Early voting begins Thursday for the Aug. 27 primary runoff.

Early voting at county election boards will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. 

On Saturday, it will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Voters will pick legislative candidates who failed to get 50% plus one vote in the June 18 primary. 

Some races will be decided in the runoff.

More: Ron Lynch, Mike Kelley forced into runoff for Oklahoma House District 60

House Budget and Appropriations Chairman Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, faces Republican Jim Shaw of Chandler in the race for House District 32. 

The two were the top vote-getters in the June 18 primary. No independent or Libertarian filed for the post.

Wellston residents will also vote on a $10 million bond issue to improve schools.

Sen. Blake Cowboy Stephens, R-Tahlequah, faces Julie McIntosh, a Republican from Porter. The winner will face Margaret Cook, an independent from Tahlequah, in the November general election for the Senate District 3 seat.

Norman Republicans Lisa Standridge and Robert C. Keyes will face one another for the Senate District 15 seat. 

More: Jason Blair, Nick Pokorny forced into runoff for Oklahoma House District 53

The seat is currently held by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, who is term limited.

The winner will face Norman Democrat Elizabeth Foreman.

GOP candidate to run for Sen. Greg Treat’s seat will be decided in Aug. 27 runoff

Residents of Senate District 47 will pick a replacement for Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, who is term limited. 

Republican Kelly E. Hines of Edmond faces Jenny Schmitt, a Republican from Oklahoma City.

The winner will face Democrat Erin Brewer of Edmond.

Several other races, issues and school propositions will also be on the ballot.

Oklahoma City residents will go to the polls to decide whether or not to raise the hotel tax to 9.25% from 5.5% to promote tourism. The increase is expected to generate $11.6 million.

In Tulsa, seven people are vying to succeed Mayor G.T. Bynum, but only five are actively campaigning. A Nov. 5 runoff is set if necessary.

Nine city council seats are also on the ballot.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 27.

Oklahoma requires proof of identity to vote.

Democrats have opened their primaries to independents, but Republicans have closed primaries.

To view a sample ballot or locate a polling location, go to oklahoma.gov/elections/voters/ok-voter-portal.html. 

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in 2024, and OU fans are as excited about the defensive side of the ball as they’ve been in a long time. Under third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], that unit looks capable of playing up to the standard in Norman.

Star power and veteran leadership are certainly part of the reason why. Linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] both could have gone pro this past winter, but opted instead to stay in school and help lead the Sooners into the SEC. The seniors have already received plenty of offseason recognition, but as the season draws closer, they were recognized again on Monday.

Both players were named to the preseason Associated Press All-America team that was released less than a week before Week Zero marks the beginning of the college football season. Both Stutsman and Bowman made the second team-defense on AP’s team.

Stutsman was 15th in the nation in tackles for loss last season, averaging 1.3 per game. He was Oklahoma’s lifeblood, the team’s leader and tallied over 100 tackles for the second straight year. He was joined at the linebacker position on the second team by Oklahoma State’s Nick Martin and Old Dominion’s Jason Henderson.

Bowman was a nightmare in the secondary for opposing offensive coordinators. Three pick-six touchdowns accompanied his six total interceptions last year, making him one of the most dangerous defensive backs in all of college football. He was joined at the safety position on the second team by Dillon Thieneman of Purdue.

The duo was also named finalists for the Nagurski and Bednarik Trophies.

Stutsman and Bowman give Venables and new defensive coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] plenty of experience and talent at two important spots on the defense as the Sooners move into the SEC. Their returns meant that Oklahoma didn’t have to reload on the defensive side of the ball and they have a chance to take another step forward in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma duo makes AP preseason All-American team

By OU Media Relations

Oklahoma head men’s basketball coach Porter Moser on Monday announced the addition of Jeremiah Fears to the 2024-25 roster.

Fears, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Joliet, IL, earned a 4-star ranking by ESPN, On3, 247Sports and Rivals. He is tabbed as the No. 40 prospect in the 2024 ESPN100 and ranked as the No. 9 point guard in the class by ESPN. Before reclassifying and arriving a year early to Norman, he ranked in the top 25 of the 2025 ESPN100. Fears is the first Oklahoma prospect to be ranked in the top 40 by ESPN since Trae Young was No. 23 on the 2017 ESPN100.

“I am excited about the opportunity to coach Jeremiah and have him in our program,” said Moser. “He was one of the most dynamic scorers in the country in his class and showcased his skill set on the Nike EYBL, scoring 21.2 points on 51.4 percent shooting at Peach Jam. Jeremiah has tremendous speed in the full court combined with a great knack for scoring at all three levels. He immediately helps us with the pace and speed of the game.”

At the 2024 Nike Peach Jam, Fears averaged 21.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per outing over five games. He shot 51.4 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from deep and 96.3 percent from the line. Against NY Rens, Fears tallied 35 points on 12-for-17 shooting and added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.  

In addition to his Peach Jam performance, Fears competed in nine games on the Nike EYBL, averaging 18.9 points on 41.0 percent (55-134) shooting and tallied 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. He recorded 20-plus points on four occasions, including 28 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists against Georgia Stars. 

As a junior at Arizona Compass Prep, Fears averaged a team-high 14.2 points and added 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.3 assists per outing.