A nice article by FP OKC about two new challengers to Holt. Personally I’ve been satisfied with Holt and think he should be given 4 more years. Jimmy Lawson and Jason Padgett have announced their candidacy. More details here:

https://freepressokc.com/an-early-look-at-candidates-in-the-city-of-okc-mayoral-primary-feb-2022/

Gee - I wonder what demo Jason Padgett is going for.

https://jp4okc.com/the-plan/


I have heard from people in every corner of our community. They are saying, “Enough is enough! Not in my OKC!”

✓ No more treating our police as the enemy.
✓ No more making OKC a national magnet for homeless relocation.
✓ No more firing-up downtown arenas while people are freezing in their homes from blackouts.
✓ No cancel culture.
✓ No mask mandates.
And the list goes on.

Gee - I wonder what demo Jason Padgett is going for.

https://jp4okc.com/the-plan/

One of his main points seems to be school shutdowns. How is one vote on the CITY council going to change public school decisions? Also, who got canceled?

Holt will destroy any comers.

He's at least as popular as Mick Cornett and maybe even more so.

HOLT will demolish any new comers.

HOLT will demolish any new comers.

Man, I don’t know. He could be in serious trouble if Steve Hunt decides to enter the race.

^^^ LolOlllOl Hunt will really mop the floor once he makes known to the public the issue of vibrancy.

https://okcfox.com/amp/news/local/campaign-to-re-elect-mayor-david-holt-tops-500000#click=https://t.co/vVATy0Se94

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/21/okc-mayoral-campaign-jason-padgett-seemingly-stalls-challenge-mayor-david-holt/8210969002/
This was in the oklahoman this morning and it pretty much says that Jason Padgett the very conservative candidate for OKC Mayor only has like 2 cents left in his back pocket for his campaign and it also mention that his campaign manager told the oklahoman that she can't talk about the campaign for Mayor. It sounds like he is finish and could easily dropped out of the race.

Lol saw that.

https://okcfox.com/news/local/jason-padgett-to-drop-out-of-running-for-okc-mayor

dropping out

Wonder whom nutty Carol Hefner will back now in her quixotic crusade.

Wonder whom nutty Carol Hefner will back now in her quixotic crusade.

If you look at her FB page, she is involved in the announcement of a new conservative candidate who will announce at 2PM today.

Him, I assume.

https://www.news9.com/story/61488cd1cfb7ef0bdd22f605/veteran-frank-urbanic-announces-candidacy-for-oklahoma-city-mayor

https://frankurbanic.com/


My platform is straightforward.

Respect. Mayor Holt pushed policies that were disrespectful of law enforcement, the people of Oklahoma City, and businesses in Oklahoma City. We need a mayor who respects individual liberty, private property rights, and limited government. I’m pro-business and pro-worker. My record of fighting for people and businesses throughout Oklahoma speaks for itself.

Follow the Law. Mayor Holt’s Covid-19 proclamations shutting down businesses were unlawful abuses of power. I filed a lawsuit against OKC in November 2020 on behalf of seven Oklahoma City plaintiffs to stop Mayor Holt from threatening workers with six months of jail time for simply trying to earn a living. Mayor Holt backed down and rescinded his unlawful proclamation 11 days after he issued it. I will follow the law and not shut businesses down.

Stop Wasteful Spending. Mayor Holt cheerleads tax increases. I will not. People come to Oklahoma for its low cost of living and economic freedom. Mayor Holt’s policies will destroy the very reason people come here. I will look for ways to reduce spending. For example, OKC has budgeted $5 million for the streetcars next year. Hardly anyone rides the streetcars, so that money could be better allocated elsewhere or not taken in the first place.

Criminal Justice Reform. Mayor Holt has not done enough to promote criminal justice reform. I will use my legal expertise to advocate for a safer city and common-sense criminal justice reforms. Some things are simple, such as opening the lobby of the Oklahoma City Police Department, which has been closed for over a year and a half. Also, people arrested by OCPD should be allowed to see all the evidence that would be used against them.

Is that the guy that came to the recent council meeting and spoke with the Hefners?

Oh yes let's waste 140M by not spending 5M a year. Sounds great.

Is that the guy that came to the recent council meeting and spoke with the Hefners?

Yes.

Feel free to delete/move if it is too blatantly political, but I find it quite interesting that the state's Republican Party (of which Holt is a member, of course) is practically endorsing the new challenger: https://www.facebook.com/OKGOP/posts/10157990431960706. Maybe not too surprising given how right-wing their leadership has become, but interesting nonetheless and telling of where things are these days. In any event, this guy at least seems to have a more thoroughly backed campaign than Padgett ever did.

Very, very strange that he is announcing in front of Whiskey Nights at 10th & MacArthur.

