(Update:Â On Tuesday, June 16, Chelsey Branham won the GOP nomination to represent House District 85 and advanced to the Nov. 3 general election.)
A former legislator, the new mayor of The Village and a nontraditional college student are running to succeed House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination and vacating House District 85 in northwest Oklahoma City this year.
Each candidate seeking the HD 85 seat is civically involved beyond their professional pursuits. Braxton Banks, a hairstylist, was sworn onto The Village City Council last month and designated mayor by his new colleagues. Chelsey Branham, who served one term representing a different OKC-area House seat, runs a consulting firm and teaches at a college. While working on her bachelor’s degree, Estefania Gruenstein is advocating for open primaries.
If none of the Democratic candidates receives a majority in the June 16 primary, the top two finishers will face each other in an Aug. 25 runoff election. The eventual Democratic nominee will face Dr. Joe Fallin, a dentist and the ex-husband of former Gov. Mary Fallin, in November.
HD 85 encompasses The Village and parts of Oklahoma City and Nichols Hills to the west of Lake Hefner.
The following cheat sheet offers an overview of the HD 85 Democratic candidates based on information from publicly available sources, such as websites, social media pages and other online resources. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order.
Braxton Banks
Age: 39
Profession/Background: Braxton Banks is an independent stylist and small-business owner in House District 85, his website states. Since early May, he has served as the mayor of The Village. On the morning of his swearing in, Banks emailed NonDoc to say he and the incoming vice mayor are “both openly gay members of the LGBTQ community,” underscoring that “The Village is a very diverse and inclusive community.”
On his website’s Platform Page, Banks criticizes the Legislature in a section titled “Equal Rights.”
“Every Oklahoman deserves to live in a community where they feel safe, respected, and free from discrimination,” Banks wrote. “Unfortunately, recent legislation has treated some of our neighbors as second-class citizens; and that is unacceptable. We can, and we must, do better.”
Banks attended the Duncan Brothers School of Hair Design and has a degree from Oklahoma City Community College. He also holds master barber and cosmetology instructor licenses.
“Whether behind the chair or in public service, my mission is the same: to make people feel seen, valued, and confident, and to build a stronger, more connected Oklahoma for everyone,” Banks wrote on his website.
Platform:Â As a hairdresser, Banks wants to invest in trade workers.
“Recent efforts to consolidate or eliminate the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering would weaken important safety standards and put both workers and consumers at risk,” Banks wrote on his website. “These decisions also threaten the future of cosmetology schools that train the next generation of skilled professionals. We cannot allow policies that undermine safe workplaces or jeopardize livelihoods.”
Affordable health care is a priority for Banks.
“Improving access to both physical and mental healthcare makes our communities stronger and our workforce more resilient,” Banks said. “When people can receive the care they need, they are better able to work, support their families, and contribute to our state’s growth.”
Banks has also discussed reducing the cost of home insurance.
“That means supporting policies that help stabilize premiums, expand competitive options for consumers, prevent unfair rate increases, and explore ways to protect homeowners from excessive costs tied to weather risk and market pressures,” Banks wrote online.
Banks also wants to modernize municipal funding laws to reduce reliance local communities have on fluctuating revenue from sales tax — one of the only revenue sources available to cities and towns.
“Providing cities and towns with additional responsible funding options would help reduce pressure on sales taxes while ensuring reliable support for public safety, streets, utilities, and community development,” Banks wrote.
Chelsey Branham
Age: 37
Profession/Background: Chelsey Branham founded One Whole Village Consulting and is an adjunct assistant professor for Smith College of Social Work where she teaches courses on Indigenous social welfare and public policy. A Chickasaw citizen, Branham served one term as the representative for House District 83 in northwest OKC. In 2018, she defeated Republican Jason Reese to succeed former Rep. Randy McDaniel, but she lost her 2020 reelection campaign to Rep. Erik Roberts (R-OKC). Both elections were decided by fewer than 1,000 votes.
According to her LinkedIn, Branham holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and religion and a masters in international studies, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Platform: Branham said in a Facebook post recapping her prior term in the Legislature that the relationships she built give her the experience to deliver for HD 85.
“That’s why I ran and passed legislation putting more money into Oklahomans’ pockets, supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and giving our youth opportunities for a brighter future,” Branham wrote.
Branham wrote on her website that she will “restore full funding to our classrooms and paying teachers what they deserve.”
Braham also wants to support local entrepreneurs with tax incentives.
“We’ve put all our eggs in a few baskets, and when the economy dips, our neighbors pay the price. Deep cuts have hit public schools, hospitals, and mental health programs. Chelsey will diversify our economy by investing in people,” Branham’s website proclaims. “That means strong public schools, affordable college and technical training, and job programs that prepare Oklahomans for high-paying jobs in growing industries.”
Branham wants to “expand access to health care, increase mental health services and defend reproductive freedom.”
“We have high rates of people experiencing drug addiction, infant mortality, and untreated mental illness. Too many Oklahomans lack health insurance and access to basic care,” Branham wrote on her website. “Each of these shortcomings create barriers to a vibrant growing economy and contribute to our unmanageable incarceration rate.”
Estefania Gruenstein
Age: 29
Profession/Background: Estefania Gruenstein is finishing a degree in political science from the University of Oklahoma while interning with Oklahoma United and the “Open Primaries” ballot initiative, her website states. Before becoming a first-generation college student later in life, Gruenstein “spent a decade in customer service and team leadership roles, managing people and operations while building communication and organizational skills.”
Platform: Gruenstein sees supporting families as the way to “building a stronger Oklahoma,” she wrote on her website. She wants to “fight for fair wages, paid family leave, and affordable health care.”
“[I] will defend reproductive rights, expand access to affordable healthcare, and ensure families have the freedom and dignity to choose what’s best for their health,” Gruenstein wrote on her website.
Gruenstein wants to provide high-quality affordable childcare to support working families. To develop the workforce, she “supports expanding workforce training programs, apprenticeships, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to prepare Oklahomans for high quality, well-paying jobs — keeping talent and opportunity right here at home.”
Regarding education, Gruenstein “will fight to raise teacher pay, reduce class sizes, and fully fund classrooms.”
Earlier this year, Gruenstein joined community members at an Oklahoma City Council meeting to protest the proposed ICE detention center.
“I am so incredibly proud of my city for showing up to speak on the proposed ICE detention facility that would be built off of Council road,” Gruenstein wrote in an Instagram post. “While the site is outside of HD 85, I share many of the same concerns about it being so close to Western Heights High School & Middle School. Democracy is showing up peacefully and making our voices heard. I am so grateful to those who shared their stories during this hard time.”
