Who is running for Oklahoma House, District 36 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Oklahoma House, District 36 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Oklahoma House District 36.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | John GeorgeRepublican | Leslie HellebuyckDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | No public position | Raise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingSaid · medium |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestVoted · low | No public position |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyVoted · medium | No public position |
| School choice | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium |
| Curriculum and books | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toSaid · medium | No public position |
| Election rules | Photo ID required, with current access otherwiseVoted · medium | Easier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyoneSaid · medium |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · high | No public position |
| Ranked-choice voting | No, ban ranked-choice voting in all electionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsSaid · medium | No public position |
| DEI programs | Keep support open to all, but end race or sex preferences and required statementsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Religion in schools | No public position | None from the school: no required displays, prayer periods or Bible lessonsSaid · medium |
John George
Republican · IncumbentState representative, House District 36 (since 2022)
John George, 58, of Newalla, served with the Oklahoma City Police Department from 1991 to 2022, mostly as a detective, and was president of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police for 10 years; he also served five years in the Oklahoma National Guard and holds a criminal justice degree from East Central University12. He was elected to the House in 2022 and is vice chair of the Oklahoma Veterans and Public Safety Caucus1. He won a three-way Republican primary in June 202634.
Where they stand 9 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorshigh
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on House Bill 4156, which made being in Oklahoma without legal immigration status a state crime and required anyone convicted to leave the state within 72 hours; the House passed it 77 to 20. (2024-04-18) source
- His campaign site says he backed one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration crackdowns in the country and banned sanctuary cities. (2026) source
- Is listed among the House authors of House Bill 4156 (2024). (2024-04-18) source
- Voted yes on House Bill 1362, which makes it a felony for a person found to be unlawfully present after an arrest for violating a state law, with an option to return to the country of origin; the House passed it 73 to 16. (2025-03-13) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on final passage of House Bill 1934, the Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, which created income tax credits of $5,000 to $7,500 per student for private school tuition for families at every income level; the House passed it 61 to 31. (2023-05-02) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he protected girls' sports. (2026) source
Ranked-choice votingNo, ban ranked-choice voting in all electionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on House Bill 3156, which prohibits ranked choice voting in any Oklahoma election; the House passed it 63 to 16. (2024-03-13) source
DEI programsKeep support open to all, but end race or sex preferences and required statementsmedium
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says schools should focus on reading, math and discipline, not radical ideology, and that parents, not bureaucrats, should be in charge. (2026) source
Election rulesPhoto ID required, with current access otherwisemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on Senate Joint Resolution 47, which sends voters a constitutional amendment requiring proof of identity to vote; the House passed it 80 to 13. (2026-04-15) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on House Bill 1168, which makes delivering abortion-inducing drugs for an unlawful abortion a felony; the House passed it 77 to 19. (2025-03-25) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Energy and climate, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, China policy.
Leslie Hellebuyck
DemocratRetired; former automotive manufacturing production leader and small business owner
Leslie Hellebuyck, 55, of Newalla, spent a career leading production teams in automotive manufacturing, later earned a geology degree from the University of Akron and ran a one-person business in Ohio12. After moving back to Oklahoma she worked two sessions in the Oklahoma House's bill processing department starting in 2022 and is now retired1. She is the Democratic nominee against incumbent Rep. John George in House District 363.
Where they stand 4 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign site says she supports repealing the school voucher program and ensuring taxes fund Oklahoma public schools. (2026) source
Religion in schoolsNone from the school: no required displays, prayer periods or Bible lessonsmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign site says she believes religion belongs in churches, not public schools. (2026) source
Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign site says she supports State Question 836 to open primaries to all voters, expanding mail-in voting, and adding polling stations and hours. (2026) source
Minimum wageRaise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign site says she supports raising the minimum wage to a living wage. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.