Four Republicans are vying to succeed House Common Education Committee Chairwoman Rhonda Baker, and the winner of the June 18 GOP primary will capture the Oklahoma House District 60 seat.
House District 60 is open this cycle because Baker (R-Yukon) declined to run for her fifth term two years after she won reelection despite an onslaught of negative advertising from independent expenditures.
“It has been an extraordinary honor to serve the people of House District 60 for the past eight years,” Baker said in her March 28 announcement. “I have been blessed to work with some of the most dedicated and talented leaders in the communities in my district and across Oklahoma. I have seen firsthand the challenges facing our state, and yet I remain optimistic that determined and capable Oklahomans will take the opportunities afforded them to make our state the best it can be.”
HD 60 encompasses a heavily rural part of central and eastern Canadian County, including the edges of Yukon and the eastern part of El Reno. No Democrats, Libertarians or independents filed to run for the seat, so the winner of the Republican primary will earn the election outright. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote on June 18, the race will go to an Aug. 27 runoff between the top two candidates.
The following cheat sheet for the House District 60 Republican primary election includes information from publicly available sources, such as campaign websites and social media. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order.
For the June 18 primary election, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting takes place June 13 through June 15.
Mike Kelley
Age:Â 62
Profession/background:Â Kelley is a retired Oklahoma City firefighter. He was involved with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 157 union and assisted with search and rescue and recovery operations with other emergency responders in the immediate aftermath of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, according to an IAFF article about him.
Platform:Â On his campaign website, Kelley calls himself a “supporter of the Second Amendment” and “staunchly pro-life.” He also says he is committed to supporting first responders, securing the border and fighting inflation. Additionally, Kelley says he is opposed to “Joe Biden’s progressive makeover of America and will return the classroom to a place of learning, not indoctrination.”
Ron Lynch
Age: 60
Profession/background: On his campaign website, Lynch says he and his wife own a popcorn and candy shop and a fudge company.
Platform: Lynch lists denying identification cards to all undocumented immigrants at the top of a list of things he supports on his website. Following that, Lynch also says he wants to require a valid ID for anyone wishing to vote, a requirement already passed into state law by more than 70 percent of voters in 2010. Additionally, Lynch says he wants to move school board elections to November and says he will fight “liberal agendas.” He also says he supports the Second Amendment.
Toni Pratt Reid
Age: 69
Profession/background: Pratt Reid is a family nurse practitioner.
Platform: On her website, Pratt Reid says she supports a number of issues, including parental choice in education, anti-abortion policies, the Second Amendment, securing the southern U.S. border, promoting oil and gas production, and tourism. Pratt Reid also says she is against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports and “gender transition procedures for minors.”
Jason Warner
Age: 42
Profession/background: Warner is the pastor of Southpark Baptist Church in southwest Oklahoma City and a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. He graduated from Yukon Public Schools and is a former history and government teacher in the district, according to a mailer sent to House District 60 voters.
Platform: Warner does not list any priorities or issues on his campaign website. On his Facebook page, Warner shared a post from Gov. Kevin Stitt announcing his signing of SB 426, which prohibits the state from enforcing policies from organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations and World Economic Forum. During a May 9 meeting of Canadian County Republicans, Warner referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a “plandemic” and said he supports school choice. He also said he would work with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and Stitt to “extend an olive branch to our teachers” but said he feels parents cannot always trust their kids with teachers and other figures. Warner also said he is “pro-business,” “pro-little government,” “pro-life” and “pro-traditional marriage.”
