With candidate filing for 2026 municipal and school board races concluding Wednesday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt drew Matthew Pallares, 34, as the only challenger in his reelection bid for a third term.
Holt, 46, was first elected mayor in early 2018. The position, which chairs the OKC City Council, draws a $24,000 annual salary. Holt also serves as dean of the Oklahoma City University College of Law and previously worked for a private investment firm, Hall Capital.
Holt was reelected in 2022 after facing three challengers — Carol Hefner, Frank Urbanic, and Jimmy Lawson. Holt easily won that race, finishing with more than 59 percent of the vote.
Since then, he has led a campaign to build a $1 billion publicly funded arena for the NBA-champion OKC Thunder, while also spearheading the campaign for a $2.7 billion bond package overwhelmingly approved by city voters in October.
Holt, a graduate of Putnam City North High School, previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2010 to 2018. In June, he was elected as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Pallares, who listed his city as Yukon according to Oklahoma County filing records, was featured in a story by KWTV last year following the death of his parents in a car accident. While Pallares has a Facebook page, he does not appear to have held or run for office previously.
The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is Jan. 16. Absentee ballots must be requested by Jan. 26, according to a press release from the City of OKC.
Three file to run for Midwest City mayor
A trio of candidates filed to run for mayor of Midwest City in 2026. Espaniola Bowen, 66, Rita Maxwell, 78, and Rick Rice, 59, are set to appear on the Feb. 10 ballot. Maxwell has previously served as the city’s Ward 3 councilwoman.
Matt Dukes is the current mayor, but he chose not to run for another four-year term.
That won’t be the only competitive race in Midwest City. Brian Triger, 39, and Frank Young, 68, have filed to run for the Midwest City City Council Ward 1 seat, which is currently vacant.
Other Oklahoma County election filings
Several local seats up for election in 2026 drew only two candidates or saw one candidate elected by default. Local races that saw filings conclude Wednesday include:
- Bethany Public Schools Board Seat 1: Lisa Yates, 63, did not draw an opponent.
- Midwest City Ward 3: Raymond Melton, 68, did not draw an opponent.
- Midwest City Ward 5: Incumbent Councilwoman Sara Bana, 40, did not draw an opponent.
- Nicoma Park Ward 1: Kevin Judd, 47, did not draw an opponent.
- Nicoma Park Ward 2: Charley Stevens, 78, did not draw an opponent.
- Nicoma Park Ward 4: Steve West, 48, did not draw an opponent.
- Nicoma Park Ward 6: Thomas Deen, 49, did not draw an opponent.
- Warr Acres Ward 1: Judy Myers, 67, did not draw an opponent.
- Warr Acres Ward 3: Aida Al-Mosawy, 53, did not draw an opponent.
- Warr Acres Ward 4: Jason Cole, 51, did not draw an opponent.
- Crooked Oak Schools Board Seat 1: Brandon Andrews, 38, and Alejandra Tobias, 33 are vying for the seat.
- Crooked Oak Schools Board Seat 4: Lizbeth Rojas, 35, did not draw an opponent.
- Crooked Oak Schools Board Seat 5: Theresa Le, 29, and Linda Ponce, 60, are vying for the seat.
- Crutcho Public Schools Board Office 1: Erika James, 41, did not draw an opponent.
- Crutcho Public Schools Board Office 3: London E. Jackson, 39, did not draw an opponent.
- Deer Creek Public Schools Board Seat 1: Michael Kiehn, 54, did not draw an opponent.
- Edmond Public Schools Board Seat 1: incumbent Lee Ann Kuhlman, 75, and Codie Tiffin, 49, will compete for the seat.
- Mid Del Public Schools Board Seat 1: Edward Daniel, 53, did not draw an opponent.
- Millwood Public Schools Board Seat 1: Stephanie Coleman, 53, and L. Regina Richardson, 65, are vying for that seat.
- Oklahoma City Public Schools Seat 5: Vernona Dismuke, 59, did not draw an opponent.
- Oklahoma City Public Schools Board Seat 7: Natalie Roman, 22, and Galilea Martinez, 28, are vying for the seat.
- Putnam City Schools Board Seat 1: Stephen Burger, 75, did not draw an opponent.
- Western Heights Public Schools Board Seat 1: incumbent Briana Flatley, 31, did not draw an opponent.
