OKC Ward 2 councilmember is challenging opponent's candidacy over charter rules

Jana Hayes, Oklahoman
·2 min read

A current Oklahoma City councilmember is challenging the candidacy of an opponent who filed to run against him in February's municipal election.

Ward 2 Councilmember James Cooper, who drew three challengers during the filing period earlier this week, is petitioning the Oklahoma County Election Board to remove Chris Cowden as a candidate on February's ballot. The petition is based on the fact that Cowden has not been a registered voter at a Ward 2 address for at least a year, an amended requirement of the Oklahoma City charter approved by voters in November 2020.

Chris Cowden filed to run for Oklahoma City's Ward 2 council seat, but his candidacy has been challenged by incumbent Councilmember James Cooper over a voter registration requirement in the city's charter.
Chris Cowden filed to run for Oklahoma City's Ward 2 council seat, but his candidacy has been challenged by incumbent Councilmember James Cooper over a voter registration requirement in the city's charter.

Cowden, according to election board documents, changed his voter registration from a Nichols Hills address to an address in Ward 2 on June 30, 2022. Cowden told The Oklahoman he has lived in his Ward 2 home since 2017, but had kept his voter registration address at his parents' home in Nichols Hills so he could help them vote.

Voting records show Cowden voted in person while registered under the Nichols Hills address seven times between 2017 and changing his registered address in June. State law allows voters who move addresses within the same county to vote "one last time at their previous polling place" before changing their registration, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board website.

A hearing will be held Tuesday at which the election board will decide whether to strike Cowden's name from the ballot.

OKC City Council candidate Chris Cowden calls candidacy requirement 'ridiculous'

While Cowden and his attorney Robert Gifford said they expected a candidacy challenge, they don't think that voter registration within the ward is a fair or relevant requirement to run for city council.

"City council, it's about doing the business of the city," Cowden said. "You want individuals who reside here, who have an interest in it. … And quite frankly to disqualify someone, simply because … my voter registration was not in the city, to suggest I don't have an entrance, is ridiculous."

Gifford said if the election board rules against Cowden, he is prepared to appeal its decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Oklahoma City Councilmember James Cooper is pictured in September at the state Capitol.
Oklahoma City Councilmember James Cooper is pictured in September at the state Capitol.

Aaron Wilder, Cooper's campaign manager, said it is a routine practice for him to request voter registration histories for opponents running against candidates he represents. It is nothing personal against Cowden, Wilder said.

"It's us following the process that exists because the county election board doesn't proactively validate people's eligibility for to run for office," Wilder said. "The only way that it's checked is if someone verifies it."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC city council candidate challenged over candidacy requirement