(Update: On Tuesday, June 16, judicial candidates Christine Galbraith and Neil West advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff election.)
Three men who ran for a similar seat four years ago and a sitting special judge will appear on Tuesday’s ballot for voters in southwest Oklahoma, as the primary election to select a new judge for District 5, Office 1 looms.
Steven W. Crow, Christine Galbraith, Neil West and Tommy Sims have all filed for the seat, which helps lead courthouses and adjudicates cases in Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson and Stephens counties. The race will feel familiar to some voters, as Crow, Sims and West all ran for District 5, Office 3 in 2022 when West made the runoff but lost by 1,500 votes to Judge Jay Walker.
District judgeships are nonpartisan, meaning all registered voters can cast ballots. District 5, Office 3 is open owing to the retirement of former District Judge Emmit Tayloe. If no candidate secures a majority in the June 16 election, the top two candidates will advance to a November runoff election.
The following District 5, Office 3 cheat sheet was constructed from publicly available information, campaign websites and social media. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order by last name.
Steven W. Crow
Age: 57
Biography:Â Steven Crow, a graduate of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, has been licensed in Oklahoma since 1994. He ran for District 5, Office 3 in 2022, finishing third in the primary with 21.2 percent of the vote. Born and raised in Lawton, Crow began working in the Comanche County District Attorney’s Office as a law clerk at 16. Crow later attended Cameron University and “gained valuable experience in private practice under Dick Tannery,” according to his website.
Crow’s law practice has focused on “cases involving accidents, injuries, abuse, and neglect,” according to his campaign website. Crow is also a registered Shorthorn cattle rancher and served as treasurer of the Comanche County Saddle and Sirloin Club, which supports 4H programs.
Platform:Â Crow’s primary campaign points include not allowing outside bias to influence his decisions on the bench and respecting the U.S. Constitution.
“Every case decided based solely on the law and the facts — without bias or outside influence. Uphold the integrity of the judiciary at all times,” his campaign website reads.
Crow would also seek to expand “efficiency and accessibility” of the justice system in rural Oklahoma, “staying aware of the challenges facing rural litigants.”
Among those that have posted in support of Crow’s campaign is former KSWO reporter and former Oklahoma House District 63 Rep. Don Armes, who represented Tillman County and areas of Comanche County.
“I’m sure all the judge candidates have ample knowledge of the law,” Armes wrote on Facebook. “I’m supporting Steven Crow because of what he does after work. He is an ardent supporter of agriculture youth. He donates countless hours to the Comanche county livestock show as well as the Oklahoma Jr. Shorthorn assn. I like people in positions of power to be good humans. Steven is just that. Raised in a blue collar family Steven knows what it is to work.”
Christine Galbraith
Age: 50
Biography:Â Christine Galbraith earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and graduated from the Oklahoma City University School of Law, according to her campaign website. She and her family have lived in Lawton for almost 20 years, where she is a member of the Comanche County Bar Association and AMBUCS.
Galbraith has served as a special judge for Comanche County since her appointment in 2023. She previously worked as an assistant district attorney in the county. According to her campaign website, Galbraith’s career also includes private practice experience, pro bono and contract work for Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and “court-appointed counsel in municipal cases.”
Platform: On her campaign website, Galbraith outlines her dedication to “upholding impartial, efficient and principled justice while adhering to the highest ethical standards.”
Among her specific priorities are increasing judicial efficiency and reducing case backlogs, increasing public confidence in the judiciary through “transparency, integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct in every proceeding,” adjudicating cases impartially and applying law consistently.
Galbraith’s slogan is, “Experience you know. Integrity you expect.”
“Serving as a special judge for the Comanche County District Court has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career. Every day on the bench has reinforced how important it is that our courts remain impartial and grounded in the rule of law,” she wrote in a March 19 Facebook post announcing her candidacy. “As a special judge, I have presided over jury trials and other proceedings that directly impact the lives of people in our community. Some of these proceedings include initial appearances for criminal cases, felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanor trials and sentencings, protective orders, small claims, and forcible entry and detainer cases. I have worked to ensure that every person who enters the courtroom is treated with fairness, respect, and in accordance with the law.”
Tommy Sims
Age: 71
Biography: Tommy Sims is a lifetime resident of the District 5 area and a native of Lawton, according to his campaign Facebook page. He describes his background as “rooted” in both agriculture and his family’s auto salvage business. Sims attended Cameron University and earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science, with minors in biology and chemistry. He later graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Sims has been a licensed lawyer since 1988 and has been a presiding municipal judge for the last 10 years, according to his campaign Facebook page. Sims also appears to operate a private practice.
In 2024, Sims was inducted into the Texhoma Racers Hall of Fame. His racing background began at age 5, Sims told KSWO, and he won a dirt bike racing championship at the now-demolished Faxon Speedway the same year he passed the bar exam.
Platform:Â Sims’ campaign messaging focuses on applying law “fairly and without favoritism and service with “fairness, respect and common sense judgement,” according to his Facebook page.
“I have handled criminal, civil, family, personal injury, and constitutional cases,” Sims wrote. “I have tried cases across the state and have argued before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. (…) I have made decisions that affect real people and real families. I understand that every case matters because every person matters.”
Sims’ campaign slogan is, “Together, we can make a difference!”
“For decades, I have worked in Oklahoma courtrooms serving people from all walks of life. I have handled criminal, civil, family, personal injury, and constitutional cases. I have tried cases across the State and have argued before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. I have served as a presiding Municipal Circuit Judge throughout southwest Oklahoma for the past 10 years. In that role, I have made decisions that affect real people and real families,” Sims wrote in an April 6 Facebook post. “I understand that every case matters because every person matters. I believe a judge should be fair, consistent, and accountable. The law must be applied equally to everyone, without favoritism and without fear. I am ready to serve the people with fairness, respect, and common-sense judgment from day one.”
Links:Â Facebook
Neil West
Age: 56
Biography:Â Neil West has lived in Lawton for more than 28 years, according to his campaign Facebook page, and graduated from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. During his college years, he worked in retail and, after earning his degree, has held positions as Lawton’s assistant city attorney and city prosecutor, as well as assistant district attorney and mental health court coordinator for Comanche County. He also practiced as a private attorney. Currently, West serves as a public defender for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System.
West previously ran for District 5, Office 3 in 2022. Steven Crow, again an opponent in this years’ election and in the 2022 race, endorsed him in the previous race after West advanced to the general election. West ultimately lost to Judge Jay Walker.
Platform:Â West’s campaign Facebook page includes promises to “approach the bench with fairness, integrity, balance and a commitment to treating every person who enters the courtroom with dignity and respect.” Many of the endorsements shared on the page speak to West’s overall character and fairness, as well as his ties to southwest Oklahoma.
“I have also enjoyed serving in various community volunteer roles, to include emergency respite foster care placement, Southwest Pride Barbershop Chorus, Arts for All, Inc., Lawton Community Theatre, McMahan Memorial Auditorium Authority, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus, Teen Court, Inc., March of Dimes, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and First Presbyterian Church, where I am an elder,” West wrote in a Feb. 20 Facebook post. “These experiences have given me a deep respect for the law and for the people it serves.”
West summarized his campaign’s “simple message” as “fairness, experience, and a dedication to follow the law.”
Links:Â Facebook
