The coming year will feature a smorgasbord of elections for those eager to head to the polls, including virtually every statewide office, congressional races and potentially a sales tax election that could decide the fate of Oklahoma County’s ongoing efforts to build a new jail.
But before all of that unfolds over the next nine-plus months, Oklahoma City will hold its mayoral election Feb. 10, with popular incumbent David Holt, 46, challenged by the comparatively obscure Matthew Pallares, 34. OKC mayors serve four-year terms and are paid $24,000 per year to preside over a city council that includes representatives from OKC’s eight wards.
First elected in 2018, Holt, 46, has presided over successful tax campaigns to fund a new arena for the OKC Thunder, a $2.7 billion GO bond package, and MAPS 4, which approved another $1.1 billion in city projects. One of the leading supporters of State Question 836‘s open primary proposal, Holt is also perhaps the city’s most forward-facing Thunder fan, leading a raucous celebration of the team’s 2025 NBA championship at Scissortail Park last summer.
Pallares, 34, works for the Greater OKC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and previously ran for a seat on the Bethany City Council. Pallares grew up in Oklahoma City and was inspired by his mother’s work teaching English at Linwood Elementary School. His father helped build the Skydance Bridge, which spans Interstate 40 and has become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Pallares: ‘It’s important that people have a choice’
Pallares is busy these days. Along with his mayoral campaign, he works a full-time job and heads his household, caring for a sibling who is disabled following the death of their parents in a June 2024 traffic accident.
His mother’s service to the community as a teacher and his father’s work ethic continue to inspire him.
“In everything that I do in my life, my mom is definitely a huge inspiration for me,” Pallares said in an interview. “I think about them every single day in everything I do.”
With so much going on in his life, running for mayor against an established politician might seem like an odd choice. But Pallares doesn’t believe elected officials, no matter who they are, deserve to be rubber-stamped into another term without a challenge. With no one stepping up to contest Holt on the first two days of the December filing period, Pallares said he went back and forth about running for mayor but ultimately decided he wanted to push forward.
“I think it’s important that people have a choice,” he said. “I’ve taken over a household and am taking care of my brother, and that’s something that has motivated me. I don’t want to see people falling through the cracks. I want to advocate and fight for people who may be at the margins of society — who are falling through. That motivates me not just to run for office, but also in everyday life.”
While the Oklahoma County Election Board’s official filing report listed him as a Yukon resident, Pallares grew up in OKC and said he has stayed here as an adult because he loves the city. He sees it as a place that gave his parents a chance to carve out a life, and he wants the same for others. Still, he remains concerned that some parts of OKC don’t receive the attention they deserve from the city government, including the council.
“I think the council does a great job of advocating for their wards, but I do think there is some disconnect with some of them, and the mayor in particular, with the realities on the ground,” he said. “There are some parts that seem to get ignored or are not well cared for. I work on the south side, and I really love it there, but when you drive through some parts of it, it just feels like it’s neglected. I hear people say that the council doesn’t care about the south side. They want more sidewalks and care for people. We need a lot of things. But instead I just see a disconnect.”
Holt said decided to run for a third term in part because of unfinished business. With the passage of the GO bond in October, the construction of the new Thunder arena, and an upcoming role as one of the host cities of the 2028 Olympics, much will happen over the next four years.
“There’s a lot to implement once you serve two terms,” Holt said in an interview. “You get the ball rolling on a lot of things that you need to see through: finishing the MAPS projects, getting the $2.7 billion in core infrastructure started, and obviously seeing the arena through to its completion. That’s the biggest project in city history by far. So that’s slated to open in 2028, and the Summer Olympics are here in 2028, and that is obviously a major priority. Part of it is wanting to finish up what we started.”
Less flashy issues need attention as well. For one, the Central Oklahoma Regional Transit Authority has been studying a long-term plan to transform public transportation in the metro, which could include a light rail system linking Edmond and Norman with OKC and each other.
Holt has advocated for expansion of the city’s rapid transit bus routes and other infrastructure improvements, like improved shelters and Sunday bus service. A light rail line would require approval of Norman and Edmond city councils, however.
