Standridge wins school board race

Gina Standridge (Center) celebrates after winning the Mid-Del School Board election Tuesday night. PHOTO PROVIDED

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

Mid-Del Schools will have a new board member.

Gina Standridge won an open race for the No. 3 Office position on the board. The former Del City High School teacher won the April 4 general election with 52.34% of the vote against Lynette Dean.

Standridge received 381 votes to Dean’s 347.

“I’m excited about the win and I’m looking forward to representing Office No. 3 and getting people’s voices out there,” she said.

Standridge believes her strong connection to the community and classroom experience were the biggest factors in the election win.

“I had plenty of opportunities to go into administration, but I wanted to stay in the classroom and work with kids,” she said.

The close race came as no surprise for the candidates who both have strong ties to Del City.

“We both live on the same street and knew our area would be close,” Standridge said.

Office No. 3 includes much of Del City and the southeast portion of the district. Standridge won three of the five precincts. Those included precincts 326 (Hartsdel), 576 (First Southern Baptist) and 575 (Frolich Meadows). Dean won precincts 574 (Highland Park) and 331 (Del Aire).

“It was pretty split, and I knew Frolich Meadows and the area near Parkview Elementary would be the deciding factor,” Standridge said.

Standridge and her family and friends collected the results from each of the polling sites on election night. She was with her son at precinct 557 when she realized that she clinched it.

“I was a little nervous and then I saw him jumping up and down after he saw the results and knew we’d won,” she said.

Standridge said she still has a connection to the part of district in southeast Oklahoma City. Her family lived in the area when she was in high school. And her father still lives there.

Dean said she was disappointed in the election loss but was glad to see a competitive race. She said she plans to continue volunteering and supporting local schools.

Standridge is a retired educator and lifelong Del City resident. She taught for 32 years, primarily as a special education teacher at Del City High School. She retired in May and has continued to stay involved in school activities.

Dean works for Meadowbrook Oil Corporation, overseeing compliance with legal land issues and federal regulations. She has been active in the PTA at Kerr Middle School (now Del City Middle School) and other schools in the district.

Dean and Standridge advanced to the general election after finishing one and two in the Feb. 14 primary. Standridge nearly eclipsed the 50% threshold to win the election outright and avoid a runoff.

Jimmie Nolen has represented the district for 23 years. The longtime board member did not seek reelection this year.

Standridge was officially sworn in as a member of the school board Monday night.

Lynette Dean is joined by friends and family April 4 during a watch party at the Del City Library. Dean ran for Mid-Del School Board against Gina Standridge. PHOTO BY JEFF HARRISON