Candidates for the 2024 election filed for candidacy over the week before the 5 p.m. deadline on Friday. Here are the filed candidates:
U.S. Representative – District 4
Current District 4 Rep. Tom Cole filed for candidacy, making the 2024 election his 12th election overall. Cole has been a Republican member of the House since 2003 when he was first elected as the representative for District 4.
Four other Republicans filed for candidacy against Cole, including Andrew Hayes from Lawton, Paul L. Bondar from Stonewall, Nick Hankins from Moore and Rick WhiteBear Harris from Norman.
Hayes has a criminal justice and philosophy degree from OU and has previously run for Lawton City Council.
Bondar has previously run for Comanche County Sheriff. OU Daily could not find a campaign website or LinkedIn for Bondar.
Hankins works as a business intelligence developer at Trisura Specialty Insurance Company and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Governors University.
OU Daily could not find any information on Harris outside of his campaign filing.
Democratic challengers include Mary Brannon from Washington and Kody Macaulay from Moore.
Brannon ran against Cole in 2018, 2020 and 2022, losing around 30% of the vote each time. Brannon is an OU graduate with a bachelor’s in education and a master’s degree in human relations. She worked as a teacher and school counselor in the Purcell school district from 1989 to 2013, according to CAIR Oklahoma.
Macaulay is a seven-year Air Force veteran with a master’s in sports management from Southern New Hampshire University, according to his website. Currently, he works in IT at Tinker Air Force Base.
James Stacy from Burneyville filed as an independent candidate. Stacy has worked as an automation specialist. According to his website, Stacy is a felon due to manufacturing cannabis, having been imprisoned and released after 13 months for good behavior.
Stacy has an associate’s degree in robotics and fluid power and another in electromechanical, according to his website.
State Senator – District 15
Six Republicans filed to replace Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman) as state senator for District 15, including Standridge’s wife, Lisa Standridge. Other Republicans listed include Tommie Herell, Robert C. Keyes, Brandon Nofire, Kyle Chapman and Kelly Lynn.
According to LinkedIn, Herell is the chief development officer for AquaNyx Midstream, a water management company, and has a bachelor’s in business from Oklahoma Christian University.
Keyes is the president and CEO of Associated Environmental Industries, a Norman-based drilling and construction company, and chairman of the National Ground Water Association University at OSU.
Nofire is a four-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and has worked at Tinker Air Force Base and General Atomics, a California-based energy and defense corporation. According to his website, Nofire is the lead technical specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton, a military and government contractor, and will graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma this year.
OU Daily could not find more information about or a campaign website for Chapman.
Lynn is an Afghanistan veteran, the Oklahoma National Guard Officer Candidate School’s former senior instructor and a former Norman City Council member. While on the council, Lynn had multiple controversies, including assault allegations and holding dual office, which led to his removal from council.
Lynn founded a nonprofit for veteran mental health called 22 Shenanigans and has an organizational management degree from John Brown University.
Elizabeth Foreman is the only democratic candidate. Foreman is a Norman City Council member and holds a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma. Foreman is currently pursuing her doctorate in administration and leadership from Southern Nazarene University.
State Representative – District 44
Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Deck (D-Norman) filed for reelection on April 3. Deck is a musician, a business owner and a former factory worker, according to his website. He has a bachelor’s in music performance from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He was first elected in 2022.
Deck is running unopposed.
State Representative – District 45
Democratic incumbent Rep. Annie Menz (D-Norman) filed for reelection on April 3.
Menz is a U.S. Navy veteran, a former six-year legislative and executive assistant at the state Capitol and the first Latina elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She has an associate of arts degree from Oklahoma City Community College and studies part-time at OU. Menz was first elected in 2022.
Menz has two opponents, including Republican candidate Matt Watson and Libertarian candidate Robert Murphy. OU Daily could not find campaign websites for Watson or Murphy.
State Representative – District 46
State Rep. Jacob Rosecrants (D-Norman) filed for reelection on April 3.
Rosecrants is a former Oklahoma public school teacher. He graduated from OU as a history major. He was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
Alexander W. Torvi is the only Republican to file against Rosecrants. Torvi previously ran for Norman City Council in Ward 6. According to his campaign website, Torvi has lived in Cleveland County for the majority of his life and owns Torvi Construction.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Peggy Dodd. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
