Young candidates create rare contested school board race in southeast OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY — South Oklahoma City neighborhoods that haven’t seen a contested school board race in over a decade will choose between two young Hispanic candidates in an April 7 election.

Natalie Roman, 22, and Galilea Martinez, 28, are running for Oklahoma City Public Schools’ District 7 board seat. The position represents a slice of the city’s southwest side and all of the southeast, including Capitol Hill High School, Southeast High School, and the elementary and middle schools that feed into them.

Both candidates said they aim to better engage families and residents in the predominantly Latino area, which last saw more than one candidate run for its school board seat in 2014.

“The fact that we do have two Latinas that are from this community running, it says a lot,” Roman said. “It’s definitely progressing, and it’s great that the community has options. I think it offers better transparency among voters to be able to choose and even know about their school boards. So, I am really glad to be part of it. I think that no matter what, it’s not a win or loss for either of us.”



https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/03/31/young-candidates-create-rare-contested-school-board-race-in-southeast-okc/