Lawmaker, county official eye same post
A state lawmaker and a county official have said they will run for the same Oklahoma County District 3 commissioner seat.
State Rep. Kevin Calvey, R-Oklahoma City, is term-limited and cannot seek another election to the Oklahoma Legislature. In his announcement, the Iraq war veteran, attorney and real estate investor said he will focus on issues at the county jail and public safety in northern parts of the county.
The seat is now held by Ray Vaughn, who is not seeking reelection.
“The county jail and its systems are in crisis,” Calvey said. “The recent report by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce (criminal justice task force) offers a great blueprint for reform, and I look forward to working with community leaders to implement these ideas.”
Calvey, 51, served as a military attorney in Iraq, prosecuting terrorists. In a news release, he says eight of his convictions resulted in a death sentence by hanging.
“But jail is not a costeffective method of punishing many non-violent offenses, or of collecting debts from many fines and fees. We owe it to the taxpayers to be both tough on crime and smart on crime,” he said.
Vaughn’s chief deputy, Rick Buchanan, 60, said Friday he also is preparing a campaign.
Buchanan has worked at Oklahoma County for 12 years and was just recently appointed to the role of chief deputy.
Before serving the county, he worked on campaigns for Congressmen J.C. Watts, Frank Lucas and others. Buchanan also worked for Gov. Frank Keating as press secretary.
“I’ve been a Republican wonk for a number of years,” Buchanan said.
His focus, if elected, would be to continue the task force’s work and focus on how the county handles its prisoners.
“The jail is our biggest issue and has been our biggest issue since it opened,” he said. “We have a lot of positive momentum in that direction, and we certainly don’t want to see it ground to a halt.”