Jun. 15—A four-way mayoral race is on after the filing period for the position ended this week.

With current McAlester Mayor John Browne term-limiting out of office and precluded from filing for reelection, the mayor’s office will be wide open for the upcoming election.

A three-day candidate filing period for the mayor’s office was held June 10, 11 and 12.

Christy Holt, assistant secretary for the Pittsburg County Election Board, said Justin Few and Kevin Beaty both filed on June 10 with Randy Roden filing on June 11 and Jimmy Plummer filing on June 12.

Candidates filed at-large, meaning they will not run as affiliated with any political party.

The Primary Election is set for Aug. 27, which is the fourth Tuesday in August.

If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote during the August Primary, then the two candidates will the most votes will face each other during the Nov. 5, 2024, General Election — which is the same time as the U.S. Presidential Election.

All qualified registered voters in the city of McAlester are eligible to cast ballots in the August Primary Election and, if needed, the November General Election for the McAlester mayor’s post.

Each candidate attended a forum hosted by the News-Capital and the McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce on June 4.

Beaty introduced himself as a businessman and is the CEO and sole proprietor of Keller Williams Real Estate in downtown McAlester. He said as the current Ward 6 councilman, he doesn’t do things just for his ward and has helped people all over the city with their issues.

“I live in Ward 6, but I work for the whole city,” Beaty said.

Few said he has demonstrated his leadership abilities through several roles he has held in the community and listed several boards he has been a president to a member of, including Keep McAlester Beautiful, McAlester Rotary Club, and the Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m seeking your vote based on the leadership I’ve consistently done throughout this community,” Few said.

Plummer said a change in how the city government conducts business is needed in order for this city to move forward.

“We’ve got to get rid of this weak mayor system,” Plummer said. “We don’t need a weak mayor,; we need a strong mayor.”

Roden spoke how he has more than 50 years of experience in private business as well as more than 20 years government experience from being a correctional officer for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

“My experience in the private and government sectors gives me a unique ability to navigate the red tape of the city hall government,” Roden said.

A second forum for the mayoral candidates hosted by the McAlester Event and Entertainment Team is scheduled for Aug. 1.