Situated on the western edge of the ever-expanding Oklahoma City metro, House District 47 is among the fastest-growing areas in the state, with housing additions that rise from the red dirt at breakneck pace. But that growth comes with complications, and helping to shape the direction of the district is a role that could fall on Kevan Gentry or Toby Thompson, depending who prevails in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff.
The ultimate GOP nominee will face Democrat Indigo Oliver in the Nov. 3 general election to succeed outgoing Rep. Brian Hill (R-Mustang), who finished fifth in this year’s Republican primary for lieutenant governor.
The runoff is expected to be close. In the four-candidate June 16 primary, Gentry received 31.9 percent support (1,536 votes), while Thompson was right behind with 30.6 percent (1,473 votes) in what was once a four-candidate field.
Both men are making their first foray into running for the Legislature. Thompson currently serves on the Mustang Public Schools Board, while Gentry declined to run for the seat eight years ago when approached by then-Rep. Leslie Osborn (R-Mustang), who has since endorsed him in this race.
Thompson and Gentry have each touted their conservative credentials. Thompson has been “GOP Certified” by the Oklahoma Republican Party and endorsed by the Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association, a gun rights group that has increasingly advocated on other topics.
Along with support from Osborn, Gentry has been endorsed by Canadian County Sheriff Chris West, another prominent political figure in the area.
Still, positioning about who is the more conservative candidate in the race will likely continue through Election Day. Thompson has accused Gentry of being a newcomer to GOP politics and conservatism, while Gentry says he has always leaned right politically.
“My slogan is, ‘Why elect a RINO when you can elect a Bronco,'” Thompson said.
Gentry pushed back on the accusation that he is “Republican in name only.”
“I think I’m a very conservative person,” he said. “I have been all my life. I don’t know where that came from, but I’m very conservative with my thoughts and how I do things. That’s how I got to where I am.”
Both candidates agreed to interviews ahead of the election. HD 47 is situated north of the Canadian River and entirely in Canadian County, primarily covering Mustang and a small portion of Oklahoma City.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. Early voting is set to take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 20 and 21, as well as from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.
Property insurance, taxes a concern for voters
Both HD 47 Republican candidates have varied career experience. Thompson, 55, works for an oil and gas firm but has been in and out of that industry, including time working for Coors Brewing Company in distribution. Gentry, 68, owns a heating and air conditioning company with about 10 employees and worked in manufacturing earlier in his career.
Thompson, who grew up in Mustang and attended Mustang High School, said his decision to run was influenced by his faith and time on the school board.
“I’ve never really had any political aspirations,” Thompson said. “I saw this as a great way to serve my community because I love this place. This is my home. I’ve poured my life into service and my family. I just felt like this was the right thing to do. I felt like if I put it in my heart, that if you don’t, they will. That’s kind of how God spoke to my heart.”
Gentry thought about running before, but ultimately decided against it. After Hill announced he was running for lieutenant governor, however, Gentry decided to throw his hat in the ring in large part because he thought Hill and Osborn had represented the district well during their time at the Capitol.
“I was approached eight years ago about running when Leslie (Osborn) was leaving the House and going to run for [commissioner] of labor, and I declined at that time. Then, when Brian Hill decided he was going to run for that office, I was asked again, and I got great support from people I know who kept encouraging me to run,” Gentry said. “I wanted that legacy of great representation for HD 47 to carry on, and I think I can be a great advocate for my district.”
Since June, both men have spent time campaigning primarily by knocking on doors and visiting with prospective voters. Most often, the candidates say those conversations include subjects like property taxes, future growth of the area, and how to ensure HD 47’s interests are looked after at the Capitol.
One thing on everyone’s mind, they said, is affordability, whether that involves property taxes or homeowner insurance. Oklahomans pay more for property insurance than residents of any other state.
Thompson said he was told by insurance commissioner candidate Marty Quinn that Oklahoma is among the most profitable states in the country for insurers to operate.
“They apparently collect more revenue here with more profit than they do in virtually any other state, and they pay out a smaller percentage of that profit that they collect here,” Thompson said. “I think the biggest thing for me, the best way to correct that, is to get more competition in the market. If there is abuse, we need to find and eliminate that abuse.”
