By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
A special election is set to fill the District 22 seat in the Oklahoma State Senate.
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Nov. 23 signed an executive proclamation to order the special election to fill the vacancy.
The seat will be open after Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, was elected in the Nov. 3rd general election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The candidate filing period for the Senate District 22 special election will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 7-9.
Candidates for state senator file declarations of candidacy with the Secretary of the State Election Board (Room G28) at the State Capitol Building, 2300 N Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.
A primary election is set Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, and a special general election would be Tuesday, April 6. If a primary is not necessary, the special general election would move to Feb. 9.
“The Secretary of the State Election Board and the secretaries of the appropriate county election boards are hereby directed to take all actions necessary to conduct this election,” Gov. Stitt wrote in his executive proclamation.
The winner in the Senate District 22 special election will serve the final two years of an unexpired term. Full Senate terms are four years.
TIME TO SIGN UP
When filing for the Senate vacancy, candidates must list their ballot name, legal name, title and district of office sought, residence address, mailing address, and political party.
Filing fee is $750 or a petition signed by 1,381 registered voters in Senate District 22.
District 22 is comprised of northern Oklahoma County and eastern Canadian County, including parts of Yukon, Piedmont, Edmond, and Deer Creek.
The district represents these zip codes: 73003, 73012, 73013, 73025, 73078, 73099, 73127 in Canadian County; and 73142 and 73762 in Oklahoma County.
Several Yukon residents are reportedly considering filing as candidates for the special election, including former State Rep. John Paul Jordan, bail bondsman Christi McRee and veteran journalist Tim Farley.
Sen. Bice, who has served as the District 22 state senator since 2014, defeated Democrat incumbent Kendra Horn to earn the next two-year term as Oklahoma’s 5th District congresswoman.
Bice, 46, is the first Iranian American elected to the U.S. Congress.
Bice filed an “irrevocable letter of resignation” with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. Her resignation from the Oklahoma State Senate is effective Dec. 31, 2020 as she prepares to begin her service in Washington, D.C.