Must be owned by one of his friends, but still... Very odd.

Glad to know he will be wasting GOP funds and still not get elected. Holt has this on lock.

I'm voting for Holt.

Feel free to delete/move if it is too blatantly political, but I find it quite interesting that the state's Republican Party (of which Holt is a member, of course) is practically endorsing the new challenger: https://www.facebook.com/OKGOP/posts/10157990431960706. Maybe not too surprising given how right-wing their leadership has become, but interesting nonetheless and telling of where things are these days. In any event, this guy at least seems to have a more thoroughly backed campaign than Padgett ever did.

The chairman of the OKGOP endorsed and is actively campaigning for James Lankford's primary opponent. It wouldn't be surprising to see the current OKGOP endorse a candidate that is further to the right of Holt. It's probably not the smartest battle to pick as I assume the election wont be very close regardless.

Holt has been great for OKC; let's keep him as our mayor.

Holt has been great for OKC; let's keep him as our mayor.

. . . long time Republican. . .Holt!!!!

. . . long time Republican. . .Holt!!!!

But he hasn't always acted 'Republican' during his Mayoral term.

But he hasn't always acted 'Republican' during his Mayoral term.

How so?

How so?

Having a soul comes to mind.

Having a soul comes to mind.
Bravo! 👏

Being woke af comes to mind.

Fify

Fify

Those darn woke af socialists and their center-right political ideologies.

But he hasn't always acted 'Republican' during his Mayoral term.

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

John F. Kennedy

Those darn woke af socialists and their center-right political ideologies.

Trying to make life better for everybody, just freaking horrible....

Urbanic is still in the race, but oddly Carol Hefner has deleted all her posts supporting him and has officially thrown her hat in the ring:

https://hefnerformayor.com/

Oh boy

Oh boy

My wife told me about Carol running. I laughed. My wife only still follows Carol on FB for the laughable stuff she sees sometimes.

Not sure that all the Trump stuff helps her in OKC.

If she wants to split the crazy right wing vote then more power to her.

Nationally I have voted for democrats for every election I have been eligible for since I turned 18. Obviously, I am voting for Holt because he is a solid mayor and exemplifies what republicans should aspire to on the national level. He represents the people of Oklahoma City well and is a great advocate for the best interests of our community.

My wife told me about Carol running. I laughed. My wife only still follows Carol on FB for the laughable stuff she sees sometimes.

I will say that for all her public craziness, Carol has always been very nice to me and I’ve never had a negative interaction with her.

That said, this should at least be a fairly entertaining road to a dominant Holt win now lol.

I will say that for all her public craziness, Carol has always been very nice to me and I’ve never had a negative interaction with her.

That said, this should at least be a fairly entertaining road to a dominant Holt win now lol.

Likely that her social media is all run by consultants and that the crazy thoughts are not her thoughts, but those are the things the so-called professionals think will get you elected. There are some truly stupid political consultants in this metro.

Likely that her social media is all run by consultants and that the crazy thoughts are not her thoughts, but those are the things the so-called professionals think will get you elected. There are some truly stupid political consultants in this metro.

Not just here. Nationally, it isn't moderates who win elections. It is those who have the strong opinions, one way or the other.

Likely that her social media is all run by consultants and that the crazy thoughts are not her thoughts, but those are the things the so-called professionals think will get you elected. There are some truly stupid political consultants in this metro.

This is not a case of consultant-driven madness. It is Carol herself and for proof of that one only need to watch her speech and actions at the city council meeting when the mask mandate was being debated. She was belligerent and saying insane stuff.

I have said many times that one of the biggest things holding OKC back from making the jump from big small town to legitimate big-city culture, is the fact so many people here 'know' each other.

And I put 'know' in quotes because many people think they really know someone but couldn't possibly know them at all. That comment really means, “I've spoken to them a few times.” And from some very superficial interaction there is the extrapolation that he/she is a “good person”.

This is an extreme comparison, but that's exactly what gets said about serial killers. I often say, “They have been nice and friendly to me but for all I know they have bodies buried under their porch.”

Think about how many times people do very terrible things for decades and even their own spouse doesn't know. The point is that you don't ever really know anyone, even someone you are married to and live with.

I judge people by their actions, plain and simple. And believe me, these days people go out of their way to be nice to me because most know I have a voice in this community that people listen to. So, when someone charms me but I have objectively observed and researched some very dark behavior and comments, I don't dismiss what I know just because of how they have made me feel.

Just remember that people that achieve success in any field are usually very charismatic, especially when they want to manipulate someone. Politicians in particular have an innate ability to make the people they interact with feel good about themselves; it's how they get support and votes.

