Mike Kelley was born and raised in Bethany.

[1] He graduated from the University of Oklahoma and started working as a firefighter in 1986.

[2][3] He was a member of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 157 and responded to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

He faced Ron Lynch, Toni Pratt Reid, and Jason Warner in the Republican primary.

[4] He advanced to a runoff election alongside Lynch which he won with 65% of the vote.