Former Ward 5 Councilmember Michael Nash announced in a Facebook post Thursday that he will run for the Cleveland County Commissioner District 3 seat.
“I intend to usher in a paradigm shift in the relationship between the people and the County, where folks are reminded of the Commissioner office by the positive impacts they can make to municipalities and the people within them,” Nash wrote.
According to the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners website, District 3 stretches along a corridor from the northwest corner of the county to its southeast corner. The district includes portions of west Norman, Noble, Slaughterville and Lexington.
Nash told OU Daily in a phone call Thursday that he has considered running for commissioner for a long time because there are areas where he believes the county could do better.
Nash said he intends to make the board of commissioners more transparent with the public about where taxes are spent.
“It feels like for too long, the county and the county commissioners have just been kind of ignored by the people, so they've been able to get away with more and more spending that's been inefficient, …” Nash said. “I'd like to put a few more windows on that process so the public can see what's going on.”
Nash wrote that if elected, he would pursue more aggressive economic growth in partnership with county municipalities.
“I believe a thriving county depends directly on the success of the municipalities within its borders, and I believe that success should pass directly through to the people in the form of reduced cost of living,” Nash wrote in the Facebook post.
Nash clarified how he would address the Rock Creek Entertainment District Project Plan as county commissioner, stating he believes the county should have stood firm with Norman residents’ decision on the project.
“The county should have been a better partner with the deal,” Nash said. “That goes across for all aspects of the municipalities and the county relationships. The county and municipalities have been working apart for way too long, when it really should be a better partnership.”
If elected, Nash intends to pursue three priorities: economic growth and development, efficient county operation and reduced property taxes. Nash said he wants to grant exemptions to people on fixed incomes, such as people who are retired and living off Social Security or pensions.
“At least a small portion of that tax is coming from people who've got a disproportionate burden to their annual income. Those are the people that at the very least I want to see them be alleviated of that burden, because they represent an insignificant hit to the general fund for the county.”
Nash told the Daily that he intends to run for commissioner as a Republican. The Republican primary for the office will be in June, with the general election following in November 2026.
Rusty Grissom, who currently holds the District 3 commissioner seat, wrote in an email to OU Daily Thursday that he intends to run for reelection.
"We are just getting started and look forward to continued successes," Grissom wrote.
After winning reelection to his Ward 5 seat in February, Nash resigned from the seat in August. In a Facebook announcement, Nash wrote external factors caused his family to relocate to a new home outside of Ward 5.
This story was edited by Thomas Pablo and Ana Barboza. Parker Newman, Sophie Hemker and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