So, the fact you've run into someone a couple of times and they are 'nice' to you should have absolutely no bearing on how you judge them in a broader scope and really has zero relevance in a discussion about someone's character. Bad people don't get very far in life by being overtly bad in social settings. And those who don't get very far have little influence on anything most people care about.

Because most everyone in OKC interacts with politicians and business leaders pretty frequently, there is this overriding culture of not only thinking highly of someone because they chatted with you for 2 minutes, but openly defending them as “good people” when you really know nothing about them at all.

There are a bunch of people in OKC that others praise to the heavens that I believe to be profoundly dishonest, even though I've had very pleasant personal interactions. And the fact that someone is objectively and deeply dishonest should matter, but oftentimes it does not in this city.



It's basically just a good ol' boy culture and it needs to change if we really want to move forward as a community.

(I'm not directly referencing any particular person with these comments, it's just overall observations I've had since I moved back.)

This is not a case of consultant-driven madness. It is Carol herself and for proof of that one only need to watch her speech and actions at the city council meeting when the mask mandate was being debated. She was belligerent and saying insane stuff.

I mean.. that pretty much falls in line with what a political consultant would probably advise a candidate to do, i.e., use their current position to somehow stand out from the pack. The trouble with that strategy in a run for OKC mayor is that OKC can't be gerrymandered into a solid red or blue district, so I'm not sure what she's thinking. We've had candidates who are extreme right do extremely poorly in citywide elections. I'm not sure what race she is actually running. I tend to think this act is more about trying to win a primary in CD5 than the OKC mayoral race.

Carol is way out there on the spectrum on governing. Equally important as the mayoral candidates are the candidates for school boards. Learn about the candidates and positions as there could be some running with similar world views as Carol.

I have said many times that one of the biggest things holding OKC back from making the jump from big small town to legitimate big-city culture, is the fact so many people here 'know' each other.

And I put 'know' in quotes because many people think they really know someone but couldn't possibly know them at all. That comment really means, “I've spoken to them a few times.” And from some very superficial interaction there is the extrapolation that he/she is a “good person”.

This is an extreme comparison, but that's exactly what gets said about serial killers. I often say, “They have been nice and friendly to me but for all I know they have bodies buried under their porch.”

Think about how many times people do very terrible things for decades and even their own spouse doesn't know. The point is that you don't ever really know anyone, even someone you are married to and live with.

I judge people by their actions, plain and simple. And believe me, these days people go out of their way to be nice to me because most know I have a voice in this community that people listen to. So, when someone charms me but I have objectively observed and researched some very dark behavior and comments, I don't dismiss what I know just because of how they have made me feel.

Just remember that people that achieve success in any field are usually very charismatic, especially when they want to manipulate someone. Politicians in particular have an innate ability to make the people they interact with feel good about themselves; it's how they get support and votes.

So, the fact you've run into someone a couple of times and they are 'nice' to you should have absolutely no bearing on how you judge them in a broader scope and really has zero relevance in a discussion about someone's character. Bad people don't get very far in life by being overtly bad in social settings. And those who don't get very far have little influence on anything most people care about.

Because most everyone in OKC interacts with politicians and business leaders pretty frequently, there is this overriding culture of not only thinking highly of someone because they chatted with you for 2 minutes, but openly defending them as “good people” when you really know nothing about them at all.

There are a bunch of people in OKC that others praise to the heavens that I believe to be profoundly dishonest, even though I've had very pleasant personal interactions. And the fact that someone is objectively and deeply dishonest should matter, but oftentimes it does not in this city.



It's basically just a good ol' boy culture and it needs to change if we really want to move forward as a community.

(I'm not directly referencing any particular person with these comments, it's just overall observations I've had since I moved back.)

For the record, I know you're talking about a broader issue (and I agree with you, I've seen it and have been guilty of it myself at times) but I actually do know the Hefner family fairly well (primarily Carol's children and their spouses) and have spent a decent amount of time around Carol so my opinion wasn't based on a few random encounters.

Having said that, while it's plausible that consultants might be behind some of her more crazier stuff...she's definitely responsible for plenty on her own that I don't agree with (the city council meeting debacle leading the charge). Doesn't matter since I don't live in OKC anymore but my vote would obviously be for Holt as it was the last time around. The guy's done a great job.

My nonsensical opinion is this: candidates should explain their vision for the city.

I have said many times that one of the biggest things holding OKC back from making the jump from big small town to legitimate big-city culture, is the fact so many people here 'know' each other.

And I put 'know' in quotes because many people think they really know someone but couldn't possibly know them at all. That comment really means, “I've spoken to them a few times.” And from some very superficial interaction there is the extrapolation that he/she is a “good person”.

This is an extreme comparison, but that's exactly what gets said about serial killers. I often say, “They have been nice and friendly to me but for all I know they have bodies buried under their porch.”

