ballots have expired. Absentee ballots must now be notarized to count. Read more. 

Early voting is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 4-5 at your local county election board:

Regular voting is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at your usual polling location. Find your polling location on your voter ID card, or using the voter portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.