Edmond Mayor Darrell Davis announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection to a third term, and the early field of 2025 candidates hoping to succeed him is taking shape.
Davis, who represented Ward 3 on the Edmond City Council from 2011 to 2021 before becoming mayor, issued a press release confirming rumors he would step aside and not seek another term next year.
“I am grateful for the strong support I have received from the community during this journey. In my life, it has been observed that time and time again it takes a village,” Davis said in an Instagram post. “My family is my village. They have supported me from the day I walked into the house and asked them, ‘Are we going to run for mayor?’ (…) I have served the citizens of Edmond, and now it is time for me to devote all my time to my family.”
On Friday, Ward 1 Councilman Tom Robins became the first candidate to make an official announcement for Edmond’s 2025 mayoral race. Edmond elects its mayor every two years, but the other four seats on the City Council carry four-year terms.
With Robins launching his mayoral bid now, he said he will vacate the seat he won last by by Nov. 1. He said the council will accept applications and appoint someone to serve the remainder of Robins’ Ward 1 term, which runs through May 2027.
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Edmond could have active 2025 municipal election cycle
In the press release announcing his bid, Robins emphasized transportation, recreation, public safety and education as his primary concerns. Robins also highlighted his support for the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park and his solitary “No” vote to the city’s increase of water rates in September 2023.
Robins derided the tone of many political campaigns in his press release, pledging to refrain from “attack ads, negative campaigning and mudslinging.”
“I want to set an example for my kids and set a tone for discussing competing views in the community. That’s why I’m running my campaign differently and created a positive campaign pledge for myself and other candidates,” Robins said.
Robins’ campaign website lists endorsements from the Edmond Fraternal Order of Police and the Edmond Firefighters’ Association.
Prior to joining the Edmond City Council, Robins served as Oklahoma’s deputy secretary of energy and as a staff member to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, according to his campaign website.
No other candidates have officially announced their intent to run. Edmond architect David Hornbeek said he is “considering the possibility” of a campaign, but he said he has not made a final decision.
Brian Shellem, who was recently chosen as chairman of the Statewide Charter School Board, secured 48 percent of the vote in his 2023 campaign against Davis. But Shellem told NonDoc on Friday he does not intend to run in the 2025 mayoral race, citing his new duties on the charter school board and the upcoming senior years of high school for his children.
Instead, Shellem endorsed Robins’ campaign for mayor.
“I will be putting my full support behind Tom,” Shellem said. “I think he’ll serve our community well.”
The candidate filing period for the 2025 municipal election cycle will occur in December, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board.
While Edmond’s mayoral elections are notable for being biennial, they also feature unusual rules when more than two candidates file. In a race with more than two people running, the top two vote-earners advance to the April general election even if one candidate secures more than 50 percent support in February.
In 2025, the Ward 3 and Ward 4 seats on the Edmond City Council are up for election. It is unclear whether Ward 3 Councilwoman Christin Mugg and Ward 4 Councilwoman Stacie Peterson intend to seek second terms.
If more than two people ultimately file for a seat, Edmond’s 2025 primary election would be held Feb. 11 followed by the general April 1. If only two candidates file, they would advance directly to the April 1 date.