Think about how many times people do very terrible things for decades and even their own spouse doesn't know. The point is that you don't ever really know anyone, even someone you are married to and live with.

I judge people by their actions, plain and simple. And believe me, these days people go out of their way to be nice to me because most know I have a voice in this community that people listen to. So, when someone charms me but I have objectively observed and researched some very dark behavior and comments, I don't dismiss what I know just because of how they have made me feel.

Just remember that people that achieve success in any field are usually very charismatic, especially when they want to manipulate someone. Politicians in particular have an innate ability to make the people they interact with feel good about themselves; it's how they get support and votes.

So, the fact you've run into someone a couple of times and they are 'nice' to you should have absolutely no bearing on how you judge them in a broader scope and really has zero relevance in a discussion about someone's character. Bad people don't get very far in life by being overtly bad in social settings. And those who don't get very far have little influence on anything most people care about.

Because most everyone in OKC interacts with politicians and business leaders pretty frequently, there is this overriding culture of not only thinking highly of someone because they chatted with you for 2 minutes, but openly defending them as “good people” when you really know nothing about them at all.

There are a bunch of people in OKC that others praise to the heavens that I believe to be profoundly dishonest, even though I've had very pleasant personal interactions. And the fact that someone is objectively and deeply dishonest should matter, but oftentimes it does not in this city.



It's basically just a good ol' boy culture and it needs to change if we really want to move forward as a community.

(I'm not directly referencing any particular person with these comments, it's just overall observations I've had since I moved back.)
Like PhiAlpha I din't base my personal knowledge of the Hefners on speaking to them a few times. My wife and I spent many, many hours with them from around 2000 to 2012. We were in a circle of friends that formed at church and got together every other weekend or so. Went on many weekend trips. Then the same group split from the church and worked on starting our own. That involved many long conversations on what everyone's beliefs, philosophies, etc. were and how to integrate them into our church. So, much more than a couple random encounters.

My nonsensical opinion is this: candidates should explain their vision for the city.

It would make too much sense and require real work from the candidates.

I just checked Frank Urbanic website and there is nothing except some bashing of Holt Covid induced closure of the bar and club at 11pm last November and the will to make Homeless go away.
So no program for the city really.

Mayor of OKC just seems like an odd office to run for on a far right platform. With the council-manager government OKC has the mayor is basically a nonpartisan PR person for the city. The main job of the mayor is to simply not embarrass the city on a national stage. Seems like a simple but nearly impossible job for a MAGA candidate.

Jimmy Lawson will be at Red Cup Tuesday 9 AM if you would like to meet him.

Holt seems like he's very good at the photo op game and 1okc shtick, but i don't think i'll ever fully trust a disciple of Hastert and Bush. Those were very bad guys, from what I can recall.

Mayor David Holt will continue to get my vote. He's true to heart and has ideas and focuses on what is in the best interests of Oklahoma City. Love his energy,

Carol kicked off her campaign by deriding the use of masks and vaccines in a strange rant before the Council, in which she stated that the vaccines are more dangerous than Covid and that her husband advocates using dog dewormer as a Covid treatment . Seems like quite a tiny niche of weird voters she is trying to attract. I would bet Holt gets 70% or more of the vote.

Carol kicked off her campaign by deriding the use of masks and vaccines in a strange rant before the Council, in which she stated that the vaccines are more dangerous than Covid and that her husband advocates using dog dewormer as a Covid treatment . Seems like quite a tiny niche of weird voters she is trying to attract. I would bet Holt gets 70% or more of the vote.

She was also spotted with Roger Stone (yes, that Roger Stone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Stone)) last night. Yeesh.... Hopefully the low turnout nature of mayoral elections and people assuming Holt has it in the bag don't cause some sort of upset...

Carol kicked off her campaign by deriding the use of masks and vaccines in a strange rant before the Council, in which she stated that the vaccines are more dangerous than Covid and that her husband advocates using dog dewormer as a Covid treatment . Seems like quite a tiny niche of weird voters she is trying to attract. I would bet Holt gets 70% or more of the vote.

But she’s nice! lulz

The presence of Stone does not portend well for OKC for this race. He is the prince of gutterball dirty tricks campaigning and, had he not been pardoned, would otherwise be in prison right now. This is a very nefarious and toxic development.

The presence of Stone does not portend well for OKC for this race. He is the prince of gutterball dirty tricks campaigning and, had he not been pardoned, would otherwise be in prison right now. This is a very nefarious and toxic development.

I just don't see a man of Stone's talents wasting his time on a race that is very much already in Holt's win column. Much more likely that he was checking out the pink fries at Spark.

He was there with Holt's opponent. Why would that not be relevant?