City of McAlester, school board seats to open for filings

James Beaty, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·4 min read

Dec. 2—Candidate filings begin Monday, Dec. 4, for three McAlester City Council seats and for school board offices in all 14 public school districts in Pittsburg County.

Among the school seats open for candidate filings are three offices on the McAlester Public Schools Board of Education.

Candidate filings will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, though Wednesday, Dec. 6 at the Pittsburg County Election Board Office. It is currently at its new location on the second floor of the Southeast Expo Center at 4500 W. U.S. Highway 270.

McAlester City Council seats are open for candidate filings in Wards 1, 3 and 5 — but two of the incumbents currently holding the offices confirmed they won't be able to file for reelection

Ward 1 City Councilor Weldon Smith has reached the end of his 12-year term limit and Ward 3 Councilor Cliff House cannot run for reelection, because his residence is now in Ward 6 as a result of ward boundaries being redrawn based on U.S. Census numbers.

Current Ward 5 Councilor Billy Jack Boatright is eligible to file for reelection if he chooses to do so.

Meanwhile, the McAlester Public Schools District's three school board seats open for candidate filings are Office No. 4 for a five-year term, along with unexpired terms in Office No. 1 and Office No. 2.

Current Office No. 4 school board member Shelli Colvert has completed her term in office and is eligible file for reelection.

In McAlester Public Schools Office No. 1, school board member Shawn Johnson was appointed by the school board to fill the post left vacant by the resignation of Rachel Gronwald, until the upcoming election.

Also former MPS school board member Mike Sossamon was appointed to fill the office left vacant by the resignation of Greg Rock, who moved from McAlester and had to step down from the post. Sossamon had been appointed to fill the office until the upcoming election.

Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted for the following offices at the Election Board Office during regular business hours from Dec. 4-6:

—Canadian School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Crowder School District — Office No. 4, five-year term and Office No. 3, unexpired term.

—Frink Chambers School District — Office No. 2, three-year term.

—Haileyville School District — Office No. 4, five-year term, and Office No. 3, unexpired term.

—Hartshorne School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Haywood School District — Office No. 2, three-year term.

—Indianola School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Kiowa School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Krebs School District — Office No. 2, three-year term.

—McAlester School District — Office No. 4, five-year Term; Office No. 2, unexpired term and Office No. 1, unexpired term.

—Pittsburg School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Quinton School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Savanna School District — Office No. 4, five-year term.

—Tannehill School District — Office No. 2, three-year term

Candidate filing packets are available at the County Election Board or on the State Election Board website at https://oklahoma.gov/elections/candidates/candidate-filing.html.

Along with a Declaration of Candidacy, candidates must also submit a Voter Registration Verification Form. It can be obtained from the County Election Board or by logging into the OK Voter Portal at https://oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.html. Information on the Voter Registration Verification Form must match the information provided on the Declaration of Candidacy, election officials said.

Pittsburg County Election Board Secretary Tonya Barnes said Contests of Candidacy must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, December 8 and may only be filed by another candidate for the same office. Contests against unopposed candidates may be filed by contacting the County Election Board.

If more than two candidates file for the same city of McAlester or Board of Education seat, a Primary Election will be held Tuesday, Feb., 13, 2024. If one candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, that candidate will win the office.

Should more than two candidates be running and no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will vie for the seat during the Board of Education General Election on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

If only two candidates file for the same Board of Education seat, those two candidates' names will appear on the General Election ballot in April, election officials said..

Anyone needing more information can contact the Pittsburg County Election Board office by phone at 918-423-3877, or online at pittsburgcounty@elections.ok.gov. The Pittsburg County Election Board office on the second floor of the Southeast Expo Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.