A political newcomer is facing off against a three-term state representative for the winner-take-all Democratic primary in a northeastern Oklahoma City House district.

Economic development professional Brittane Grant is on Tuesday’s ballot with state Rep. Ajay Pittman, who was first elected to the seat in 2018.

House District 99 includes neighborhoods around OU Medical Center and extends north along the west side of the Broadway Extension, also encompassing a sizable chunk of north Oklahoma City. Early voting has begun, and precinct polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The two women have racked up an impressive list of endorsements, both within state government and their community. Pittman was endorsed by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, while Grant has the support of several religious leaders, the American Federation of Teachers and state Sen. George Young, who previously represented the district.

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Pittman and Grant were the only candidates who filed, so the winner of Tuesday’s election will be sworn into the seat this fall pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging Grant’s eligibility to serve.

Showdown in House District 99

Since her first election in 2018, Pittman has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing her district.

Most recently, she served as the vice chair of the House Tourism Committee. As one of only 20 Democrats in the 101-member House, Pittman was the only member of her party appointed to serve in committee leadership this year.

She also serves on the Joint State Tribal Relations Committee and co-chairs the Native American Caucus in the House.

In 2024, Pittman was the lead author on legislation that would have created the Handle With Care program, which would have encouraged partnership between local law enforcement, community mental health services and schools regarding children’s’ exposure to traumatic incidents.

Despite passing both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support, Gov. Kevin Stitt triggered a pocket veto by not signing the bill.

Grant currently works at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, specializing in workforce development. Before that, she was manager of talent and business growth for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.

According to her website, Grant’s core values include accountability, diversity, equity and progress.

Both candidates have faced legal troubles

According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Grant was convicted in 2016 of false representation in obtaining assistance, and false representation in obtaining food stamps. According to state law, food stamp fraud is a felony when it involves more than $100 worth of benefits.

It appears her conviction was deferred and ultimately stricken from court records, meaning details of the case are not publicly available.

Last week, Pittman filed a petition with the district court in an attempt to prevent the Oklahoma State Election Board from certifying Grant as the winner if she receives the most votes Tuesday. The lawsuit claims that because of Grant’s previous conviction, she cannot legally serve in the House of Representatives.

The Oklahoma Constitution bars anyone “adjudged guilty of a felony” from being elected to the Legislature.

Neither Grant nor the Election Board has responded to the court filing.

More recently, Pittman was hit with thousands of dollars in fines and reimbursements for misusing campaign funds.

As part of a settlement agreement with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, Pittman agreed to repay her campaign $18,000 and pay a fine worth more than $17,000 for state campaign finance violations. Pittman admitted to spending nearly $18,000 for her personal use instead of campaign purposes, according to the settlement agreement.

She also admitted to inaccurately reporting about $30,000 in contributions in 2020 and $20,000 worth of contributions in 2022. In a statement to media, Pittman blamed it on a clerical error in campaign filings.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma elections: Ajay Pittman, Brittane Grant on Tuesday’s ballot