Gentry said property owners who pay their premiums have a right to expect coverage when an emergency strikes.
“I’m not sure what the Legislature’s role in that is, but I’d love to find out, and I definitely think the rising costs are something we need to address,” he said. “If you have a total replacement plan, then if you have a storm claim and your house is destroyed, or if it’s severely damaged, and then you don’t get what you’ve paid for from homeowners insurance, I think that’s pretty sorry. If you’re paying for something, and then you make a claim, and it’s denied, or they depreciate it down until it’s not worth anything, that’s kind of ridiculous. I also think we need more competition in the market. That would be better for homeowners.”
Thompson has also heard plenty from seniors about property taxes while campaigning. In Oklahoma, those over 65 can apply for a senior valuation freeze on their property taxes, but with some limitations. For example, retirees or working seniors who earn more than $99,000 per household are not eligible. Thompson would like to expand the eligibility.
“That’s a big priority for me because I believe it to be immoral for a person to pay for their house, live their life the right way, retire on a fixed income, and basically have to rent their house from the state,” he said. “Now, I understand why we can’t do away with property taxes for everyone. We have things like schools that have to, and should be, funded, but I think just about everyone has someone in their life that is older and on a fixed income who struggled with paying their property taxes. I also think we should probably look at doing something for veterans, too.”
Both candidates support ending the requirement to apply for the tax freeze for seniors, making the process automatic when they turn 65. Gentry said he has heard of situations even with freezes where seniors are still required to pay property taxes. He said closing those loopholes is one way to help lower costs permanently.
“I think that would be a good plan to freeze those taxes automatically when they become 65 or older, and it should also include upgrades to the house,” Gentry said. “I’ve heard even now when they’re frozen the assessor can come back and reassess it.”
HD 47 feels growing pains
HD 47 has grown significantly over the last decade. Mustang’s population climbed by about 5,000 people from 2020 to 2025, to reach 24,000 people across its 12 square miles.
While more residents mean more revenue from property taxes and sales taxes, growth carries other obligations and elements. Traffic, while still not as bad as most suburbs, has gotten more congested in the morning and evening rush hours.
“I think that’s what I hear more than anything else is the concern about how fast we’re growing and the roads, and the increase in traffic,” Thompson said. “No one person is going to stop that, so we need to make sure we are making it as good as it can be. I think one of the things we can do is economic diversification of our district. That’s probably my No. 1 thing. A majority of people in the district jump in the car every single day and drive 30 or 45 minutes one way to work. So they’re in their car 90 minutes a day. I think folks deserve a chance to work right here in their community, and one of the ways to do that is to bring jobs here. We don’t have any manufacturing in the district, and that’s something I’d like to see change.”
Gentry said there is plenty that can be done to make the state more accommodating for small businesses like his.
“We have to make sure the government isn’t in the way of small business,” he said. “We have to make sure Oklahoma is always a business-friendly state. We have to make sure that we don’t put any undue burdens on small business owners trying to compete in today’s marketplace. I’m (running) a mom and pop company, and sometimes trying to compete with these larger companies is tough. I think that applies to this district because we need more small businesses, and we need to make it easier for people to start them. I think that’s one important way to get at economic development.”
Gentry said he believes he is the best candidate for the job because of his long history in the community.
“I think my community involvement is something that I’ve gotten a lot of satisfaction out of,” he said. “I’ve served as Mustang Chamber of Commerce president three times, I’ve been involved in Western Days and have been involved in a Mustang High School youth leadership group that meets every month during the school year. I have worked with the Legislature as a member of a heating and air and plumbing trade association, and I’m on that national board as a member of the government relations committee. I think all of these things are experiences that would be helpful for me at the Capitol in representing the people of the district.”
Thompson said his variety of experiences — from oilfield worker to supervisory roles — would help him as a legislator.
“I’ve dealt with a diverse group of folks over many industries, and I’ve been tasked with running a large organization across multiple states with huge budgets and huge revenues, so I have an understanding that I think my opponent doesn’t have about budgeting and finance,” Thompson said. “I’ve created budgets and administered budgets. I’ve done everything possible with budgets, and I think that experience gives me an understanding that most folks won’t have.”
