Midwest City Council to leave Ward 1 seat vacant until spring election; approves 2026 election dates

Midwest City's City Council on Oct. 28 approved a resolution and proclamation calling a Feb. 10, 2026 primary (if necessary) and an April 7, 2026 general election and voted to leave the recently vacated Ward 1 council seat unfilled until those elections. The council's vote followed legal and procedural discussion about interim appointments and consistency with prior practice.

Council members said time constraints and fairness to potential candidates informed their decision. Councilman Burns recommended following the same process used previously, advising against appointing a temporary representative who would be disqualified from running in the subsequent election. "I would ask that when we do this that we incorporate the fact that ... we don't think it's proper to fill this temporarily and just let the voters make that decision," Burns said during the meeting.

Mayor Matthew Dukes presented the resolution to set the filing period and election dates. City staff and the city attorney confirmed the proposal met state statutory requirements necessary for the State Election Board to calendar the dates. Councilman Pat Byrne was nominated and reappointed as vice mayor during the same meeting; his vice-mayor appointment was approved by voice vote.

Public comment raised the question of whether the council could legally prevent an interim appointee from later running; a resident noted such a restriction would require a local ordinance. City staff and the city attorney explained that, absent an ordinance, an appointed interim could legally run for the permanent seat. Given the short calendar between the vacancy and the filing deadline, the council said it preferred to leave the seat vacant so voters could decide in February/April.

The resolution and related proclamation passed on a roll call/voice vote. The council instructed staff to proceed with the election filings and public notices required by state law.