“That’s really been the central aspect of what the RTA has been working on chaired by Gov. (Brad) Henry these last few years,” Holt said. “For that to really happen, we as a community — and it’s really three cities, not just one — we’ll have to make a financial commitment to that. And so we have a lot of conversations to have over the next couple of years to really come to a consensus on that, but it’s certainly what we’ve been working toward.”
Pallares applauds some of the work done to improve public transit in OKC, but he sees inefficiencies, particularly with the streetcar system. While city officials insist ridership has been increasing, the sight of empty cars working their way from Midtown to downtown OKC is not uncommon.
“I’ve been a big advocate of the bus system, especially the rapid transit bus that fills a need,” he said. “And that has been proven by ridership numbers. I think that is going to continue to grow, but there are other areas where those routes could be added. I’m not sure the money that has been put into the streetcar has been fiscally responsible. I don’t see a lot of people riding them, and in fact, they’ve had to make it free to encourage people to use it.”
Holt: ‘We need more housing’
The fact a project like light rail has even become part of the political conversation is a testament to the metro’s growing population. The city added about 27,000 households between 2019 and 2022. There are about 19,400 OKC residents in need of one- or two-bedroom homes, according to some estimates.
OKC might still be a bargain relative to more expensive cities, but the cost of keeping a roof over one’s head has risen consistently in recent years. The city’s latest bond package included $50 million for affordable housing initiatives, mostly through subsidies for developers to build housing that is truly accessible.
“It stands to reason that with people coming in greater numbers, when you move up to being the 20th-largest city over the last few years, that means more people, which means we need more housing,” Holt said. “All of that escalates prices. So the community still ranks really well on housing costs versus other large cities, but because it’s escalating locally, we still care about it. And I often say both things can be true. You can be cheaper than everywhere else and still not be as affordable as what is necessary for all residents.”
Housing costs also stand as one of Pallares’ key focuses. He said none of his millennial peers can afford to buy a home, and he partially blamed escalating costs on the proliferation of private equity firms purchasing single-family homes and apartments in OKC and elsewhere across the country.
“I’d like to focus on finding ways to stop private equity from buying up houses,” he said. “They’ve been driving up home prices, and it’s just making things far less affordable for regular people. A young person like myself might not be able to afford a home until they are in their 40s or 50s. I think we need to promote local ownership and find ways to limit private equity.”
Ultimately, Pallares said the city needs to figure out more ways to build housing that is truly affordable for people who don’t have the benefit of large incomes, including those working in the hospitality industry or public education.
“I know the GO bond had money in there for affordable housing, and we need more of that. But it also had a lot of other things that might not really benefit regular people. So I think in that sense, while I support some of the bond items, I don’t like the idea of having to vote for a package that has a few things in it for people, and a lot of things for the wealthy,” Pallares said, turning his attention to MAPS 4. “(I don’t like) putting people into a position of having to vote for a multi-sport stadium if they want more sidewalks or a better animal shelter.”
In terms of public safety, Oklahoma City’s biggest political issue falls outside of its direct control.
While contentious conversations about how to fund a new Oklahoma County Jail have city leaders feeling protective over sales tax rates, the ongoing saga seems headed to a ballot — again — sooner than later.
The city and county have tangled over the issue in recent years. In 2024, the two parties fought about the proposed site of the new jail. While the county ultimately prevailed in court, it has so-far failed when it comes to funding a full plan to replace its current troubled facility.
Holt has observed the process and largely avoided the fray. Asked about the topic as he seeks a third term, Holt said the City of Oklahoma City has no direct role to play in bridging gaps the county faces in terms of financing the project or funding its ongoing operations.
“There are all kinds of aspects about this that we would of course be willing to have a conversation about,” Holt said. “I have people say, ‘Why can’t you just fix this? Just take it over.’ And it just doesn’t work that way. It’s not something that we have any authority over.”
Still, Holt sees the need for a new jail. He endorsed the successful 2022 bond vote that provided $260 million for the project, but the current price tag is essentially three times that amount.
“I think that was certainly an important step, but it doesn’t appear to be the final step,” Holt said. “How you get there is the county’s responsibility, but we are ready to be a partner. And, you know, we know a thing or two about the politics of the city and about how things get done and how to build things. But ultimately, we are a different government, and that is what it is.”
