Following the candidate filing period last week, elections are ahead for Okmulgee County Commissioner in District 1 and 3. Leading the slate of filings are two countywide offices that drew no opponent.

Haley Brice, 35, of Okmulgee, has filed for County Assessor, while Lindsay Bunch, 31, of Henryetta, has filed for County Treasurer. Both candidates filed as Republicans. Bunch will retain her post as treasurer.

In the race for County Commissioner District No. 1, Incumbent Ernie Ferreira, 55, of Beggs, has filed for re-election as a Republican and will face fellow Republican Breck Taylor, 61, also of Beggs, in the primary. On the Democratic side, Barbarbra Cooks, 69, of Okmulgee, has filed, setting up a potential general election matchup following the primary process.

Another highly competitive race has emerged in County Commissioner District No. 3, where three Republican candidates have filed. Incumbent Michael Wallace, 47, of Morris, will seek to retain his seat but will first have to navigate a crowded Republican primary field that includes Brandon England, 44, of Henryetta, and Steve Sanford, 59, also of Henryetta.

Other filings that include Okmulgee County: District 24 Judge, Office 1 • Robert J. Getchell, Tulsa — District 24 Judge, Office 2 • Lawrence W. Parish, Okemah — District 24 Judge, Office 3 • Pandee Ramirez, Okmulgee — District 24 Judge, Office 4 • Kelly Hake, Bristow — Associate District Judge, Okmulgee County • Javier Ramirez, Okmulgee — District Attorney, District 25 (McIntosh/Okmulgee) • Carol Iski (R), Okmulgee — State Senator, District 8

• Bryan Logan (R), Paden

• Nathan Brewer (D), Henryetta — State Representative, District 16 • David Nelson (R), Morris

• Rosie Lynch (D), Okmulgee — State Representative, District 24

• Chris Banning (R), Bixby

• Casey Fixico Sutterfield (R), Mounds

• Joshua Conant (I), Glenpool – As the 2026 election cycle gets underway, Okmulgee County Election Board Secretary Ashley Carnes is helping voters better understand how the process works – especially when it comes to primaries, runoffs, and which candidates appear on each ballot.

Carnes explained that not every race follows the same path to the November General Election. Instead, the process depends on whether a candidate is opposed and whether they are affiliated with a political party.

For races where only one candidate has filed, those individuals are considered unopposed and automatically advance to the November General Election ballot. Similarly, candidates who file as Independents bypass the primary process altogether and also move directly to November.

However, candidates representing a political party must first compete in the June Primary Election – provided there is more than one candidate from that party seeking the same office.

From that June primary, the top vote-getters within each party advance to the August Primary Runoff Election, if necessary. The runoff is used to determine a clear party nominee when no candidate receives a majority of the vote in June.

Winners of the August runoff then move forward as their party’s official nominees in the November General Election.

In summary, only contested partisan races go through the full election cycle of June primary and August runoff. Unopposed candidates and Independents, on the other hand, skip those steps and proceed directly to the November ballot.

Carnes encourages voters to stay informed about which races will appear on each ballot and to participate in every stage of the election process when applicable.