David Holt (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Holt
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| 38th Mayor of Oklahoma City | |
| Assumed office April 10, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Mick Cornett |
| Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 30th district |
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| In office November 16, 2010 – April 10, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Glenn Coffee |
| Succeeded by | Julia Kirt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 10, 1979 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Osage Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rachel Canuso |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) Oklahoma City University (JD) |
David Holt (born March 10, 1979) is an American lawyer and politician. He is the 38th Mayor of Oklahoma City. He is also the dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. David Holt is the 83rd president of the United States Conference of Mayors. He is a member of the Osage Nation, a Native American tribe.
Holt was first elected mayor on February 13, 2018. He started his term on April 10, 2018. He was reelected on February 8, 2022. He is the youngest mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923. He was also the youngest mayor of a large U.S. city (over 500,000 people) during his first year in office. David Holt is Oklahoma City's first Native American mayor.
As mayor, Holt helped pass MAPS 4 in 2019. This was a big plan with 16 projects costing $1.1 billion. In 2023, the city's voters approved his idea to build a new $900 million arena. This was to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team in the city for 25 more years. In 2025, Mayor Holt announced that Oklahoma City would host some events for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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David Holt's Early Life and School
David Holt grew up in northwest Oklahoma City. His family has roots in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. He is part of the Osage Nation through his mother, Mary Ann Fuller Holt. His mother inspired him to work for the public. His grandfather, Leonard Fuller, also inspired him. He was a World War II veteran.
After finishing high school at Putnam City North High School, Holt went to George Washington University. He earned a bachelor's degree there. He also worked as a sports editor for the school newspaper, The GW Hatchet.
Later, Holt returned to Oklahoma. He earned a law degree from Oklahoma City University. He then started his own law practice. He also taught as a professor at Oklahoma City University.
David Holt's First Steps in Politics
David Holt became active in the Republican Party. He worked for Dennis Hastert, who was the Speaker of the House. He was working there during the 9/11 attacks. He also worked in the White House for President George W. Bush.
In 2004, Holt moved back to Oklahoma full-time. He helped President Bush get reelected in the state. He also worked for U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and Lt. Governor Mary Fallin. In 2006, he became the chief of staff for Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. He held this job until he was elected to the State Senate. While working for Mayor Cornett, Holt helped Oklahoma City get a major league basketball team. This team is now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Serving in the Oklahoma State Senate
David Holt was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate on July 27, 2010. He won with 64% of the votes in the Republican primary. He had no opponents in the general election. He started his job on November 16, 2010. He took over from Glenn Coffee.
In the State Senate, Holt worked on different issues. He aimed to make it easier to vote by creating an online registration system. He also worked on a law to create a "revenue stabilization fund." This fund was meant to help the state during tough financial times. He also worked to increase teacher pay in 2017 and 2018.
Becoming Mayor of Oklahoma City
First Term as Mayor
In 2017, David Holt announced he would run for mayor of Oklahoma City. He won the election on February 13, 2018. He defeated Taylor Neighbors and Randall Smith. Holt became mayor on April 10, 2018. He was 39 years old when he took office. This made him the youngest mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923. He was also the first Native American mayor of the city.
In 2019, Mayor Holt and other city leaders opened a new streetcar system. This project was paid for by a previous plan called MAPS 3.
Holt's second year as mayor brought the creation and approval of MAPS 4. This was a huge plan with 16 projects costing $1.1 billion. These projects aimed to improve many parts of the city. The people of Oklahoma City voted for MAPS 4 on December 10, 2019. It passed with 71.7% of the votes. This was a record for a sales tax vote in the city.
In 2019, Holt was chosen for a leadership role in the United States Conference of Mayors. He also became a trustee for the Conference of Mayors in 2020. As mayor, he has focused on making the community welcoming for everyone. He helped create Oklahoma's first Regional Transit Authority (RTA). This group plans to build a city-wide rail system.
Holt also made history by declaring "Indigenous Peoples' Day" and "Pride" for the LGBTQ community for the first time in the city. He also said that immigrants are welcome in Oklahoma City. He supported adding a $26 million civil rights center to the MAPS 4 plan. The city also hired a new officer to focus on diversity and inclusion.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Holt declared a state of emergency early on. He put Oklahoma City into a "shelter in place" order. He worked hard to address the pandemic. Oklahoma City had a lower death rate than most other large cities.
After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Holt attended protests. He met with Black Lives Matter leaders. He created a group to look at police policies. He also created a group to bring back the city's Human Rights Commission. On April 19, 2020, the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, Holt spoke at the ceremony. In 2021, he opened a new convention center. He also helped pass a law to remove many of Oklahoma City's business licenses. In September 2021, Holt and tribal leaders opened the new First Americans Museum. This museum tells the story of Native Americans.
A poll in June 2021 showed that many people supported Holt. He was liked by both Republicans and Democrats. In April 2022, Holt led a group of mayors to Israel. They met with officials there.
Second Term as Mayor
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David Holt was reelected for his second term on February 8, 2022. He received 59.8% of the votes. This election had the most voters for an Oklahoma City mayoral election since 1959.
Holt's second term began in May 2022. The next month, he started work on the city's first Bus Rapid Transit line. This is a 9.5-mile project to improve public transportation. In July 2022, the Oklahoma City Council brought back a Human Rights Commission. This commission had not been active since 1996.
In November 2022, Holt supported a plan to fund public education. This plan was for nearly $1 billion for school buildings and improvements. Voters approved both parts of the plan. In May 2023, it was announced that Holt would become the dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. He started this role on July 1, 2023, while still being mayor. In June 2023, Holt was elected president of the United States Conference of Mayors for 2025–2026. In August 2023, Holt spoke at the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington.
In September 2023, Holt announced a plan to build a new arena in downtown Oklahoma City. This was to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team in the city until after 2050. Taxpayers would pay at least $850 million for the arena. The team would pay $50 million. Holt said the team might leave without a new arena. In December 2023, 71% of Oklahoma City voters approved a sales tax to pay for the arena.
In 2025, Holt announced that Oklahoma City would host two sports for the 2028 Summer Olympics. These sports are canoe slalom and softball. Oklahoma City is the only city outside southern California that will host an entire sport during the 2028 Olympics. In June 2025, Holt became the 83rd president of the United States Conference of Mayors.
David Holt's Family Life
David Holt is married to Rachel Canuso. They have two children together. They are members of the Episcopal Church.
Holt wrote a book called Big League City: Oklahoma City's Rise to the NBA. It was published in 2012. The book tells the story of how major league sports came to Oklahoma City. It focuses on the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team moving to the city in 2008. The team was then renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. David Holt was the chief of staff for Mayor Mick Cornett at that time.
Images for kids
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Mayor Holt at a baseball game
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Holt at a parade
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Holt with U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh
