Voters in Oklahoma City Public Schools’ District 4 will have a choice between three candidates at the polls Tuesday, Feb. 13. Unless someone wins a majority of votes cast, the top two candidates will advance to a general election April 2.
On April 2, voters in OKCPS District 3 will also head to the polls to decide between the seat’s incumbent and a challenger.
OKCPS District 4’s current representative, Mark Mann, decided not to run for reelection because he is seeking election to the Oklahoma State Senate. Three people filed to run for his seat:
- Jay Albertson
- Scotty Hernandez
- Dana Meister
The district covers an area in north Oklahoma City stretching from Interstate 44 to Interstate 235 and extending as far north as 50th Street and as far south as 10th Street.
If no candidate exceeds 50 percent of the vote Feb. 13, the top two candidates will then compete in the April 2 general election.
The following cheat sheet for the OKCPS District 4 primary election compiles information from public sources such as campaign websites, personal websites and social media. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order, and school board elections are nonpartisan.
Jay Albertson
Age: 53
Profession/background: Little information for Albertson is available online. He seems to have previously served as president of the local 6016 chapter of the Communications Workers of America union.
According to his bio on the chapter website, Albertson has worked for SBC Wireless and Cingular phone and internet companies. According to a 2017 article in The Oklahoman, Albertson applied to fill the seat for an unexpired term that year but lost the position to Mann.
Priorities: Albertson does not appear to have a campaign Facebook page or website listing his priorities.
Links: Albertson’s campaign does not appear to have any online presence.
Scotty Hernandez
Age: 30
Profession/background: Hernandez is a real estate agent who serves as the Oklahoma president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. On his campaign website, he says he is also the incoming president of PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ advocacy and support organization.
Priorities: If elected to the school board, Hernandez said on his website that he will keep “politics out of the classroom and the decision-making process — ensuring access to critical services, providing resources for bilingual students, empowering parents voices’, and expanding options to meet a wider range of needs for our kids.”
According to a post on his Facebook page, Hernandez’s campaign kickoff event was attended by members of the Oklahoma Legislature, including Sen. Michael Brooks (D-OKC) and Rep. Arturo Alonso Sandoval (D-OKC).
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Dana Meister
Age: 69
Profession/background: Meister has 28 years of classroom teaching experience in Altus, Choctaw and Mid-Del public schools. According to her campaign website, she lead student councils and National Honor Society chapters during her time working in all three districts. Currently, Meister is the general manager of Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place.
Priorities: On her website, Meister said her priorities include “the restoration of respect and dignity to the educational system.” Meister said she hopes to bring about “positive change by fostering mutual respect among students, teachers, parents, administrators, and support staff.”
Meister has endorsements from the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, as well as former first lady Kim Henry and former Democratic candidate for state superintendent Jena Nelson.
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
