As voters look to recover from the long slog of a national election season, the gears of democracy continue to grind.
Edmond residents can look forward to another trip to the ballot box soon. Local fiscal professional Mark Nash became the third hopeful to announce his candidacy for mayor Wednesday evening. If Nash, former Ward 1 Councilman Tom Robins and local architect David Hornbeek all file for the seat in December as announced, it would trigger a February primary election in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Darrell Davis.
Edmond’s unique electoral setup sees the city choose its mayor every two years. On top of the uncommonly short term length, if more than two people file for the seat, primary and general elections must be held, even if one candidate secures more than 50 percent of ballots cast in the primary. This cycle, the primary election is scheduled for Feb. 11, 2025, and the general election is set for April 1, 2025.
In the press release announcing his candidacy, Nash highlighted his opposition to the general obligation bond tri-proposal that voters decisively rejected on Election Day.
“As a leader among those who opposed the GO bond property tax increase, I recognize the weight of responsibility that comes with such opposition,” Nash said. “We must not only challenge our city’s spending but also propose viable solutions.”
Prior to entering the election, Nash served for 12 years on the Edmond Economic Development Authority Board of Trustees, worked a decade in state government as an auditor and financial analyst and became director of finance for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. He also served on the editorial board of the defunct Edmond Sun and currently chairs the editorial board for The Edmond Way.
Nash said his goal if elected would be to prioritize city spending more effectively. Most of the projects included in the defeated GO bond package are necessary but should have been funded before projects like the new city center complex, he said.
“Most people, I think, are going to tell you we have a spending problem. It’s not that we have a revenue problem, we’ve got to fix the spending problem first. We’ve got to prioritize,” Nash said. “We’ve got to get spending under control, because you can’t go out and commit $80 million on a new city hall and parking garage and then turn around and commit money to maintain the art park.”
Nash said he supports the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park project and its revenue potential but felt public infrastructure needs should have been prioritized before committing to the park.
Two candidates commit to Edmond mayor election debate
Nash joins the mayoral sprint alongside Robins and Hornbeek. Robins recently vacated his Ward 1 City Council seat Nov. 1, which was required by the city charter for him to continue running for mayor.
“I’m running to make Edmond the best place to call home and raise a family,” Robins said in a statement Thursday. “It’s time for a new generation of leadership that will positively unite our city, prioritize citizen customer services and create a budget that is focused on critical needs, centered on public trust and accountability.”
He has also urged his fellow mayoral candidates to run a “positive campaign,” make public their local property ownership and participate in “four or more joint public debates” throughout the election cycle.
Robins and Nash both said they would participate in a mayoral debate hosted by NonDoc, date to be determined.
Hornbeek, a longtime local architect who helped design Oklahoma City’s First Americans Museum and who supports several arts programs at the University of Central Oklahoma, became the second candidate to announce his campaign Sept. 23. His campaign prioritizes “purposeful growth” in Edmond.
“I’ve seen firsthand the vitality that careful growth can bring to a city, but I’ve also seen what happens when communities don’t evolve,” Hornbeek said in a statement Thursday. “They stagnate, decay, and lose their spirit. Edmond has thrived because we’ve embraced change wisely. My commitment is to make those changes with total transparency and complete accountability, keeping the public informed every step of the way.”
Hornbeek said he would “have to think about” participating in any mayoral debate.
With Robins’ resignation, the Edmond City Council must make an appointment from applications submitted to fill the remainder of his Ward 1 term, which runs to 2027. Details for the process are expected to land on the agenda at the council’s next meeting, which was moved to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, owing to Veterans Day.
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Other municipal elections loom
The state filing period for 2025 municipal and school board races runs from Monday, Dec. 2, through Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Along with a new mayor, voters could decide who will succeed Ward 3 Councilwoman Christin Mugg and Ward 4 Councilwoman Stacie Peterson, whose terms expire in May 2025. Both have said they are not seeking reelection.
Ward 3 encompasses most of Edmond south of 15th Street and west of Interstate 35. Ward 4 stretches to the northern- and western-most city limits lines, with a corridor reaching as far south as 15th Street.
Only one candidate has publicly declared for either city council races — Preston Watterson, a Northrop Grumman employee and current chair of the Edmond Capital Improvement Projects Advisory Board who is seeking the Ward 3 seat.
In his campaign announcement, he touted his engineering and financial management experience, particularly on projects for the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
“I am running because I love Edmond and want to see it thrive,” Watterson said in the press release. “I believe in reasonable, respectful leadership and family values, and I want to bring my 20+ years of engineering and business experience to the table. I am passionate about local government’s ability to serve people directly, especially through open-minded, community-focused leadership.”
Watterson’s announcement also emphasized addressing the city’s infrastructure needs in a “balanced and responsible way.”
Also on the ballot in 2025 is a seat on the Edmond Public Schools Board of Education. Filing for the District 5 post, currently held by EPS Board of Education Chairman Marcus Jones, will also occur Dec. 2 through Dec. 4.
EPS District 5 includes most of the north-central school district. Its northern boundary lies at Liberty Lake Road, with its southern border at Danforth Road and Northwest 192nd Street.
(Update: This article was updated at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, to include information about Preston Watterson’s campaign announcement.)
